Cooking recipes from Canary Islands have traditionally been made from dishes with vegetables, especially peas and beans. The most famous dish is the soup of watercress. Fantastic exotic fruits growing on the island, are used in many recipes for traditional desserts. Bananas, for example, which are abundant on the island – for them locals say they are tastier than those in the rest of Europe.
Soup with watercress
Traditional Canarian cuisine includes baked potatoes with aromatic and spices, local goat cheese, “Goffin” – specialty, made from cornbread popular here dish “Sankocho” – boiled salted fish with potatoes and spices, all kinds of seafood – fish , mussels cooked in a variety of recipes.
Anyone visiting the islands should try the fish soup and the Canary “puchero” – several types of meat and sausages cooked in a pot.
Wrinkled potatoes
Canary Islands include seven small islands: El Hierro, La Gomera, La Palma, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. The various islands and traditional dishes vary. In El Hierro specialties are characterized by great combination of smoked cheeses.
Usually served in salads or as an additive in any dish, but in limited quantities. Gran Canaria is characterized by typical dishes of Spain, especially for its fish specialties. In the kitchen of Lanzarote as well as that of neighboring islands, it has remained Aboriginal heritage – high quality products and the simplicity of their preparation.
“Goffin” – a dish made from flour roasted beans is an example of this heritage. Other delicious local specialties are roasted ham, fish stews, traditional boiled or wrinkled potatoes accompanied by a spicy sauce “Mozho.”
Certain traditional cuisine from Tenerife will – it is a combination of different cuisines from Latin America and Spain. Typical for it is the great use of fresh fruits and vegetables. Almost all herbs can meet and on this side of the world – garlic, paprika, cumin, olive oil, herbs and various others.
In La Gomera are very popular rice dishes that serve as a side dish and the basis for the famous Spanish paella. To all this we must add gazpacho – a cold tomato soup, prawn coal, Andalusian salad – with oranges potatoes and onions, and many others unique to the province dishes.
Fresh tomatoes grown in the land of Fuerteventura, are the basis for their gastronomy. Meat and fish are part of the food on this island. Three typical recipes from the island of Fuerteventura are salad made from onions with hot pepper, Franciscan soup of chickpeas and egg yolks and mash in a mortar.
The Canary Islands, an archipelago with a rich tapestry of culinary traditions, offer a gastronomic landscape as varied and vibrant as its scenic vistas. As we reach the conclusion of our exploration into the cooking recipes from this sun-kissed region, we are left with a profound appreciation for the way these dishes encapsulate the spirit of their homeland.
The journey through the Canary Islands’ cuisine is one that traverses the salty air of the Atlantic and the fertile volcanic soils that nurture its unique produce. The recipes we’ve delved into are more than just instructions for preparing food; they are stories of the islands’ history, a blend of indigenous Guanche roots, Spanish influences, and a hint of Latin American and African flavors that have been carried by the winds and waves to these shores.
In the act of cooking these recipes, we’ve engaged with the islands’ identity, discovering how each dish reflects the character of its locale—be it the fiery mojo sauces that ignite the palate or the comforting sweetness of bienmesabe. The ingredients, from the succulent varieties of fish to the richly flavored cheeses and tropical fruits, have spoken of a place where nature’s bounty is celebrated with every meal.
As we bid farewell to our culinary expedition, we are not merely satisfied in hunger but enriched in spirit. The Canary Islands’ recipes have shown us how food can be an expression of place—a way to transport ourselves to the terraced hillsides, the bustling markets, and the tranquil beaches of this diverse archipelago. We leave with a collection of recipes that are more than just a means to a meal; they are an invitation to continue exploring, to keep tasting, and to remember that every dish has a story worth savoring.