Tuesday 17th October » Day Two

Happy Monday everyone! I am back with another instalment of the Ibiza adventures. I am talking all things yoga and kombucha. My gut health improved massively by doing some gentle stretches and sipping kombucha for the day. Before you read on: why not have a read of Day One in Ibiza and get caught up! Fully embrace my journey here: Sunshine, Detoxes, Gut Feelings & Fermented Food – The IbizaLife Part 1

As I woke up on my first morning in Ibiza, fog decorated the cliffs in the background and the cold freshness filled the air. Although the morning was slightly crisp, I was totally ready to kick-start the day in style and experience a yoga class held by Jacqueline Purnell – a yoga practitioner. Jacqueline is the founder of Yogashala Ibiza, she is a retreat host and an instructor at The Garden of Joy.

Jacqueline has a soft voice and is extremely kindhearted. She makes yoga approachable, fun and really relaxing. After a rather late night, we were all feeling slightly fragile, however, this was the perfect way to begin the day. Jacqueline guided us through a series of exercises and stretches to open and relax the gut. We contracted our muscles and strengthened our core in the process. It was fascinating to learn about the benefits of yoga and its impact it has on the human body both physically and mentally. I have tried yoga before, but this practice was orientated around stimulating the internal functions. This sort of yoga aids digestion and helps relax the muscles which can become rather stressed and tensed. Easy stretches and exercises were learnt to ensure we could carry out this practice at home. Thank you, Jacqueline! We left feeling extremely relaxed and refreshed.

Soon after the yoga, we dived head first into the delicious array of breakfast options at the Salvia Ibiza Restaurant at the Ca Na Xica Spa Hotel. Check out my full review here: Ibizan Tranquillity at The Ca Na Xica Spa Hotel (beware, you may feel a little hungry!).

Let’s just say, these were the best-poached eggs I have ever tried! For all of my foodie adventures at the Salvia Ibiza Restaurant – check out my previous post here: Ibizan Tranquillity at The Ca Na Xica Spa Hotel

After some downtime and some relaxing treatments at the Ca Na Xica Spa – we had an afternoon of fermented food and complete relaxation. It was wonderful and well needed. I got to experience more of the Salvia Ibiza food and it was on a whole new level. Flavour, colour and complete deliciousness. As you will have seen from my previous post, I am a huge fan of this restaurant and I hope to return soon! On the first day, we experienced a 4-course meal with drinks at lunchtime.

Every dish on this menu represented the values of Salvia: offering the best quality ingredients, with the freshest products and the best service.

The Dining Experience at Salvia Ibiza

To start we had some nibbles, these decorated the table in a beautiful way and injected the beige tableware with colour and an Ibizan infusion. Hummus and pickled vegetables were accompanied by Japanese-style tempura vegetables with kimchi mayonnaise and Iberic ham and leek croquettes. The kimchi mayonnaise added a subtle hint of spice and creaminess. The Iberic ham and leek croquettes were everything I had imagined! Crunchy, salty and rich in meaty flavour. The perfect mixture of nibbles before the true dining experience commenced.

Starter

Burrata salad with a tomato trilogy, tapenade and pickled vegetables.

Quinoa, vegetables and nuts salad with an agave syrup vinaigrette

As you may know, I am a lover of all things colourful. Whether that is food, fashion or homeware. Colour makes me feel amazing and eating a variety of colours is not only delicious but fuels the body with a variety of nutrients. At Salvia Ibiza, they source the finest quality ingredients to ensure nothing lacks flavour or nutrient quality. Simple concepts are combined with knowledge and creativity and the most delicious dishes are formulated.

A simple quinoa salad is delicious, however, at Salvia Ibiza, it was taken to a whole new dimension. Sweetness and crunch were two elements that powered this dish. Steamed courgette with fresh tomatoes and a sprinkling of blanched almonds. Salads definitely don’t have to be boring.

Although I didn’t sample the burrata salad, I was impressed with the presentation of the dish. Tomatoes are a simple ingredient and can sometimes become hidden within other flavours, however, in this dish they take centre stage. The vibrant colours make this salad look refreshing and mouthwatering. How juicy do them tomatoes look! I did have slight food envy… 

Main course

Low temperature cooked weakfish with vegetables

This fish had a sweet, light flavour and moist texture. Weakfish is known for its moist texture and this can diminish rapidly if left for a few days. To ensure you experience the quality of this fish, it must be cooked from fresh. And yes, Salvia Ibiza did just that! They lightly cooked it and paired it with some freshly cooked vegetables. This was the perfect light lunch full of nutrients and colour. This delicate fish was delicious and I am so glad I opted for the fish option instead of the red meat.

Dessert

Fruit salad

Did you really dine-out if you didn’t have dessert? Yes, dessert soon followed and I chose the fruit salad. Not only did this allow me to sample some of the finest fruits on the island it also gave me a quick burst of sugary energy ready for our Q&A in the afternoon. The watermelon was sugary and sweet, the blueberries were tart and the banana was soft and tasted caramelised. D E L I C I O U S. 

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Fermented food workshop

with Los Fermentistas

In this workshop, we got the chance to learn about the importance and impact of fermented food and how it can improve our overall digestive health. As well as eating our own body weight in fermented vegetables, we also got to make our own fermented vegetables and learn how to re-create the deliciousness at home.

“Los Fermentistas is an aspiring husband and wife who are passionate about producing delicious fermented food and drink that is locally sourced and available in Ibiza. Not only are they passionate about their food and drink and the ingredients they use, they are also passionate about the welfare of their staff and they work extremely hard to keep their food and drink process handmade. Check out the previous post here to see the first time we met Los Fermentistas: Sunshine, Detoxes, Gut Feelings & Fermented Food – The IbizaLife Part 1

As Los Fermentistas suggest, it’s extremely important to Reclaim Your Inner Garden wherever possible and eating fermented vegetables is just one way to help heal the gut. The human gut is home to a microbial population of a staggering diversity weighing around 2 kg! This complex internal ecosystem of bacteria inside our intestines makes a huge impact on our health, that’s why it is vital to remain balanced within the gut.

As we delved deep into the ethos of Los Fermentistas, we also got the chance to learn about one of the oldest forms of preservation: fermentation. Fermented foods are foods that have been through a process of lacto-fermentation in which natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food creating lactic acid. This process preserves the food and creates beneficial enzymes, b-vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and various strains of probiotics – yummy gut-friendly nutrients!

Natural fermentation of foods has also been shown to preserve nutrients and break the food down to a more digestible form (bloating is limited and this allows your body to slowly digest the food, allowing you to feel full and energised). This could suggest, that there is a considerable link between the consumption of fermented foods and an improved digestion.

The Los Fermentista products are alive and they maintain microbes that our body needs in order to stay healthy. They select the finest locally sourced ingredients to ensure their products help you Reclaim Your Inner Garden. 

As you may have experienced in the past, homemade salsa only lasts a few days in the fridge and shop bought salsa is full of unnecessary ingredients as well as being extremely high in refined sugar. Fermented homemade salsa lasts months! The same goes for sauerkraut, pickles, beets and other garden foods.

Lacto-fermentation allows you to store these foods for longer periods of time without losing the nutrients like you would with traditional canning. The only difference here, the longer you leave the food, the stronger the flavour becomes. It’s pretty impressive!

After doing some research, I have found a really good recipe on how to make your own homemade sauerkraut – aka fermented cabbage – made in a mason jar! Recipe here: The Kitchn  

We enjoyed our fermented vegetables on crackers, but you can sprinkle them on salads, soups or even sandwiches! It adds an epic flavour and adds a subtle crunch too.

Let’s talk kombucha! The health drink that has flooded the market and made many people happy with their gut health. According to the Chinese, kombucha is known as the “Immortal Health Elixir” and it orientated around 2,000 years ago. Kombucha is a beverage with tremendous health benefits.

Due to the fermentation process involved in creating kombucha, it contains a large number of healthy bacteria also known as probiotic (as we discussed above ^). These bacteria line your digestive tract and support your immune system, as they absorb nutrients and fight infection and illness.

Kombucha is a fermented drink consisting of black tea and sugar (the sugar can come from various sources, including cane sugar, fruit or honey). The honey variety is my favourite as it’s subtly sweet and has a caramel taste! Kombucha contains a colony of bacteria and yeast that are responsible for initiating the fermentation process once combined with sugar.

After fermentation, kombucha becomes carbonated and contains vinegar, B vitamins, enzymes, probiotics and a high concentration of acid. I was really surprised with this kombucha, I thought it would fill me with gas, but it didn’t! But without being too TMI, it definitely helped the digestion process after lunch. On this occasion, we didn’t get to make our own kombucha, however, Google offers some brilliant recipes!

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Evening at Bistro Plaza in Santa Gertrudis

After our educational workshop, we headed into the Ibiza town for some delicious food at Bistro Plaza, this intimate dining bistro is situated in Santa Gertrudis. Although we didn’t explore any of the areas, I couldn’t wait to dive into the food after hearing the good reviews. On this evening, I wore my brightest outfit and layered up. In the evenings of October, Ibiza can become somewhat colder than usual. So layering is essential!

Bistro Plaza was small and had a wonderful ambience. We laughed, ate delicious food and spoke about all things health and fitness. It was a wonderful evening! You can enjoy luxe lunches in the sunny courtyard which is decorated with flowers and towering trees or you can eat decadent dinners in their candlelit dining room by night.

For starters, I had a quinoa tower mixed with fresh vegetables and topped with a sprig of mint. It was delicious! A super simple dish but it tasted extremely fresh. The vegetables were raw and ran through the quinoa. Tomatoes added sweetness, raw red onion added spice and the peppers added crunch. Of course, the fresh mint added freshness too.

For the main dish, I chose the white fish option. The white fish was meaty and silky, topped with a rich caramelised cheese topping (honestly, this was heaven). All of which sat on a bed of colourful steamed vegetables. I dined healthily and left feeling extremely satisfied! When dining out, choosing the healthier choice is always a good option, each flavour in the dish is certainly maximised. Bistro Plaza again, has a huge passion for sourcing fresh ingredients locally to ensure their food is fresh, delicious and memorable.

Another evening of delicious food and good company. Gratitude was on a whole new level!

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If you have made it this far, go you! Thanks for reading my blog post and I hope you loved it. I know you have food envy right now, honestly, the food in Ibiza was some of the best food I have ever tasted.

This trip away has inspired me to be more creative with my food choices and even create my own fermented vegetables! I can’t wait. If you want to see more of Ibiza, stay tuned for some more blog posts coming soon.

Thank you for staying to read the post!

Where should I go next? & do you like fermented vegetables? If so, which are your favourites?

Jessica, x