That Ibiza has great gastronomic wealth is the plain truth, and the truth is that it is not surprising if we take into account the extraordinary quality of Ibizan products. The same happens with Ibizan pastries. While there are some desserts that are typical of some festivities, others, however, are present in any restaurant or pastry shop throughout the year.
As you can see, today’s focus is on sweets… Get ready, because you won’t be able to resist trying them all!
Flaó, the best-known Ibizan dessert
The flaó is one of the most valued desserts on the island. It is a kind of goat and sheep cheese cake, spectacular and very sweet, whose star ingredient, mint, gives it an original and characteristic touch.
This dessert is typical of the island and, despite the fact that it was traditionally made to celebrate Easter Sunday, today it is possible to find in restaurants and pastry shops throughout the year.
Its origins date back to the Middle Ages, but its recipe has been preserved intact, generation after generation, thanks to the island’s farmers.
For visitors and tourists it has become a tradition to buy a flaó as a gift, in the same way that it happens with ensaimadas. Once you try it, you will never be able to resist taking another bite.
Orelletes, an Ibizan dessert with a lot of aroma and flavor
If you have never heard of les orelletes, you should know that it is one of the most requested typical Ibizan sweets. They are a kind of fried pastry with a mild flavor of anise and lemon, sprinkled with sugar and which, as the name suggests, are shaped like an ear. They have a spongy and soft texture, and although they may look like cookies, they are not.
In the past, this dessert was made for family celebrations and popular festivals. It has also always been a dessert closely linked to weddings, where it was customary to serve them after the banquet. In fact, today, many wedding couples give the orelletes to their guests as a token of appreciation.
If you want to try this well-known sweet made from flour, eggs, sugar, anise and lemon, you can find them throughout the year in pastry shops and restaurants.
It should be noted that their shape changes depending on the place of production. For instance, while in Sant Josep the orelletes have two cuts in the center, in Sant Jordi they are known for their singular little bows. In any case, this sweet is commonly recognized for its spectacular aroma and flavor.
The greixonera, the best dessert for making the most of it
The greixonera is another of Ibiza’s typical sweets par excellence. It is said that its recipe makes the most of ingredients given that hard, leftover ensaimadas from previous days are its core ingredient. There are also those who make it with fresh ensaimadas or, in the absence of these, with stale bread or buns from other days.
After a fairly simple preparation process, the result is none other than a kind of pudding that is served cold and that will surprise you with its characteristic cinnamon taste.
You can find this dessert throughout the year anywhere in Ibiza. If you prefer to venture out and make it yourself, it will take approximately 20 minutes. It is a quickly prepared sweet that is ideal for days when you don’t have much time.
You will only need a flan mold and a number of everyday ingredients that you most likely have in your pantry: milk, sugar, cinnamon, ensaimadas and lemon.
Nadal’s sauce, an odd Ibizan dessert
Perhaps one of the most curious things about this dessert is that it is made with meat broth and that it contains salt. However, it is not a salty dish, but a rather sweet one instead, containing honey, sugar and cinnamon.
Nadal’s sauce is one of the most deeply rooted desserts in Ibizan gastronomy. It consists of a liquid with a sweet and delicate flavour, similar to soft nougat, that is made only during the Christmas holidays.
Its recipe is somewhat odd, since it mixes the meat broth with an almond sauce and is usually accompanied with a coc payés or Ibizan sponge cake. It is not a complicated recipe, but it does require great precision with the proportions of all its ingredients. Regardless of whether you decide to buy it or make it yourself, it is one of those desserts that is definitely worth trying.
Macarrons from Sant Joan
This is another of Ibiza’s typical desserts, although prepared exclusively on the day of Sant Joan, June 24.
If you want to make this recipe for macarrons from Sant Joan at home, you will see that it starts in a very similar way to rice pudding. The difference is that, in the case of Sant Joan’s macarrons, the rice is replaced by a special, flat pasta with curled edges, which is cooked in the infused milk for a few minutes. You can buy this dry pasta in bulk at any local Ibizan store.
Sant Joan macarrons, with a mild and surprising flavour, are commonly associated with the municipality of Sant Joan, although you can find them anywhere on the island during the month of June. You just have to keep in mind that, depending on the municipality, the way to prepare them may vary.
Ibicencan fritters, typical of the patron saint festivities
Despite the fact that fritters are a traditional Ibizan dessert, they are worth mentioning because, in addition to being highly appreciated by Ibizans, they are always present at any celebration, particularly during the patron saint festivities.
It is quite common for them to be served at town festivals and also in private homes after meals.
The recipe for the fritters, made from potatoes, flour, milk, sugar and aniseed, is quite simple to prepare, as long as special attention is paid to the proportions of the ingredients. If you prefer to buy them, today you will find them in many ovens and pastry shops.
With these six suggestions for Ibizan desserts, you will surely be unable to resist the temptation. We recommend accompanying them with a glass of Ibizan herbs, one of the island’s essentials after an especially copious meal. Flaó, greixonera, orelletes, Nadal sauce, Sant Joan macarrons or fritters… Which one do you prefer? They are all delicious!
