Canarian cuisine


Canarian cuisine refers to the typical dishes and ingredients in the cuisine of the Canary Islands, and it constitutes an important element in the culture of its inhabitants. Its main features are the freshness, variety, simplicity, and richness of its ingredients, the mix of seafood and meat dishes, its cultural influences and the low knowledge of it by the rest of the world. Canarian cuisine is influenced by other cultures, especially that of the aboriginal inhabitants of the islands, and has influenced Latin American cuisine.

Sauces and appetizers

Many small dishes are presented in the Canary Islands as appetizers, or snacks, which are known locally as enyesques.
Mojo is a sauce served with many dishes, which is made mainly of oil, garlic, vinegar, salt, red pepper, thyme, cumin, coriander and several other spices. The two main kinds are mojo rojo and mojo verde, though both can be served with potatoes. The spicy red type is called mojo picón. This recipe is the base of the mojos of Latin America, especially Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela, due to heavy Canarian emigration, and have also influenced the cuisines of the non-Hispanic Caribbean islands.
Papas arrugadas are small unskinned potatoes which have been boiled in salt water and served with mojo.
One very typical Canarian product is gofio, a flour created by grinding roasted sweetcorn, which used to be the staple food for the local population for centuries. Gofio is produced locally and is added to many foods. For instance, it can be mixed with warm milk to be drunk in the morning, as well as made into a dough-like food called pella that can be eaten alongside meals. Gofio can also be stirred with fish broth and onions to create a dish called gofio escaldado or escaldón de gofio.
Local varieties of cheese are popular and numerous, specially goat cheese. Cheeses from both La Palma and Fuerteventura are protected by the Denominación de Origen label. Other notable cheeses are the Flor de Guía cheese and the queso tierno. Hard cheese is made into a paste called Almogrote on La Gomera island. Grilled cheese with mojo is sometimes served as a starter.

First courses

Traditional Canarian meals usually start with soup, in order to prepare the stomach for the meal. Among the best-known soups are: is a kind of chunky vegetable soup with potatoes, one of the main ways Canarian people consume vegetables. Ingredients can vary largely, depending on the island. One of the most popular is the potaje de berros. They can be machine-blended into purees, more suitable for children.Caldo de papas is a humble soup made mainly of potatoes and coriander.Caldo de pescado usually features popular fish of the islands, like the mero, sama and cherne.Rancho canario is a soup with chickpeas, lard, thick noodles, potatoes and meat.

Fish

Waters around the Canary Islands are rich with a great variety of autochthonous fish. These can be prepared in many ways, including oven-roasted, fried, and marinated in various sauces. Some preparations include:', boiled fish with potatoes, sweet potatoes, gofio and mojo. In Tenerife, it is served in a pot.
  • ', which can include tollos and jareas.

Meats

The most widely consumed meats are pork, chicken, rabbit and goat. is a meat-rich soup which is the Canarian equivalent to Spanish cocidos. Chicken, beef and pork meat are combined with chickpeas, corn cobs, sweet potatoes, potatoes and other vegetables.

Sweets and desserts

Canarian desserts often use simple ingredients, such as cane sugar, honey, matalahuga or matalauva, almonds and traditional miel de palma. Among the desserts are bienmesabe, which is a paste of almonds, honey and sugar often served with ice cream or cream and cat's tongue cookies. Frangollo is a mix of corn flour, sugar, almonds and raisins, while truchas are pastries that are prepared at Christmastime. Polvito Uruguayo is a layered dessert served in a glass or in standalone cake style. It is made from layers of crumbed biscuits, whipped cream, dulce de leche, ground almonds and ground meringues, with proportions of layers highly variable, and some of the ingredients not always present.
In El Hierro there is a cake named quesadilla which is made with cheese. Other specialities include rosquetes, quesillo, rapaduras, Príncipe Alberto and leche asada. Gofio is also employed in some desserts such as huevos mole, pella de gofio and mousse de gofio.
Tropical fruits, especially bananas, are widely grown and consumed in the islands, even if they are not native species.

Wines and liquors

The wine from the malvasia grape was a product of Canarian export since the 17th century, immediately after the decline of sugar plantations and until its commerce was blocked by the British Royal Navy in the late 18th century. Nowadays the islands produce ten protected geographical indications. Among the traditional winemaking practices, La Palma is notable for its unique vino de tea, where wines are aged in containers made from Canary Island Pine heartwood, representing an important example of preserved cultural heritage and traditional fermentation techniques.
Canarian Denominación de Origen wines are:
Licor 43 is not made on the Canary Islands, but is an ingredient commonly used to make the barraquito/zaperoco, a multilayered drink made of Licor 43, coffee, condensed milk and frothed milk.