Flavors of Tenerife: between land, sea and traditions
- Cécile Barrès
- Aug 2
- 2 min read
Canarian gastronomy is like its archipelago: authentic, mixed and deeply rooted in local resources. For a long time marked by simplicity, it combines products from the land, fish from the Atlantic, and African, Spanish, and Latin-American influences.
Terroir products
The basic ingredients are rustic but tasty :
• "Papas": small old potatoes, grown in volcanic lands.
The gofio: Toasted corn or wheat flour, inherited from the Guanches (see post dedicated to this topic).
• Goat cheese: often smoked or cured with paprika or gofio.
• Local fish such as the parrotfish, the plover or the squid (cuttlefish).
• Seasonal vegetables and fruits, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, avocados, citrus, banana, papaya, mango...
• Legumes (dried beans, chickpeas, lentils from Lanzarote...)
Traditional and popular dishes, such as for example :
Papas arrugadas with mojo: small potatoes boiled in salted water and served with a red sauce, based on chili and paprika ("mojo rojo") or green, based on coriander and garlic ("mojo verde").
• Ropa vieja : a stew made with chickpeas, potatoes, shredded meat and spices.
• Gofio escaldado : a warm gofio purée mixed with fish broth.
• Potaje de berros : traditional cress soup, potatoes, vegetables and bacon.
• Conejo en salmorejo : marinated rabbit then simmered in a sauce with garlic, white wine and sweet chili.
• and for dessert, gofio mousse, bienmesabe (sweet almond cream), or quesillo, a traditional flan.
Guachinches: eating local in a casual way
The guachinches are typical catering establishments of northern Tenerife, originally often installed in garages or private houses, they were used to sell local wine production. Here you can enjoy simple, homemade and tasty cuisine based on garden products, in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
For good addresses, it’s this way: guachinchestenerife.com/en
And for more 'classic' restaurants close to my bed and breakfast Un Jardin al Mar, I recommend you for example:
La Parada (city center of Icod de los Vinos)
• Agustin y Rosa (same neighborhood, specializing in grilled meats)
• La Almena de San Miguel (on the seafront at Garachico, grilled pears and seafood)
• Mirador El Lomo Molino (El Tanque, panoramic views of the coast and fine cuisine 😊)
For more information on the wines of Tenerife, see my dedicated article :
And about the gofio : The gofio, more than a food, a symbol of Canarian identity
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