Typical dishes of Ibiza that you should not miss

Ibiza, the beautiful island, seduces all your senses. From sight; spectacular beaches and beautiful landscapes, from hearing; the diversity of melodies and styles of music, from touch; the softness of its waters and its coasts of fine sand, from smell; the special sea breeze aroma from its ports, and from taste; for the delicious traditional cuisine. This makes all those who visit for the first time, always want to return.

Its island status, nestled in a special place of the Mediterranean, gives unity to cooking of peasant origin with several touches of Catalan heredity. The typical dishes of Ibizan cuisine are marked by their maritime nature, so in the elaboration of their dishes, seafood and fish are often used, sometimes complemented with meats and with fresh vegetables, grown on their own land.

If you come to Ibiza, you can not leave without enjoying the delicious typical dishes. The five-star dishes of Ibizan cuisine are:

Bullit de Peix

This is a dish of mixed fish very carefully elaborated twice in tandem.

First, the fish are boiled, usually cabracho (scorpionfish), mero (grouper) and gallo de San Pedro (johndory), sometimes covered with vegetables. Then, with the broth of the fish, arroz a banda (fisherman’s rice) is prepared and serves as a second course. This typical dish will seduce you with the first taste. For this reason, it is one of the most representative dishes of the island of Ibiza.

 

 Ensalada Payesa

The peasant salad, for the Ibizan “ensalada pagesa”, is one of the typical dishes of summer in Ibiza. It is a salad prepared with potatoes, tomatoes, green peppers, onion, egg, olives and sometimes fish; seasoned and with plenty of olive oil. In Formentera, they usually add several pieces of dried fish. This salad is usually a star starter dish on the menus of the Ibizan restaurants.

 

Sofrit Pagès

The sofrit pagès is a very popular dish among the Ibizans, especially during the winter months.

Formerly, this was the traditional dish that the peasants cooked on their fiesta days. This reminds us that Ibiza is not only to be enjoyed in summer, but the winter is also a perfect time to enjoy the island at a quieter time of year.

This is a typical dish simmered in a clay casserole pot with chicken, lamb, sobrasada (type of spicy sausage) and potatoes as the main ingredients.

 

Arrós de Matances

This is a traditional dish in Ibiza, which was prepared after the slaughter of the pig around November time, so the family had plenty of meat for the winter, but nowadays you can find it in various restaurants of the island all year round. If you like rice, meat and traditional food, you cannot leave Ibiza without trying this type of rice, prepared with mushrooms, sirloin, loin and pork ribs.

 

Frita de Pulpo

Although we love red shrimp and lobster, octopus is another of the typical dishes of Ibizan cuisine.

The dish consists of a cooked octopus to which is added a hash of fried garlic, red peppers, potatoes and onion. The result, a delicious gastronomic experience, that you will be able to enjoy as an appetizer or main course.

 

In addition to the typical main dishes, we cannot forget the delicious Ibizan desserts like flaó (type of cheesecake), delicious cake made with peppermint; greixonera, dessert made with ensaimadas (similar to puff pastry), eggs and cinnamon; and orelletes, aniseed pastry that you can buy in various pastry shops on the island of Ibiza.

Where to find these typical dishes?

The Bullit de Peix can be found in many restaurants but without a doubt the best on the island you will find in El Bigotes, the beachbar of Cala Mastella in Santa Eulalia or the restaurant of Cala Es Pou des Lleó, a cove located in the municipality of San Carlos and very close to Es Canar.

The Sofrit Pages of the restaurant Ca n’Alfredo, in the center of Ibiza, is one of the most delicious on the island and you can also enjoy this typical dish during the winter season in one of our azuLine hotels such as the hotel azuLine Mar Amantis, azuLine Bergantin or azuLine Coral beach.

The Ensalada Payesa de Sa Palmera, a restaurant located in Santa Agnes, is a clear example of a traditional peasant salad in the Ibizan style; and the Frita de Pulpo at Es Rebost de Can Prats, in San Antonio, stands out as an aperitif. The best rice dishes can be found in the restaurant A Son de Mar, located in the Port of Marina Botafoch, Ibiza.

If you visit Ibiza, don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy these typical dishes that will make you lick your fingers. You’ll certainly miss them when you go home and we are sure you’ll want the recipes!