How Port de Sóller Discovered the Red Shrimp and Why the Sea Forges Friendships

How Port de Sóller Discovered the Red Shrimp and Why the Sea Forges Friendships

Of nets, voyages and the flavor of a new delicacy

In the morning there's still salt in the air, seagulls cry and somewhere along the Passeig the espresso machine of a small café starts the day, and nearby the Sóller and Port de Sóller: Markets That Smell of Everyday Life and the Sea capture the smells of everyday life. That's how every harbour picture in Port de Sóller begins – and within these everyday scenes lies the explanation of how a tiny delicacy became part of the identity here: the red shrimp, the gamba roja.

Historically Sóller was, because of the mountains, somewhat an island within the island for Mallorca. The orange groves travelled by ship to Toulon and Marseille, often in old freighters that long before mass tourism kept the connection to the mainland. This trading and seafaring history explains why the place looks more northward on the map than toward Palma.

But the closest ties apparently formed on another coast: Sant Carles de la Ràpita, not far from the Ebro Delta, was and is a centre of fishing tradition on Spain's east coast. Between the two harbours lie 320 kilometres as the crow flies over water – a distance boats, families and recipes can bridge. In the 1970s there was a ban on catching the red shrimp on the east coast. Some fishermen from Sant Carles were not entirely deterred; a fully loaded cutter back then diverted to the port of Sóller to land. The Sóller locals saw this foreign catch, tasted it – and acquired a liking for it.

The surprising thing: what today is considered a small luxury product was once not a given on the island’s menus. Sometimes it is a reversal of perception that brings a product out of the shadows. This is exactly how the Sóller fishermen adopted and refined techniques from the mainland; from a chance landing came an artisanal practice, later a local trademark: the red prawns from the waters of the Tramuntana.

What strikes me during a stroll along the quay are the small, almost intimate scenes: an old woman with a shopping bag asking about the price, youngsters bending over nets with curiosity, and in front of the Club Náutic plates with prawns being served while the sea laps quietly. Such everyday moments shape a place's culinary memory more than any advertisement sign.

Sometimes symbols also make connections visible. The Rafel Verdera, a freighter from 1841, is a protected monument and one of the harbour's jewels; it is one of the oldest still-operated freighters in Spain. On April 24 this ship will set off on a symbolic voyage to Sant Carles and return after about four days. The Mare Mar Foundation organizes the trip; local specialties will be exchanged on board, and on the return trip products from the Ebro region will be brought aboard. The Rafel Verdera will be accompanied by the protected llaüt 'Mare Nostrum' of the island council.

This voyage is more than a historical spectacle: it is a visible sign of the municipal partnership officially begun in 2020. Festivals, museum projects and joint initiatives of the maritime museums are planned — much of this has already found its roots in informal meetings of fishing families. Visits to the harbours over the years have forged friendships, some couples have found each other, family roots have been intertwined; the sea here has always also taken on the role of a public square where people live, love and share.

This is good for Mallorca. Such cooperations strengthen local producers, ensure traditional fishing methods endure, and at the same time offer a story that appeals to tourists and locals alike. On the plate this means: freshly caught prawns that bring a story with them. In the coming years such initiatives can show how sustainable regional brands work: with respect for the sea and neighboring harbours, with exchange and with pride in craftsmanship.

When on April 24 the freighter leaves the horizon, there may be a small celebration in the harbor, the Habaneras in Port de Sóller: Seafaring Songs from the Water will play, and children will again count the boats. Such scenes are the core of what makes this island: not only landscapes, but people and their stories. And a simple, red shrimp tells quite a lot about that.

Looking ahead: If you stand at one of the harbor cafés, you should try a small plate of prawns and listen while you eat. The flavors are good — the stories even better. An alliance between harbors is not an administrative act, but an invitation to cook together, fish together and pass on old techniques.