The food of a country says a lot about its inhabitants. Not infrequently, the culinary aspects are a decisive reason to get to know new cultures. Enjoying unknown smells, spices and recipes until late at night – on Ibiza you can have it all! People here seldom eat before 10 pm. Today we present you a selected overview of Ibiza’s cuisine, which gives you only a small insight into what this island has to offer for your taste buds!
Get the right taste
Of course we start slowly, because with so many different choices, you have to prepare your stomach well! A popular start for long evenings is Aioli, a rather simple spread made from garlic and oil, which is eaten with white bread and is very popular with both, locals and tourists. Bread is gladly served at the beginning in general, also in form of pa amb oli (bread with oil). Here, the bread is spread with olive oil, tomatoes and salt, but as another variety, it is also served with sausage, ham, cheese, tuna or an omelette. This sandwich is then called Bocadillo.
Fresh from the ocean
One thing, of course, is particularly obvious: seafood and fish are an integral part of Ibiza’s cuisine. Close in the truest sense of the word – food from the sea is usually caught and prepared freshly on Ibiza. This has not only the advantage that the food tastes particularly intense, but is also good for your wallet. Fish and seafood are rarely overpriced here and should be part of every visit to the island, if you are a seafood lover. To emphasize the special taste, fish dishes on Ibiza are usually prepared relatively simple. Potatoes and salads are popular side dishes here. If “only” fish is still not enough, the sunny island offers you a Zarzueala. Zarzueala is a traditional fish stew, in which various types of fish and seafood are fried with onions, tomatoes, peppers and garlic and then cooked with a shot of wine. So there is something for every fish lover!
Exclusively on the island
Some things that are very rare or almost non-existent on the mainland are definitely a must on the island! Who likes meat better than fish is in good hands here. For example, there are the Balearic sausages, sobresada and butifarra. Sobresada consists of pork, bacon, noble sweet paprika powder, salt and spices and is air dried. In this way it slowly develops its intense aroma. The butifarra is often used for frying or cooking. It consists of pork, which is enriched with salt, pepper and garlic. If you like it a bit more mixed, you should definitely try Sofrit Pages – a rather hearty stew of delicious spicy lamb, pork, chicken, sausages and potatoes.
Typically Spanish
Of course you will also find a variety of typical Spanish dishes on Ibiza. How about gazpacho, a cold tomato soup that is often used for an amazing start of the dinner? But the real highlight of the cozy get-together is the paella! This rice dish is traditionally prepared either with fish or meat and refined with saffron. In this way, one can enjoy the view over the coast with friends and family until late at night. It is also a real experience, when paella gets served in one of these big pans right at the table. Those who are still hungry after it are best advised to make themselves comfortable with a portion of delicious tapas. Thought as a small snack or starter, this dish can fill the waiting time between two meals. Typical tapas are, for example, albóndigas (meatballs), mejillones (mussels) or boquerones en vinagre (anchovies marinated in vinegar) – but again, the following applies: there are no limits for the imagination of taste, and there are countless kinds of tapas that you have to try when visiting the island!
Sweets should not be missed
After so much hearty food, of course the dessert should not be missed. For this the island also has a lot to offer. For example the Ensaïmada de Mallorca. These consist of a light dough that is filled with chocolate or a cream or simply sprinkled with icing sugar. Just the right thing to finish the evening. If this is nothing for your taste, you should definitely try Flao. It is a kind of cheesecake, but it is prepared in a very traditional way. A specialty of the island are almonds on top. No matter in which form, they always taste good after the meal! The Ibizan almond cake Gató d’Ametlla is very popular too and also almond ice-cream is available almost everywhere.
The perfect finish
At the end of a long evening the stomach is quite full. Just in time for a nightcap. But wait, there is a very special drink, that you still need to try when being on Ibiza: the Hierbas Ibicencas shot. This is a traditional herbal brandy that is very popular throughout Ibiza and is served after every meal. But watch out… they are so delicious that it is easy to get real drunk, when ordering too much of them. 🙂
It will take you a long time to experience all different tastes and dishes here. But it is definitely worth the visit, as nowhere else tastes as good as on Ibiza!
