Today we are going to talk about the typical food of the Canary Islands (Islas Canarias). Its location in the Atlantic ocean, at the west of Africa near the Sahara and Morocco coast makes a difference in the typical food of the islands in comparison to the food that can be grown or fished in the rest of Spain, in the Iberian Peninsula.
Eating in the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands are a holiday paradise for many tourists who travel there to enjoy its beaches and its tropical climate. And of course, as in any other touristic places, the Canary Islands are used to receiving a huge number of tourists who who go to shops and restaurants to eat.
Surely you will find a lot of shops, bars and restaurants in any part of the islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Lanzarote…). Usually, these restaurants are cheaper than the restaurants in the rest of the country, what means that a person can eat dinner for less than 10€. However, everything depends on what are you looking for: In the Canary Islands you can find some of the cheapest places of Spain, and also some luxury ones.
Typical food and drinks from the Canary Islands
When eating in a restaurant in the Canary Islands, you will be able to ask for a normal dish from Spain or Europe… but our recommendation is to try the typical food from the islands. It’s very tasty and our experience there was very satisfying!
Here you have a list with some of the traditional dishes of the Canary Islands:
– Baked potatoes with mojo sauce (Patatas arrugadas): This variety of small potatoes (popularly known as Papas arrugás) are baked in an oven and served unpeeled with Mojo Sauce.
The Mojo sauce can be red or green depending on the ingredients which have been used to prepare it, and it gives a soft taste to the potatoes that everyone will love. Commonly, this typical sauce is prepared from: oil, salt, tomato, pepper and a little bit of garlic and parsley.
– Fish (Pescado): The seaports of the Canary Islands provide all kind of fish to its shops and restaurants.
Also, you will probably see in the restaurant menus some other fish as squid or sepia (calamares, chocos, chopitos, puntillitas) which are not typical from the islands, but which are very popular in other regions as in Andalusia or in the Mediterranean coast.
– Gofio: Long time ago, it was the basic food for the original residents of the islands (The “guanches” tribes). The gofio is mainly composed by cereals (wheat and barley). Nowadays it’s eaten with the main dishes as fish or meat.
– Meatloaf (Carne mechada / Ropa Vieja): The meatloaf is highly popular among the citizens of the islands. You can try it alone, with salad and chips or in a sandwich.
– Cactus Jam (Mermelada de cactus) and Prickly pears (Higos chumbos): The weather of the islands makes very easy to grow upland plants as cactus or palms. With its fruits, people make a wide variety of dishes, as marmalade and other similar products.
– Fruits and juices (Fruta y zumos): Don’t leave the islands without trying its natural juices and smoothies. Also, the Canary bananas (Platanos de Canarias) are very popular, besides they are exported all over the world because of its good taste and its hight quality.
– Alcoholic Drinks: There are two very popular brands of alcohol in the islands: The Tropical Beer and The Areucas Rum, which factory is located in Aruca Town (Gran Canaria).
More about the Canary Islands
– The Canary Islands: Read here all our post about the islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Lanzarote, El Hierro and La Gomera.