What Are the Must-Try Traditional Dishes in Ibiza?
What could be more delightful than a paella in the sun, with some crusty local bread and a glass of something delicious? Arguably Spain’s most well-travelled and well-known dish, nobody does it better than the locals, who tend to eat it at midday and have strong opinions on the best way to do it. Whether you like it with seafood, chicken or vegetables, Ibiza has some incredible places to try paella. Bring an appetite!
Sofrit Pagè is a delicious reminder of the island’s rustic culinary heritage. This meaty stew was traditionally made when pigs were slaughtered on festive occasions, known as a matança and is packed with meat, sausages, potatoes and aromatic herbs. Leave time for a siesta afterwards! The Arroz de Matança is a meaty rice stew made on the same occasions, and served with a local picada paste.
Traditionally made during the matança to see the family through the rest of the year, Ibizan sausages are legendary, made with local pork, herbs and spices. Make sure you try some Butifarra and Sobrassada while you’re there!
The fisherman’s favourite, Bullit de Peix or boiled fish, is nowadays perhaps Ibiza’s most quintessential dish. Best served with allioli, some hearty local potatoes and a chilled white local vino, this is one of the best foods in Ibiza.
For salad-lovers wondering what to eat in Ibiza, make sure to try the local favourite Ensalada Payesa, or country salad. While it has many variations, tradition dictates they must contain red potato, red onion, green onion and tomato, stars of the Ibizan harvest.
When it comes to Ibiza, it’s not just the savoury delights that need a mention. The island is famed for its sweet treats too, perfect for a morning pick me up, or an after-dinner indulgence.
Ensaimadas are traditionally from Mallorca, Ibiza’s next-door neighbour, and are the perfect spiral-shaped sweet pastry treat, dusted in icing sugar. Ingredients include a type of reduced pork lard, which gives them their name. And if you have any left-over ensaimadas, you can always make a Greixonera, a kind of sweet bread pudding made using the day-old pastries, milk, lemon, cinnamon and sometimes a dash of Frigola, a thyme-infused Ibizan liqueur. Or why not treat yourself to a piece of flaó, a mint-infused cheesecake found throughout Ibiza and the Balearics? Simply delicious.