Every time people go on vacation, one of the most important things that tourists look at before going to a country is the typical food. In this case Spain has a wide variety of dishes that vary depending on the autonomous community. However, one of those that always attracts the attention of tourists is the Ibiza cuisine, due to its great variety of dishes and desserts. People may think that Ibiza is just an island with beaches and nightclubs, its food is not well known internationally, and it happens with the Minorcan cuisine as well. Between the Balearic Islands, the Ibizan gastronomy shares with the rest essences, ingredients and methods of preparation.
Ibizan gastronomy stands out for its richness of intense flavors that are normally surrounded by sea food, specifically fish. However, meat also plays a fundamental role in gastronomy.
From this wide variety, some dishes that stand out are Bullit and guisat de peix (Boiled and stewed fish), both main ingredients are seafood, including fish, other ingredients used are olive oil, garlic, onion, parsley, saffron and almonds. The difference between bullit and guisat de peix is that the first one mentioned is with rice instead.
Another dish that stands out is the Sofrit pagès, which is a dish that represents Ibizan gastronomy and is also shared with Formentera (One of the Balearic Islands). Sofrit pagès’ preparation is divided in two parts, the first one is the making of the soup which is made out of the broth where all ingredients were cooked before, and the other part consists of making the sofrit. This stew can be made of different meats such as chicken or lamb, also sausages, potatoes and spices such as cinnamon, clove, saffron and paprika.
One of the most iconic dishes from the Ibizan gastronomy is Borrida de ratjada which is a dish that consists on minced ray meat marinated with salt and lemon, after being cooked, some spices are added such as parsley, garlic, paprika, in addition olive oil and an egg. Even though this dish is very remarkable in the gastronomy, it is true that not many people like it since the texture and the characteristic taste of the ray is not nice for everyone.
As for desserts, this may be a section that some people like more than others. Ibiza has great desserts like Greixonera which is some sort of pudding. The main ingredients are the leftovers of ensaimada (a dessert from the Balearic Islands) that are washed on milk, eggs, cinnamon, lemon zest and then is cooked in the oven. Flaó is another popular dessert which is the representation of the Ibizan cheesecake. It is made of sheep or goat cheese, peppermint and sugar.
In Ibizan gastronomy we can also find some dishes like Orelletes, Fritá de Pulpo, Ensalada payesa, Arroz de matanza and Cuinat that are worth trying. There are many restaurants in Ibiza that prepare these dishes, some of them can be good spots, yet others may not. So, what are the best Ibizan food restaurants on the island?
One of the restaurants known for its good Ibizan food is Port Balansat established in 1971, the restaurant is located next to the Port de San Miquel and it is famous for its specialties such as Bullit de peix, fish in brine, fish stew and rice dishes (www.restauranteportbalansat.com).
The restaurant S’Espartar was established 25 years ago and it is also a top restaurant in Ibiza that any tourist must go to during their stay on the island. S’Espartar is famous for its Ibizan traditional gastronomy including bullit de peix, according to locals, this is the restaurant’s specialty (http://restaurantsespartar.com/es-es/).
In our list, Sa Caleta is also a top restaurant on the island. The restaurant is located next to the crystal clear sea, specifically at the beach Es Bol Nou. According to Ibizans, this is a fancy area of the island and the perfect place to eat traditional food. Sa Caleta mainly offers seafood, but they also have meat such as chicken, beef and lamb. It has a variety of Ibizan dishes like bullit de peix and typical desserts like flaó and greixonera (https://sacaleta.es/=)
If you want to look for smaller dishes, like Ibizan food tapas, Re.Art. is a good choice. The restaurant by David Reartes offers a wide variety of dishes prepared with the Ibizan raw material. The restaurant is known for its gambas ibicencas al ajillo (Ibizan prawns with garlic), fritá de pulpo and canelón de cordero payés, these are all traditionals foods from the island (https://reart.es/)
Of course, the island offers many more high-end restaurants, but these mentioned are part of the list that must be visited during your stay in Ibiza, in order to have a memorable gastronomic experience. The food in Ibiza has flavors and ingredients that are not seen anywhere else in Spain or the rest of Europe.
