Murcian paparajote triumphs in Mallorca contest

The Casa Regional de Murcia in Mallorca won the third “Va de tapes” contest on Saturday with “Bocaico de la Huerta,” a sweet tapa built around the Murcian paparajote. The competition was held at Palma’s Parc de la Mar as part of the Feria de Mayo de las Casas y Centros Regionales 2026, according to the Balearic government and local media. The winning entry reworked the traditional Murcian dessert by pairing it with lemon cream. (caib.es) Francesca Ramis, the Balearic government’s director general for institutional relations and relations with parliament, presented the prize. ### What exactly won in Palma? “Bocaico de la Huerta” was presented by the Casa Regional de Murcia in Mallorca and was named the best tapa of the contest on May 16, the Balearic government said. The dish fused the traditional Murcian paparajote with lemon cream, which the government said impressed the jury. (caib.es) La Opinión de Murcia described the entry as a reinterpretation of the paparajote, a dessert widely identified with the Region of Murcia. The newspaper said the Murcian house’s proposal prevailed over the other participating regional houses in the contest. ### What is a paparajote, and what was changed here? The paparajote is a traditional Murcian dessert associated with the huerta, or orchard belt, around Murcia. Recipes and food coverage describe it as a sweet fritter made with a lemon-tree leaf coated in batter, fried, and finished with sugar and cinnamon; the leaf perfumes the dessert and is not usually eaten. (caib.es) The winning Mallorca version kept the paparajote as its reference point but turned it into a competition tapa with lemon cream. The Balearic government’s account did not publish a full recipe, but it said the dish was a sweet fusion built from the traditional Murcian base. (caib.es) ### Who did Murcia beat? Seven regional entities took part in this year’s edition, according to the Balearic government. They were the Falla de El Toro-Casa de Valencia in Calvià, the Casa Regional Valenciana in Mallorca, the Casa Regional de Murcia in Mallorca, Hogar Canario en las Islas Baleares, Euskal Etxea Artea Mallorca, the Casa de Andalucía en Baleares and the Centro Gallego de Mallorca. (laopiniondemurcia.es) The competing dishes ranged from “Esgarraet Valencià” and “Gamba amb bleda” to “Ayanto Herreño,” “Ajoarriero de Can Dimoni,” “Flamenquín cordobés” and “Pulpo a feira,” the Balearic government said. (directoalpaladar.com) Murcia’s “Bocaico de la Huerta” was the only sweet winner in that field. ### Why was the contest being held in Mallorca? (caib.es) The “Va de tapes” contest formed part of the Feria de Mayo de las Casas y Centros Regionales 2026, an event that brings together gastronomy, music and popular traditions from Spain’s autonomous communities represented in the Balearic Islands, the regional government said. The fair opened on Friday and included musical and folkloric performances by participating regional houses. Palma’s Parc de la Mar served as the venue for both the contest and the broader fair programming. (caib.es) Europa Press reported that Saturday’s schedule also included percussion, music and traditional dance performances, along with concerts and public activities. ### What happens after this win? The 2025 winner was Hogar Canario en las Islas Baleares, and its dish served as the promotional image for this year’s contest, the Balearic government said. (caib.es) Under the same format, “Bocaico de la Huerta” will become the image of next year’s “Va de tapes” edition. Sunday’s program at the Feria de Mayo continues at Parc de la Mar with more musical performances and children’s activities open to the public, La Opinión de Murcia reported. The Murcian house’s winning tapa now moves from one-day contest entry to the event’s named reference point for 2027. (caib.es) (laopiniondemurcia.es) (europapress.es)