Canarian gastronomy is undoubtedly one of the most delicious you can find in Spain, and why not say it, in the world. You will also be pleased to know that Tenerife is probably one of the seven Canary Islands where you can best eat and where you can find higher quality restaurants, both traditional restaurants, where you can enjoy Canarian typical cuisine, and those that provide a new approach to the most typical dishes to renew and adapt them to new times.

Either way, enjoying Canarian cuisine should be one of your main objectives in your visit to Tenerife, since through the most typical dishes you also know the culture and history of the area, and what better than doing it sitting comfortably and delighting our palate with the most deeply-rooted flavours of the Canary Islands.

There is a wide variety of typical Canarian dishes, but today we are going to talk about the five best known dishes that you should try before your future holidays are over.

Wrinkly potatoes with mojo (papas arrugadas con mojo)

Wrinkled potatoes with mojo are possibly the best-known dish of Canarian gastronomy.

It is a very simple dish to make, but for which it is essential to get the potatoes you can enjoy on this land. Canarian potatoes are especially tasty and they are usually served with red mojo, whose main ingredient is pepper, although it can also be served with green mojo.

This typical dish of Canarian cuisine can also be served as a side dish or as a starter before a main course.

Canarian stew (puchero canario)

Canarian stew, also known as puchero canario, is a delicious and very nutritious dish of Canarian gastronomy made up of a large amount of vegetables and a moderate amount of meat. The usual ingredients of Canarian stew are: chickpeas, corn cob, beans, cabbage, carrot, pumpkin, courgettes, potatoes, beef, bacon, chopped chorizo ​​and sometimes it can also be served with gofio.

Without a doubt, it is a very complete, nutritious and healthy dish that will delight any person who likes vegetables and a balanced diet.

Escaldón de gofio

Gofio is a typical food of the Canary Islands. It is made up of flour made from roasted cereals, such as barley and wheat, which was already eaten by the aborigines and was the main staple of their diet. Canarian gofio is recognized by the European Commission as a protected designation of origin.

Gofio is usually eaten in different ways, but probably the most common is escaldón de gofio which in turn, and according to tastes, includes different variations. However, it is usually made up of gofio dough, which is prepared with meat stock and then a mix of vegetables and meat. Finally, after getting this dough, you can put the final touch by adding a bit of green or red spicy mojo, which will give it a slightly spicy touch that will probably make it even more addictive.

Escaldón de gofio can be eaten as a single dish or as a side dish with fish casserole or Canarian stew we talked about earlier.

Roasted cheese with mojo (queso asado con mojo)

Another very simple but delicious dish of Canarian gastronomy is roasted cheese with mojo. Its preparation is very simple. You just have to cut a few slices of Canarian cheese (preferably if it is smoked cheese from La Palma), then put them in a frying pan with oil for a few minutes, and when it is ready, it is served with green or red spicy mojo.

Meat feast (carne fiesta)

It is the typical dish you can find in all Canarian guachinches and traditional village festivities. Meat feast is made up of pork marinated in garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, paprika, vinegar and white wine, served with French fries and small pieces of parsley.

Where to enjoy Canarian cuisine?

Guachinches are small establishments where very few dishes are served, but all of them typical of the Canary Islands. They only open at certain times of the year until their stocks of wine are exhausted.

There are many options throughout the island to enjoy the best Canarian cuisine, and if you do not want to be disappointed with the places you choose to eat in Tenerife, it is better to use some tools you can find on the Internet to find the right place.

For example, you can use TripAdvisor, where you can find the best places to eat in Puerto de la Cruz or the best places to eat on the island of Tenerife in general, but you can filter by those focused on typical Canarian food.