Ibizan red prawns, sobrasada, local lamb and a glass of hierbas to finish. Ibiza has brought a taste of its culinary heritage to Amsterdam through a gastronomic experience designed to introduce Dutch media and content creators to the island’s produce, traditions and food culture.
The initiative was organised by Eating in Ibiza, the product club run by the Ibiza Tourism Promotion Foundation, with support from the Ibiza Island Council and Ibiza Travel. According to the organisers, the aim is to broaden the island’s image in the Dutch market while putting greater emphasis on its cuisine, local producers and the connection between food and the land.
The event brought together Óscar Salazar, executive chef at Nela Ibiza, with Hari Shetty and Ori Geller, the creators of Nela Amsterdam. The collaboration connected the Amsterdam restaurant with 7Pines Resort Ibiza, bringing the island’s ingredients and culinary traditions to a new audience.
A Menu Showcasing Ibiza’s Local Produce
The menu explored some of the ingredients most closely associated with Ibizan gastronomy. Alongside Ibizan red prawns, the selection included porc negre (the island’s native black pig), free-range Ibizan chicken and local lamb, as well as sobrasada, honey, olive oil and almonds from Ibiza.
Through this selection, Eating in Ibiza sought to highlight the relationship between local cuisine and the work of the island’s producers, fishermen and farmers. It also showcased the techniques and traditions that form part of Ibiza’s gastronomic heritage.
The experience was paired with wines from Ibizkus and concluded with a glass of Hierbas Ibicencas from Marí Mayans, offering a final taste of the island’s local flavours.
Gastronomy as a Window into Ibiza
The initiative aims to introduce Dutch audiences to another side of Ibiza through travel and food storytellers. Eating in Ibiza sees local produce as a gateway to discovering the island and strengthening its position as a Mediterranean gastronomic destination.
The collaboration between the teams at Nela Ibiza and Nela Amsterdam also demonstrated how these ingredients can be reinterpreted through contemporary cuisine, with tradition and the provenance of each product providing the starting point.