HIERBAS and ABSINTHE (Ibiza)
Hierbas is an alcoholic beverage made by the Ibicencans at home.
It is a brown trasparant liquid which contains branches of rosemary, laur el a wide vari ety of aromat ic native plants like anise (the strongest ingredient), fennel, and slices of lemon.
These are all placed in an open bottle and set to ferment naturally.
Health inspections have begun to limit the home-grown production by fo r cing label ing of the indredie nts, but 'Hierbas' has been produced on Ibiza and Formentera since time imemorial, and many familes are extremely proud of thier recipes passed down over generations. It is the IBICENCAN DRINK par excellance..and is usua l ly served ove r ic e.
ABSINTH: "The Devil's Brew"
The invention of the formula for Absinth is attributed to a an eccentric Swiss doctor (and French exile) named Pierre Ordinaire. He prescribed this drink for a wide variety of il l ne sses , and it is made by boiling a conc entrate of wormwo od (artemsia absintium), and then adding anise, hyssop and fennel.
IN 1797 Luis Pernod bought the recipe and began manufacturing it commercially.
It has been blamed with causing epilepsy and dele riums, however the principal cause of t h ese accusations wa s probably the 'tujone', an ingredient found in wormwood which casses hallucinations, and the toxic green coloring, aspic acetate and antimony trichloride (The ingredient that makes it turn cloudy when water is added).
It has be en out la wed in many countries (Spain is not one of them) but contiues it spopularity in all of Europe....many believe because of its association with many famous artists...like Van Gough, Tolouse-Latrec, Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allen Poe.
