Eating in the Canary Islands

If something is characterized by Canary Islands, in addition to its splendid climate and its beautiful beaches, it is gastronomy. Being there on vacation and tasting each of their typical dishes is a real joy, since they have a very particular cuisine due to its island nature and being in the Atlantic Ocean. The most typical thing you can find is the gofio, a kind of dough that is used in many places as a substitute for bread and that serves both to make a puree and to put a baby in a bottle.

Among the most successful Canarian starters or appetizers, you cannot leave without trying the almagrote (a mixture of well macerated cheeses that remains as if it were a pate or a sobrasada. Delicious and addictive, especially if you have toast in front of you). Another luxury is the great variety of cheeses that there are, many of them with international awards. For my taste, La Palma cheeses and Valsequillo they take the palm.


As a first course, the best you can have is an escaldón (gofio with broth) or, best of all, the Canario ranch, a mix of macaroni, stewed potatoes, chickpeas and soup that is wonderful. There is also the sancocho, which is a soup with meat, tubers, vegetables and condiments. Already as a second course you have endless options, although perhaps the most famous is the wrinkled potatoes with mojo (both green and red, the latter more spicy but very good). wrinkled potatoes You can eat them both accompanying a plate or as an appetizer alone, but I warn you that they are addictive.

As a second course, it deprives me of anything that is in salmorejo, a sauce similar to mojo but not exactly the same. The Rabbit in SalmorejoLike the tuna in that same sauce, it is one of the best dishes you can have. There is a very rich fish that is only found in the Canary Islands, it is cooked stewed and accompanied with wrinkled potatoes or sliced ​​stews and Green Mojito it is a wonder. It's called old.

As for desserts, the frangollo, the picarrañas, the quesillo, the buns of soul or the nougat of gofio. Among the wines, there are also many that are of DO. in the Canary Islands, but those who like the most are malvasía and fruity wines.

CANARY ISLANDS, GRAN CANARIA. CANARIAN FOOD (April 2024)