What Majorcan cured sausage is soft and spreadable?

What Majorcan cured sausage is soft and spreadable? Sobrasada is the answer. Also spelled sobrassada, it is a raw, cured sausage from Mallorca and the wider Balearic Islands, made chiefly from minced pork, paprika, salt and spices. Its rich fat content and relatively soft texture make it easy to spread on bread rather than slice like a firm salami.

The sausage is traditionally prepared during the Balearic pig-slaughter season, known locally as a matança. After being stuffed into a natural casing, it hangs for weeks while the island’s mild, humid autumn and winter conditions help it cure. Paprika became part of the recipe after the spice reached Europe from the Americas in the late 15th century.

Varieties differ in size and heat. Smaller sausages cure more quickly, while large forms take longer; a spicy version may include cayenne. Sobrasada is often served on bread, but it can also enrich pastries, stews and other island dishes. It is easy to confuse it with botifarra or fuet, yet those are different sausages: sobrasada’s signature combination is its paprika-red colour, fatty softness and spreadable consistency.