Ibizan Cuisine

The sun-kissed coast of Ibiza is home to a cuisine that offers the clean, fresh flavors of the sea beside the rich dishes from the rest of the Spain. Mediterranean ingredients combine with culinary traditions from within the Iberian peninsula to create the unique Ibizan flavor profile. Tapas, Pintxos, Ensaladas Favorites from the rest of the Spanish peninsula also find themselves in Ibizan spreads. Jamón Serrano can be eaten by itself, sliced by hand on a tapas board, or in croquetaswith cheese, or with slivers of melon for contrasting textures and flavors. Of course, the region has its own sausages: sobresada and butifarra, which offers depth of flavor with garlic and peppers. For salads, Ibiza serves them on the hearty side, as with the ensalada payesa, a filling mix of boiled potatoes, dried tuna chunks, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, boiled eggs, and bread. Taken together, it makes for a filling meal in iteself or a refreshing side dish to more meaty entrees.

Fresh from the Sea

Ibizan dishes consist mainly of fish, usually served as fresh as possible. This can be tasted in fisherman fare like Bullit de Peix, where monkfish, grouper, and other fish are stewed with potatoes, green beans—sometimes Ibizan cooks add sea anemones, bay leaves, white wine, and even saffron, all to boil in moderate heat for a hearty and aromatic stew. Ibiza likewise has many ways of serving salmon, bacalao(cod), and tuna, along with other varieties native to their coast, which can go in stews like zarzuela de pepescado y mariscos. Ibizan cuisine also features other seafood; there are a number of dishes made with octopus—pulpo—prepared in a variety of ways: with goat cheese, a la gallega(seasoned with coarse salt, paprika, and olive oil), or fritos(stir-fried to a crisp). There are also variations on baked mussels—mejillones gratinados—and mariscos—dishes that combine many types of seafood.

And all this comes together in Ibizan paella, the world-famous and delicate mix of fish, seafood, and rice with the secret sofritobase and the saffron-flavored caldo.Ibizan paella comes in many forms: marisco, mixta, carne y verdura, and negra.

Carnes

The region also has its share of grilled meats and stews, all cooked simply and as quickly as possible: solomilo de cerdo a la plancha(pork tenderloin), solomilo de ternera (sirloin steak), and brochetta ternera y verdura (skewered beef and vegetables). For stews, there are dishes like arroz de matanza, which stews rice with chicken, pork, and fresh chorizo.

Desserts and Spirits

Ibicencos usually bring their meals to a close with an expression of their native sweet tooth, manifested in their ensaimadas—pastries that resemble the Filipino version—and substantial holiday puddings like Greixonera Ibicenca, a mix of bread, eggs, and milk with the aroma of cinnamon and an accent of lemon zest. Moreover, Ibicencos have a taste for aromatic herbs and spices, as can be sampled in Hierbas Ibicencos, a distilled spirit infused with aniseed, lavender, fennel, thyme, rosemary, juniper berries, and a combination of several others. This liqueur is generally taken at the very end of a meal, as a digestif.