Mushroom Fair (La Fira de l´Esclatasang), Mancor de la Vall

The star of the show is the esclatasang - a large flat mushroom which is showcased over the weekend in a variety of dishes offered by the local bars and restaurants. These Mallorcan mushrooms do tend to look a bit mouldy on the stalls, in a natural fresh way if that's possible! They become soft and spongy when cooked and are full of flavour. You can snack on mushrooms on toast, freshly made for you at one of the many stalls, or head into one of the cafes or restaurants to try specially prepared dishes featuring the mushroom.

The fair starts on the last Friday of November in the evening, with a traditional procession featuring the Majorcan giants (huge papier mache puppets that depict Mallorcan legends) and bonfires & fireworks, with a correfoc (run with fire) to finish things off late into the night. The fair itself starts on the Saturday, with stalls of mushrooms along with other local produce and handicrafts lining the cobbled streets. We found that the fair was pretty quiet on the Saturday during the daytime - things didn't really get started until the evening. Sunday of course is much busier, as locals congregate in the squares and cafes to chat over a liqueur or a coffee. There is music and dancing to be had to the sound of the xerimier - Majorcan bagpipes - it's a very sociable time for the local community.

Sadly there doesn't seem to be any programme of events published online which makes it difficult to plan your trip to the village. The local newspaper, the Majorca Daily Bulletin can help out though when you are here - pick up a copy on the day of your visit to get a run down of events and times.