Summer is the busiest time for our island, and also for agriculture. The high temperatures favour the development and accumulation of sugars in fruits and vegetables and it is the best time for the orchards, on which the economy of many farmers depends.
In local agriculture there are two products that stand out for their volume and quality: the red potato and the watermelon. The red potato enjoys a great prestige earned by the old variety, and is essential in our traditional gastronomy: sofrit pagès, bollit de peix, enciam de patata, frita de polp.
Many varieties of potato are currently grown in Ibiza, among which the Desirée variety stands out, a worthy successor to the traditional potato due to its culinary qualities, as it is excellent for frying and firm when boiled. It is sold in personalised Sabors d’Ibiza packaging indicating the variety.
You only have to taste the watermelon grown in Ibiza to appreciate its sweetness and texture. The commercial varieties grown on the island contain seeds, unlike the current market trend, where seedless varieties dominate. The reason is that the presence of seeds provides a crunchy texture.
Watermelon is the great summer fruit: hydrating, refreshing and also provides lycopene, a very valuable antioxidant. Its high quality has placed it on the menus of many restaurants and hotel chains in Ibiza.
Summer is also the time for the traditional varieties from the vegetable garden: pebrera blanca, ceba vermella (original ingredients, together with the Ibizan red potato, of the ensalada payesa, the most emblematic dish from the vegetable garden); as well as meló eriçó, pure sweetness, but fleeting (its season is very short, as is its shelf life).
The fruits from the sea
At the moment, the demand for fresh fish and seafood far exceeds the catches of the local fleet, prioritising its sustainability. This is the best moment for lobster, which finishes its authorised season at the end of August, and for the most prized fish, which are under heavy supply pressure.
The effort made by the fishermen’s guilds to individually mark each specimen with a plastic flange with the double identification Peix Nostrum and Sabors d’Ibiza makes it possible to easily identify their catches in the trade and restaurants.
And let’s not forget that the natural accompaniments to our gastronomy are the oils and wines of Ibiza, recognised by the European Union as a Protected Geographical Indication. With an increasingly diverse offer, summer is an opportunity to discover them and savour white and rosé wines with a good fish or rice dish, or a good red wine with more substantial dishes, together with local bread seasoned with local oil.