Canarian food and typical dishes, what to order in restaurants?

If you are reading these lines it is because you are interested in knowing everything about the canarian food. We can affirm that practically On all the islands we have very similar typical dishes, although each island can give it a different touch.. At the same time, there are certain products that are exclusive to each island and area, such as the famous and award-winning Canarian cheeses. In any case, we are going to tell you everything below and then we will put special emphasis on the gastronomy of Gran Canaria.

By the way, don't miss the video from the end where we mentioned you 10 Canarian food dishes that you have to try if you visit the islands.

Canarian food

✔ Potatoes with mojo, the best-known typical Canarian food

Within the canarian food The best known are their famous wrinkled potatoes with mojo that we show you in the previous photo. Mojo can be red with red pepper as the main ingredient. Or green, with cilantro as the protagonist. Mojos always accompany wrinkled or stewed potatoes (parboiled in Canarian). They also usually serve it with bread as an appetizer, olives with mojo and to accompany fish (especially green mojo).

✔ Gofio, a staple of Canarian food

Other typical product of the Canary Islands is el gofio. These are ground cereals that can be served in different ways. For example, gofio scalding, that is, mixed with fish or meat broth. Therefore hot. Also in pella or kneaded (made mainly with water and oil) and is therefore served cold. You can add cheese, honey, nuts, etc. to the gofio pellet. Furthermore, we usually use this Canarian ingredient Also sprinkle it on stew or milk for breakfast. At the same time, you can also try it in desserts as in a delicious gofio mousse.

✔ Fruits and Vegetables from the Canary Islands

Bananas from the Canary Islands and much more

On the other hand, in the Canary Islands all the fruit is usually very tasty thanks to our subtropical climate. The most recognized fruit of the islands is the famous banana from the Canary Islands. It is very likely that wherever you go in Gran Canaria you will come across banana trees. However, it is also cultivated papaya in many areas. At the same time, it highlights the mango and avocado from Mogán, Valsequillo strawberries, Valleseco apples, Tejeda almonds, apricots from Tunte and Fataga (San Bartolomé de Tirajana), the oranges from Telde, olives from Agüimes y Santa Lucia de Tirajana, the coffee of Agaete and the Indian prickly pear in the most arid areas.

Nor can they miss the Firgas potatoes, onions Gáldar and tomatoes from La Aldea de San Nicolás. Everything grown in the Canary Islands!

✔ Canarian cheeses

Nor can we ignore the internationally awarded Canarian cheeses. It is mandatory to try them, believe us. In Gran Canaria, cheeses are produced in most of the municipalities: Guía, Moya, Gáldar, Valsequillo, San Mateo… cured and semi-cured cheese, goat, goat with sheep and goat, cow and sheep (mixed). Also highlight the soft cheese and even the flower cheese (with vegetable rennet).. Our Favorite cheese is the Flor cheese from Cortijo de Caideros and you can get it in Gran Canaria at the following points: Guide Cheese House, in the central market Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in the Telde market and in the Recova de Gáldar.

If you are a cheese lover, it is a must order a tapa of Canarian cheese in any restaurant. Make sure beforehand that they are Canarian cheeses, so that they don't give you a hard time. Likewise, many restaurants have on their menu grilled cheese with mojo. A delight that you have to try.

If you want to take some Canarian cheese as a souvenir, you can buy good cheeses and artisans in traditional markets. In the case of Gran Canaria, the markets of San Mateo, the Teror, the Recova of Gáldar and the central market Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

With regard to typical Canarian products derived from cheese, we cannot forget to mention the famous almogrote La Gomera. It's a kind of pâté Gomero cured goat and sheep cheese that also has oil, garlic and red picona pepper.

✔ Fish from the Canary Islands

Likewise, being an island, fish and seafood cannot be missing. For example, we highlight the octopus, the squid, the sama, the bocinegro, the high altitude fula, the tuna, sardines and the famous 'vieja'. The old lady is a parrotfish with a peculiar flavor that is very common in the waters of the islands. On the other hand, a fairly typical dish, but few are the grilled limpets with mojo We also highlight the cherne, this being the fish that is used to make the famous canarian sancocho.

In almost every corner of the islands you can find a restaurant with good fresh fish. However, it is usually fresher and cheaper in fishing villages and/or fishing guilds. Here you have the fish restaurants in Gran Canaria that we like the most.

✔ Meats from the Canary Islands

As far as meats are concerned, we cannot forget the pork ribs with millet pineapple (corn on the cob), goat meat, pork meat, rabbit, etc. In the Canary Islands there is a variety of pork exclusive to the islands: black pig. A place where you can try various dishes with black pork is at La Vaquería Las Salinas, in the village of arinaga. The ribs with pineapple dish is more of a typical Tenerife food, although in Gran Canaria you can eat it in Firgas at the La Caldera or Casa Pepe restaurants.

Other dishes or products of animal origin known in Gran Canaria are chorizo Teror, which becomes a kind of canarian sobrasada. Here we normally eat it in sandwiches, although restaurants are increasingly introducing it into their dishes. For example, broken eggs with chorizo ​​or chorizo ​​croquettes.

Finally, regarding meats, you should try the roast pork leg, either in a sandwich with soft cheese or as a tapa with their pork rinds. This Canarian food dish is more traditional from Gran Canaria and you can try it in The Lagoons, in the neighborhood Triana. Also in bars Yazmina and The Nephew of El Calero (Telde) have some delicious sandwiches.

✔ Canarian food spoon dishes

One of the most common Canarian foods is stew. There are many types, but perhaps the most typical is the Watercress stew with pineapple (corn), vegetables and beans. Add gofio or accompany it with a good Canarian cheese!

Other Canarian cauldron meals are old clothes, the stew, the ranch and the chickpeas. Ropavieja is the dish that we show you below made mainly with potatoes, chickpeas and meat or octopus. The stew is indeed more difficult to find in restaurants, rather we cook it at home. It's a shame because it's really good!

✔ Typical Canary Islands desserts

If you have a sweet tooth, you will be interested in this part of the canarian cuisine. One of the desserts that has become fashionable in Gran Canaria is Uruguayan powder. It has dulce de leche, cookies, cream and on top sighs of Moya (merengue), a delight. This dessert born in the Uruguayan restaurant Novillo Precoz in the capital of Gran Canaria. And, therefore, that's where its name comes from.

We also recommend trying the gofio mousse and all the local fruit that we mentioned before. As for coffee, if you want a coffee with condensed milk or bonbon coffee, in the Canary Islands we call it "milk and milk." Then, in Tenerife we ​​recommend you try the Barraquito which also has condensed milk, but they add liquor, coffee and foamed milk.

Likewise, you must know the bienmesabe, One typical products of the Canary Islands which is made mainly with almonds. It is usually used accompaniment to desserts to give it more sweetness, for example, with ice cream or gofio mousse. In addition to almonds, it has egg, palm honey and lemon zest. There are also those that are more industrialized with sugar.

You can find them to take as a souvenir in practically all supermarkets in the Canary Islands. The best known in Gran Canaria is the Dulcería del Nublo made in Tejeda, the town of almond trees. Finally, if you are a fan of ice cream, write down the Peña La Vieja ice cream parlor where they make artisan ice creams with a local touch such as Indian tuno, gofio, Moya sponge cake and cubanito. You can also try their delicacies in frozen chocolate format in many restaurants on the island.

✔ Canarian and specific wines from Gran Canaria

Finally, you should know that exclusive wines are also grown in Gran Canaria. The most cultivated black grape variety is Listán Negro., practically exclusive to the Canary Islands. Sometimes even cultivated on picón or volcanic gravel, as is the case in the entire area of Bandama. On the other hand, we have Agala wine, cultivated at 1212 meters of altitude in the municipality of Tejeda. Regarding white, we also enjoy good wines such as the award-winning Los Berrazales winery in Agaete. If you are curious to know more about local wines, we recommend visiting one of the Gran Canaria wineries.

You can also try the sweet red wine called abocado in some Canarian food restaurants. In Gran Canaria you can find it in the ravine cave restaurants Guayadeck. Finally, be sure to visit the Niebla cider house in Valleseco to delight you with the organic cider from the island.

Edible souvenirs from Gran Canaria

In conclusion, we make a list of the different edible souvenirs from the island what you can get in the Gran Canaria markets, as well as in many supermarkets. These are the most common:

• Cheeses from Gran Canaria, highlighting the flower cheese DOP Guide. (main markets)
• Moya's biscuits and sighs (supermarkets)
• chorizo Teror (supermarkets, but be careful because it is fresh)
• DO Gran Canaria Wines (supermarkets and own warehouses)
• Organic cider of Gran Canaria (Valleseco organic market)
• sweets Tejeda almond like bienmesabe (supermarkets)
• La Moyera nougats y mederos (supermarkets and popular festivals)
• Agaete coffee (Vegeta market and Finca La Laja)
• Olive oil extra virgin Canary Olive Tree (Los Olivos estate, Telde)
• Olives from Santa Lucía de Tirajana and Agüimes (local stores in these municipalities)
• Salts of the Tenefé or Bocacangrejo salt flats (in its salt flats and small gourmet shops)
• Iron Hand Sausages and Pâté, although sausages are usually only found frozen and pâté must be kept fresh (supermarkets)
• Millet sponge cake, like the one at the bakery juncalillo (supermarkets)

Canarian products available in all the Canary Islands

And, on the other hand, below we share other souvenirs to eat that you can get practically in all supermarkets in Canary Islands:

• gofio
• Red and green mojo
• almogrote (spreadable cured cheese paste)
• Palm Sap or Honey
• Processed commercial sweets: I choose Tirma cookies and chocolates and cubanitos (bandama)
• Processed snacks: potatoes Munchitos
• Refreshment strawberry clipper (sweetened “strawberry” drink)
• Honey Rum and Arehucas Rum, although this is manufactured in Gran Canaria, it is even available in the Peninsula
• Tropical Beer and Golden Beer, as well as multiple craft beers produced on almost all the islands such as Jaira (Gran Canaria), Capitán (Lanzarote) and Gara (La Palma)
• Others Canarian cheeses, highlighting those of Fuerteventura
• Flower honey and jams

Canarian food: 10 dishes to order in restaurants

Then we leave you with a few touches on Canarian gastronomy. If you don't want to miss more videos about the Canary Islands, you can subscribe to our channel here.

Gran Canaria guides & guide foodie of the island

Finally, if you want to know where to enjoy the best Canarian food in Gran Canaria, as well as different restaurants that residents frequent, you will love our Restaurant Guide. It has more than 80 options and is divided by type of cuisine and area of ​​the island. Likewise, Many restaurants that we mention in this guide are concerned about sourcing local or KM0 raw materials.. That is, even if they don't cook typical Canary Islands dishes, introduce the local genre in their gastronomic proposals. We also have other guides in which we tell you what to see in Gran Canaria, you can see them all below.

Ruth González

Hello! I am Ruth, Canarian with a traveling soul. With training and experience in the tourism and digital marketing sector. In this blog I tell you all the tips you need to get to know the most authentic side of Gran Canaria on your own. I also share my travel guides to all the places in the world that I am visiting so that you can discover the destinations like a local and save time planning. In addition to traveling, I love gastronomy and sports. I run and hike in the mountains with my “dog-children” (Silver and Plata). In all these adventures my partner accompanies me, Jorge, which you will also see a lot on this blog.