Taste the best typical food in Tenerife
The Canary Islands can boast of having an exquisite gastronomy. The best typical food in Tenerife includes wines, potatoes, mojos or cheeses, some of the delicacies that you cannot miss. In short, conquer your palate with the most popular dishes. Want to know more? Read!
Index
Typical food of Tenerife: Potatoes with mojo
Potatoes with mojo are undoubtedly one of the most recognized and popular dishes of Canarian gastronomy. Therefore, if you want to try the best typical food in Tenerife, this dish has to be on your gastronomic route.
Potatoes have been found in Tenerife for more than 400 years. They arrived from America and thanks to the island’s terrain, ideal for this type of crop, it soon became one of the most essential and basic foods. Tenerife’s volcanic soil makes its potatoes taste unique.
In total, 15 varieties are part of the Protected Designation of Origin “Papas Antiguos de Canarias”. It includes the varieties that have been grown in Tenerife since the sixteenth century. This tuber accompanies numerous recipes such as meat, fish or stews… And in all the recipes they are delicious!
Of course, probably the best known dish of the typical food of Tenerife and the entire archipelago are the potatoes served with the typical mojos of the islands. A tasty dish that needs no further accompaniment, so we recommend you try it if you are lucky enough to spend a few days on our island.
Gofio
Another of the star foods in food in Tenerife is gofio, a product with a lot of history. It was inherited from the Guanches (first inhabitants of the island) and is composed of toasted cereal flour. It is very healthy and is commonly enjoyed at breakfast. For example, mixed with milk.
It is also present in dishes such as escalón and serves as an accompaniment to stews and stews. It is common to enjoy it as an appetizer, kneaded with almonds and honey. You can also find it in desserts such as ice cream and in modern and innovative recipes developed by chefs and pastry chefs. In short, gofio is part of the typical food of Tenerife and is not missing in any Canarian home. A delight!
Meat and fish
Meat and fish are present in the exquisite recipes of our gastronomy. On the one hand, it is common to find in restaurants and brotherhoods viejas, samas, sardines, wreckfish, mackerel, cuttlefish, pollock or mackerel, among others. These spices are eaten fried or stewed and, of course, accompanied by wrinkled potatoes and Canarian mojo.
As for meat, rabbit meat or goat meat are the most demanded by visitors who come to the island. And it is not surprising, since the Canary Islands have native species of goats of great international recognition. The meat of black pig, a native species, is also very popular for its rich flavor.
Likewise, dishes such as ribs with potatoes, accompanied by piña de milmo (corn cobs), party meat or salmorejo rabbit stand out. In short, it is worth trying these dishes of typical Tenerife food to better understand the customs and gastronomic traditions of the island.
Local tip: The price of food in Tenerife is generally cheap for foreign tourists who visit us. Of course, it is advisable to get away from the most touristic places and try some guachinche, where you will find traditional homemade food. You will feel like a real local!
Cheese
As indicated by the Turismo de Tenerife website, the Canary Islands is the Spanish autonomous community with the highest consumption of cheese per inhabitant. Specifically, between 14 and 16 kilos of cheese are consumed per person per year. In the Canary Islands, fresh, smoked or cured cheeses stand out, even spread with paprika or gofio.
The high quality of Canarian cheeses is evident in the numerous international awards and recognitions they have received. Specifically, 35 Canarian cheeses were awarded at the World Cheese Awards 2018.
Canary Island banana
If the Canary Islands are recognized for a fruit, it is undoubtedly for the banana. Tenerife is the island where the largest amount of bananas are produced. It differs from the rest of the bananas in the world because of its sweet and juicy flavor. It is common to consume it raw or fried and you can easily find it in any supermarket on the island.
Wines of Tenerife
And to close this list, the wines, of great quality and with unique aromas thanks to the volcanic character and climate of the island. Tenerife has five Designations of Origin: Abona, Taconrote – Acentejo, Valle de Güímar, La Orotava and Ycoden – Daute – Isora. If you want to know more about our wines, don’t miss “The wines of Tenerife and its designation of origin”.
We know, you’ve really wanted to try the typical food of Tenerife, right? As you have been able to read in our article, you have numerous dishes to taste on our island. Canarian gastronomy is the perfect complement to make your holiday completely unforgettable.