Typical dishes of Formentera

The typical cuisine of Formentera is part of the island’s traditions. Linked to the succession of the seasons, the local products used in preparing meals come from both the sea and the land. It is perhaps the latter that provides most of the ingredients. In fact, we must not forget that the ancient name of Formentera was Frumentaria, that is, the island of wheat.
Although very simple and numerically almost irrelevant compared to any other territory, the raw materials used by Formentera’s restaurants are not denatured and give life to typical dishes of high quality.

An excellent starter, or even a main course if you want to keep it light, is the ensalada payesa, a recipe found in almost every restaurant on the island. It is a salad made up of: tomatoes, raw onion, roasted red pepper, green pepper, boiled potatoes, “bescuit” (a dried bread cut into pieces) and “peix sec” which is the sun-dried fish of Formentera.
Not to be missed are the bullit de peix (a fish stew), the frita de pulpo (fried octopus) and the squid “a la bruta” (cooked in its own ink), also ideal as a main course or second dish. In common with the culinary tradition of Ibiza we find sofrit pages, a stew of peasant origin made with pork, chicken and lamb.

However, Formentera also offers other native products that we recommend you try or purchase to bring a taste of the island to your tables: goat’s cheese, a widespread product with a strong taste, you can also find it flavoured with different herbs; or honey, which owes its excellent quality to the dry climate and the absence of chemicals (depending on the season, you can find it flavoured with thyme or rosemary, aromatic plants that grow wild on the island); or even dried figs, which for a long time were an ubiquitous food in every islander’s pantry. Today they are highly appreciated for their intense taste, often enhanced by the anise and laurel with which they are flavoured in the production process; accompanied by cheese and almonds, they also make an excellent dessert.

And it is with the desserts that we conclude this brief journey into the traditional dishes of Formentera: at the end of the meal order the flaó (a fresh mint cheesecake) or the orelletes (anise flavoured) or the most popular greixonera (made with ensaimadas). If you are in Formentera with children, we suggest you try these island desserts.

Digest it all with an excellent glass or shot of hierbas, a herbal liqueur typical of the Pityusic islands (be careful, its alcohol content varies between 25 and 30 degrees); if you are lucky, you will find those who produce it with the aromatic plants of the island.

The wines deserve a separate chapter: Formentera boasts a rich winemaking tradition with 80 hectares of vineyards. These are well tended and their particular condition of “isolation” preserved them from the phylloxera attack, which destroyed most European vineyards during the second half of the 19th century. Many villagers produce small quantities for daily use, but there are two large wineries that cater to mass consumption: Terramoll and Cap De Barbaria. Both produce wines of excellent quality thanks to the meticulous care applied to each process.

We haven’t talked about the popular paella or aioli sauce, which you will find in almost every restaurant in Formentera, but we have chosen to focus on local products rather than Spanish cuisine dishes, which are spread all over the country. Tasting the typical cuisine is definitely one of the things to do in Formentera during your stay.