The flight from Valencia to Ibiza transfers you from Spain’s mainland to its Balearic paradise in a matter of minutes. The vast expanse of the Mediterranean Sea presents the promise of endless beaches, tall sundowners and copious amounts of seafood. Immortalised in songs, films and pop culture for its hedonistic quotient, this Spanish island knows that the way to my heart — and anyone else’s for that matter — is through the stomach.

The variety on offer calls for a large appetite and curious taste buds.

You can divide your Ibiza food trail into five parts. Here’s how:

It’s in the geography

Ibiza’s geographic location — on the Mediterranean, in close proximity to the coasts of Europe and North Africa — ensures that it has a healthy range of fruits and vegetables. Walk anywhere in the island and you will find that palm and date trees are as common here as the lemon and orange varieties. I pluck plump figs and enjoy their juicy sweetness while marvelling at the many olive trees and tomato shrubs.

BLinkLEAD3

Let’s begin: The aioli dip is served with olive oil and bread before each meal

 

All these ingredients liven up local dishes. Equally common is the aioli (a dip made by combining garlic and herbs with olive oil), which is served with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and bread at the beginning of every meal — even before the menu card is brought to the table.

See food, eat it

The Spanish favourite paella takes on a different persona here as compared to Valencia’s meaty affair. Slow-cooked with olive oil and spices, the bomba rice (similar to the one used in risotto) is mixed with cuttlefish, shrimp, mussels, squid, crab claws and chunks of other fish. I sample some at Sa Caleta, a restaurant by a cove with its tiny beach. On the menu are other delights such as espardeñas or sea cucumbers sautéed in butter and garlic and grilled gamba roja — red shrimp found in the waters around Ibiza — with a sweet and crunchy salad of figs, walnuts, Roquefort cheese and endive leaves.

BLinkLEAD2

In the wok: Sea cucumbers sautéed in butter

 

This, and every other meal in Ibiza, is washed down with copious amounts of sangria — made with red, white or rosé wine.

A meal for two at Sa Caleta starts at €60 or ₹4,700 approx.

Tapas tales

The Spanish don’t believe in hurrying their meals, and Ibiza, with its laid-back vibe, seems to devote more time to the business of food.

The art of savouring tapas — finger foods to go with drinks — embodies this take-it-easy school of thought.

At La Torre Ibiza, along with a magnanimous sunset, I tuck into marinated sardines on toast, patatas bravas (fried potatoes topped with spicy sauce), mini tortilla Española (bite-sized pieces of Spanish omelette), langostinos al ajillo (prawns cooked in a garlic sauce) and steamed mussels in coconut milk infused with lime and cava, a sparkling wine. Strange as it might sound, tapas meals are usually followed by a cup or two of either tea or coffee. I ended my first tapas outing with chamomile tea. A meal for two here comes for €55 (₹4,400 approx).

I soon realise that Ibiza merits more than one tapas meal. At Es Caliu, my second tapas stop, grilled pimentos rule the evening. I am told that locals turn up here to watch tourists handle the hot chillies. For the less-adventurous, the restaurant has a range of Spanish croquettes with potato and ham.

Sweet notes

If the pimentos have blazed a trail through your gut, you need something to help soothe the tissues in the stomach. You can of course depend on the tried-and-tested lemon water with mint. Or take a spoonful of the flao , a delicate cake made with goat’s milk cheese and peppermint leaves, and available at most cafés and bakeries in Ibiza.

Greixonera , a pudding made with leftover bread, eggs, milk and sugar, is another dessert that deserves a mention. It is not half as light as the cheesecake though — it takes a lot more room in the stomach. And second helpings are almost ritual.

Morning after

Contrary to the number of dishes that constitute lunches and dinners in Ibiza, the island’s breakfast is refreshingly simple. A sandwich of toasted bread, tomatoes and Serrano ham is served as the first meal of the day. It comes with coffee for €5 at Bar Costa, and keeps your stomach happy until the next food stop.

Ananya Bahl is a travel writer based in Mumbai

comment COMMENT NOW