Canary Islands' cuisine combines traditional Spanish dishes with an incredible variety of recipes which include excellent fish, fruits and vegetables.
A very simple and well-known recipe is Papas Arrugás - potatoes boiled in salt-water without peeling them and served with Mojo picón, a popular hot sauce made of oil, garlic, chili-peppers and paprika. Those sauces are indispensable components which usually accompany other dishes.
One of the most traditional and also one of the oldest recipes of Canarian food is Gofio. Its origin dates back to the times of the Guanches, the original inhabitants of the Canary Islands. This food resulting from the grinding of corn and other cereals constituted the basic dish of their diet. Gofio is used by Islanders in most of their recipes since it can be added to soups, stews, desserts, sauces, and even ice cream.
If you like fish, Gran Canaria is the right place to go. There are many restaurants offering fresh fish in their menus. Among the most typical regional recipes are Caldereta and Sancocho Canario, salted fish in a Mojo sauce. You will find a wide variety of international recipes of fish and sea-food, too.
Among vegetarian dishes Potaje de Berros, a hot-pot of chick-peas, is perhaps the best known. There is also a wide range of good-quality cheeses made in different islands. Pimientos del Padrón (small hot green peppers) are very common too and are served in most restaurants.
Exotic fruits are available almost in every season. Both mangas and mangos are delicious and sweet. Plátanos Fritos, fried bananas, are present in most homes.
Among the islands' wines you we recomend the Malvasía from Lanzarote and the red-wines of El Hierro, La Palma and Taraconte in Tenerife. Another of the islands' alcoholic specialities is Honey-Rum and the Arehucas and Telde Rum.
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