An island that is reflected in its gastronomy
Canarian cuisine has its own personality that locals find irresistible and that usually dazzles all those who visit any point of the archipelago at one time or another. Here are the keys to gastronomy in Tenerife that you need to know when you come to the island.
In Tenerife, fresh produce and simple preparations prevail.
The Canary Islands are a crossroads in several ways, and cuisine is one of them. Geographically African, a secular bridge between Europe and America, the archipelago has combined different traditions and ways of understanding gastronomy; Aboriginal, European, and Latin American influences intersect to form a particular culinary culture.
The basics of gastronomy in Tenerife are few and very simple: very fresh and high-quality local or local products are used, they are prepared in very simple preparations and some of these preparations are used at very different times, as if they were wild cards.
On the other hand, each island within the “Canarian universe” has its peculiarities; not only geographical or landscape, but also at lunchtime. Thus, the gastronomy in Tenerife has a lot to do with that found in the rest of the Canary Islands, but at the same time it has its own personality that we invite you to discover.
The product, the bases, the specialties
Fish market, mill and banana plantation: Visiting the places where it all begins is the best way to understand the weight of a certain product in a society. Visiting a fish market, a gofio mill or a banana plantation you will be able to see first-hand some of the gastronomic raw material most intensely rooted in the Canarian genome.
Markets: The markets are another must-see for those who want to soak up the daily culture of the place they visit; the offer of products from the garden, the fruit stalls, the different cuts of meat or fish… In addition, Tenerife’s colourful markets are lively and welcoming places that you will love.
Typical Canarian food: If you are looking for typical food, Tenerife will not disappoint you. Here you will not fail to find the great exponents of traditional Canarian cuisine. Wrinkled potatoes, mojo sauces, cheeses, stews and of course many desserts are dishes common to the entire archipelago that, logically, are also present in the gastronomy of Tenerife.
Specialties of Tenerife: Party meat, rabbit in salmorejo, marinated tuna, pickled mackerel, sancocho or frangollo are some of the favourite dishes of the people of Tenerife. If you are a connoisseur of Canarian gastronomy, discover the nuances of the local preparations too! It is even possible to observe subtle differences within the island, in the gastronomy of Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, for example…
Wines, guachinches and stars
Wine tasting: Canarian wines are justly internationally famous for their unique peculiarities, and Tenerife wine could not be an exception. You can’t leave the island without tasting a wine tasting in one of the wineries or restaurants in the Tenerife wine region and learning about the most suitable pairings in each case.
Guachinches: Deeply related to Tenerife’s wine culture are the guachinches. They are very simple establishments, usually temporary and always informal, where producers give their harvest wine (along with a specialty of the land) to visitors and potential buyers to taste. Tenerife culture in its purest form.
Gastronomic routes: To combine leisure and gastronomy, Tenerife offers numerous possibilities. There are several emblematic neighborhoods and routes in Santa Cruz, in La Laguna and in many other places on the island that are perfect for a walk or to spend the day while having a drink and tasting the specialties of the establishments in the area.
Exclusive restaurants: But not everything is homemade and traditional food in the gastronomy of Tenerife. The island has several restaurants distinguished with Michelin stars for their careful and exclusive interpretation of Canarian food; There are five starred restaurants at your fingertips in different locations!
"At home I serve the kind of food whose history I know." – Michael Pollan
You will get to know Tenerife fork in hand
We have already mentioned that the gastronomy in Tenerife can be proud of the quality of the products from its garden and its sea. Once here, you have to explore both the basics of Canarian cuisine and the specialties of the island (not forgetting the wine). And, of course, immerse yourself in the world of restaurants, guachinches, bars, inns and taverns…
In addition, you will be able to see for yourself the exclusive nuances that make Tenerife’s food different in every corner of the island. And you will see (or, rather, taste) how the climate, the landscape and the history are fundamental to understanding the harmony between a meal and its environment. That’s why food is so good when you taste it in the right context!
Whether you like simple food or more sophisticated preparations, if you have the local flavour as the main thing or if you see the act of eating as part of a more social and leisure whole, throughout Tenerife you will find what you are looking for: the perfect culinary complement for your visit.
To travel is to live, but also to eat and drink. Surely the gastronomy in Tenerife will help you to better understand the island you are on and to make a place for it forever in your memory, your palate and your heart. It can’t be any other way!