Canary Island Gastronomy | Gastronomic Specialties on the Canary Islands

Canary Islands

Specialties of the Canary Islands

The traditional cuisine is notable for the simplicity of its design and quality and freshness of the food. With excellent basic ingredients, original and delicious recipes have been developed over the centuries.
No meal lacks enyesques (snacks) where we can find the famous wrinkled potatoes, “ropa vieja” or carajacas, followed by first courses with fish stew or watercress soup.
The second course can be composed of meat, like rabbit salmorejo, roast leg or the second fish, like fish casserole or onioned tuna.
Typical desserts: bienmesabe, eggs mole or just a few delicious Canary plantains.
There are also a great variety of cheeses, soft cheeses from raw goat milk, white, with a mild taste, slightly acid according to the area. Fried cheese is a popular dish on the islands.
All traditional meals are accompanied by gofio, made from ground wheat or millet, which has been the staple food of the Canary Islands for hundreds of years. There are more elaborate recipes like the escaldón gofio, kneaded gofio or more recently mousse gofio or flan gofio.
Meals are usually also accompanied by mojos and marinades, which are sauces made with a base of garlic, olive oil, vinegar and spices. Among the most prominent is red mojo, used mainly with meat and potatoes and green mojo, used as a dressing for fish dishes.
All dishes can be accompanied by a fine wine with appellation of origin of Lanzarote.