Culture
Land Products
Potatoes and Yams
These two tubers arrived to the Canary Islands from the American Continent, short after its Conquest, and have become an essential part of the Canary Cuisine.
Potatoes, in any of its varieties, are present in practically all the dishes of our gastronomy, either as ingredient either as complement. One of the most tasty and famous dishes of the Canary cuisine is precisely prepared with potatoes, that is, “papas arrugadas” (small potatoes boiled in their jackets).
In Gran Canaria lots of varieties are grown, among which there are “Quinegua” (King Edward), one of the most consumed, “Cara” (White care), “Rambana” (Arran Baner) and “Artudate” (Up to day).
The yam (sweet potatoe) has a pleasant sweet taste that makes it a very appropriate ingredient for making pastries, as well as soups and other dishes like popular Sancocho.
Vegetables
Vegetables are farmed in Gran Canaria mainly for local consume, though it can be stated that their quality is exquisite. They are used to make the most delicious soups like the watercress -the most popular- Swiss chard, hedge mustard and colinos (small cabbage) soups that are cooked along with potatoes and corncobs.
Also, the raw ingredients form original salads like the watercress salad. Other crops are the courgettes, marrows and green beans (French beans) that complement main courses or form part of such traditional dishes like the Canary Casserole.
Tomatoes
The tomatoe is one of the most extended crops in Gran Canaria, where it has been farmed since more than a century, being one the main exported products and highly appreciated for its good qualities.
With an oscilating size between four and five centimetres, it is very sweet and juicy, and is considered as one of the tomatoe types of best quality.
Spices
The Canary cuisine is characteristical for using aromatic herbs and spices both in dishes and in sauces, marinades and mojos. They contribute not only by adding taste and aroma, but also many of them are healthy too. Among the most employed ones there are the cumin, bay leaf, paprika, saffron, oregano, parsley, mint, aniseed and fennel.
Tropical Fruits
Our good climate has easily spread the farming of all kinds of tropical fruits, so that we can enjoy exquisite mangoes, papayas, avocado pears, guavas, etc…
Undoubtedly the most extended crop in our islands and especially in Gran Canaria is the banana, one of the main ingredients of our cuisine. The Canary Banana, of a golden colour with small brown dots in its skin, appart from being consumed simply as fruit, it is also used in numerous recipes: fried banana, banana with gofio, coated banana…
Meat
The meats most used in our cuisine are rabbits, goats and pigs. They are used for preparing several traditional recipes of different casseroles and marinades that give them a very special taste. Any of the meat dishes can be accompanied with papas arrugadas (small potatoes boiled in their jackets) or sancochadas (boiled potatoes) and good wine from El Monte Lentiscal.
Sea Products
Fish
Gran Canaria being an island is deep-rooted to the sea and therefore a great variety of fresh fishes can be found in our markets, like the pink and common dentexs, cherne (polyprion americanus), grouper or tuna. Among them, the “sea bream” stands out. It is an authoctonous Canary fish with an exquisite taste and texture.
In our island there are a lot of traditional dishes prepared with fishes, like the “Canary Casserole”, “Tollos”(salted and dryed dogfish), “Fish and Onions”, “Marinaded Fresh Tuna”, “Chopped Seafood with Onion, Tomato and Peppers”, etc. Most of these dishes combine perfectly with green and red mojos, as well as with gofio.
Seafood
In the cliffs and shores of our Island there are numerous types of seafood that are collected, among which lots of authoctonous species stand out and are used for preparing exquisite dishes. We can point out the “burgaos” (local specie of crustaceans with black shell) and several varieties of crabs, and octopuses. To conclude with, we must make a special mention to the “Canary lobster”, a delicacy highly appreciated for its taste.
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