It’s known as lightning fish, dolphinfish, mahi mahi, and the local name, llampuga. Call it what you will, this seasonal, migratory fish is so named locally because its arrival in the seas around Mallorca coincides with the end-of-summer thunderstorms. Llamp is the Catalan word for lightning.

This white fish is delicious grilled or fried simply in olive oil with garlic and red peppers, but creative home cooks and professional chefs can find plenty of ways to use llampuga.

Autumn being the season of several food fairs in Mallorca, it’s no surprise that the llampuga has its own celebration. Every October, the fishing port of Cala Rajada hosts a weekend-long event, including a tapas competition, a giant paella, live music, and Sunday’s Mostra de la Llampuga. For a typical programme of this weekend, see the official poster for the 2024 event.

2024’s Mostra de la Llampuga is the 21st of its kind, and attending this event is a great way to discover the versatility of this fish and have some fun in this part of northeast of Mallorca.

The main event is on Sunday, when there’ll be more than 20 stalls offering their own versions of llampuga dishes. Each stall will have 80 kilos of the fish to use – all of it caught by fishermen from Cala Rajada. Now that’s what I call a feast!

Jan Edwards©2024