Canarian cuisine refers to the typical dishes and ingredients in the cuisine of the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, :es:Canarias, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to ...

, 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 (which may be a result of the long geographical isolation the islands suffered), 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 (

Guanches The Guanches were the indigenous inhabitants of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean some west of Africa. It is believed that they may have arrived on the archipelago some time in the first millennium BCE. The Guanches were the only nativ ...

), and has influenced Latin American cuisine (after the 20th century Canarian migration to Latin America).

Sauces and appetizers

Many small dishes are presented in the Canary Islands as appetizers, or snacks (''

tapas A tapa () is an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine. Tapas can be combined to make a full meal, and can be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as ''chopitos'', which are battered, fried baby squid, or patatas bravas). In so ...

''), which are known locally as ''enyesques''. ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...

'' (pronounced mO-ho) is a sauce served with many dishes, which is made mainly of oil, garlic, vinegar, salt, red pepper, thyme,

cumin Cumin ( or , or Article title
) (''Cuminum cyminum'') is a

coriander Coriander (;

and several other spices. The two main kinds are ''mojo rojo'' (red, often served with meat) and ''mojo verde'' (green, often served with fish), 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 Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived ...

, especially

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

, and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

, due to heavy Canarian emigration, and have also influenced the cuisines of the non-Hispanic Caribbean islands. ''

Papas arrugadas Papas arrugadas ( ) is a traditional boiled potato dish eaten in the Canary Islands. It is usually served with a chili pepper garlic sauce, called mojo rojo, or as an accompaniment to meat dishes. The dish is made from small new potatoes whic ...

'' (literally, "wrinkly potatoes", as a reference to the look of their cooked skin) are small unskinned

potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Uni ...

es which have been boiled in

salt water Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish w ...

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 Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During productio ...

are popular and numerous, specially

goat cheese Goat cheese, or chèvre ( or ; from French ''fromage de chèvre'' 'goat cheese'), is cheese made from goat's milk. Goats were among the first animals to be domesticated for producing food. Goat cheese is made around the world with a variety of ...

. Cheeses from both

La Palma La Palma (, ), also known as ''La isla bonita'' () and officially San Miguel de La Palma, is the most north-westerly island of the Canary Islands, Spain. La Palma has an area of making it the fifth largest of the eight main Canary Islands. The ...

and

Fuerteventura Fuerteventura () is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the North Africa region, and politically part of Spain. It is located away from the northwestern coast of Africa. The island was declared a biosphere reserve by UNE ...

are protected by the Denominación de Origen label. Other notable cheeses are the

Flor de Guía cheese Flor de Guía cheese is a Spanish cheese ( es, Queso de Flor de guía) made on the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. It has Denomination of Origin protection. The cheese is classified as fatty or semi-fatty and made from the milk fro ...

and the ''queso tierno'' (tender cheese). Hard cheese is made into a paste called ''Almogrote'' on

La Gomera La Gomera () is one of Spain's Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. With an area of , it is the third smallest of the eight main islands of this archipelago. It belongs to the province of Santa Cruz de Tene ...

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 ''potage de berros'' (watercress soup). They can be machine-blended into purees, more suitable for children. * ''Caldo de papas'' (potato soup) is a humble soup made mainly of potatoes and coriander. * ''Caldo de pescado'' (fish soup) usually features popular fish of the islands, like the ''mero'' (

grouper Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes. Not all serranids are called "groupers"; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name "grouper" ...

), ''sama'' ( common dentex) and ''cherne'' (

wreckfish The wreckfish are a family, Polyprionidae in the suborder Percoidei of the order Perciformes. They are deep-water marine fish and can be found on the ocean bottom, where they inhabit caves and shipwrecks (thus their common name). Their scientifi ...

). * ''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 (sometimes covered in a salt bed), 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. * ' (dry fish), which can include ''tollos'' ( school shark strips served with sauce) and ''jareas'' (open and dried fish, similar to ''

bacalhau () is the Portuguese word for cod and—in a culinary context—dried and salted cod. Fresh (unsalted) cod is referred to as (fresh cod). Portuguese and other cuisines dishes are common in Portugal, and also in former Portuguese colonies ...

'', that are often eaten roasted).

Meats

The most widely consumed meats are

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved ...

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adu ...

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit sp ...

and

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

. * ' 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 (such as carrot and cabbage). *

Goat meat Goat meat or goat's meat is the meat of the domestic goat ''(Capra aegagrus hircus)''. The common name for goat meat is simply "goat", while that from young goats can be called ''capretto'' (It.), ''cabrito'' (Sp. and Por.) or ''kid''. In South ...

has been eaten in the islands since pre-Spanish times. * ''

Ropa vieja Ropa vieja (; "old clothes") is a dish with regional variations in Latin America, the Philippines, and Spain. It normally includes some form of stewed beef and tomatoes with a sofrito base.

'' (literally, 'old clothes') is a dish consisting of chicken and beef mixed with potatoes and garbanzos (

chickpea The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram" or Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, or Egyptian pea. Chickpea seeds are h ...

s). Canarian ''ropa vieja'' is the father of

Cuban Cuban may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban citizen, a pers ...

''ropa vieja'' through Canarian

emigration Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanent ...

. * '' Conejo en salmorejo'' is a traditional rabbit stew marinated in coriander sauce (not to be confused with mainland Spain's ''

salmorejo Salmorejo, sometimes known as ardoria or ardorío, is a traditional soup originating from Andalusia, southern Spain, made of tomato, bread, extra virgin olive oil and garlic. Normally, the tomatoes are skinned and then puréed with the other ing ...

''). * Pork is the main ingredient of dishes such as ''carne fiesta'' (literally, 'party meat') and ''costillas con piña'' (ribs with corn cobs).

Sweets and desserts

Canarian desserts often use simple ingredients, such as cane sugar, honey, ''matalahuga'' or ''matalauva'' (

anise Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and t ...

), almonds and traditional '' miel de palma'' (especially on the island of

). Among the desserts are ''

bienmesabe ''Bienmesabe'' (Spanish: "it tastes good to me") is a sweet Spanish dessert prepared with honey, egg yolk, and ground almonds as primary ingredients. Its consistency significantly varies depending upon preparation methods used. The dessert is also ...

'' (literally, a contraction of the Spanish phrase that means 'tastes good to me'), 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 (filled with sweet potato paste or '' cabell d'angel'', for instance) that are prepared at Christmastime. In

El Hierro El Hierro, nicknamed ''Isla del Meridiano'' (the "Meridian Island"), is the second-smallest and farthest-south and -west of the Canary Islands (an autonomous community of Spain), in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, with a populatio ...

there is a cake named ''quesadilla'' which is made with cheese. Other specialities include ''rosquetes'' (ring-shaped fried pastries), ''quesillo'' (tender cheese cake), ''rapaduras'' (cane sugar candy), ''Príncipe Alberto'' (chocolate cake from La Palma) and ''leche asada'' (milk cake). ''Gofio'' is also employed in some desserts such as ''huevos mole'', ''pella de gofio'' (milk and ''gofio'' patty) and ''mousse de gofio'' (''gofio'' cream). Tropical fruits, especially bananas, are widely grown and consumed in the islands, even if they are not native species.

Wines and liquors

The

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...

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. Canarian ''Denominación de Origen'' wines are: Vinos DO de Canarias

* Abona (Tenerife) * Tacoronte-Acentejo (Tenerife) * Valle de Güímar (Tenerife) * Valle de La Orotava (Tenerife) * Ycoden-Daute-Isora (Tenerife) *

Lanzarote Lanzarote (, , ) is a Spanish island, the easternmost of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is located approximately off the north coast of Africa and from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering , Lanzarote is the fourth-largest of the i ...

Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa which is part of Spain. the island had a population of that ...

Licor 43 is not made on the Canary Islands, but is an ingredient commonly used to make the

barraquito Barraquito () is a coffee liqueur commonly available on Tenerife (one of the Canary Islands), also known as ''zaperoco''. Etymology Description The barraquito is a multi-layered coffee liqueur drink (though non-liqueur versions are available) ...

/ zaperoco, a multilayered drink made of Licor 43, coffee, condensed milk and frothed milk.

References

External links

Tasting Canarian Gastronomy