Simple pleasure
Every evening, after an exhilarating day of pedal pushing, you’ll be treated to a delicious local meal. Canarian cuisine is all about simple pleasures. Grilled fish served with a zesty herb sauce. Juicy grilled goat meat. Green salad served with a buttery local avocado. The best dining experience on the islands can usually be had away from the toursist swarms and in the cosy, farmhouse restaurants that dot the island interiors. And here at Beyond Biking, we know all the best local hotspots.
The cuisine of the Canary Islands combines traditional Spanish recipes with African and Latin American influences, so prepare to find an incredible variety of recipes made with excellent locally-sourced fish, fruits and vegetables. Many original flavours can be found in Canarian specialities as local kitchens are full of tasty produce such as maize, tropical fruits, patatoes with intense flavours born of the rich volcanic soils, and local ingredients like parrot fish, grouper and rock cod. If you like fish, you will be in paradise on these islands. Amongst the most typical regional recipes you will try, are caldo de pescado (fish soup) and vieja sancochada (sea bream casserole). Freshly grilled sardines are also popular. Some local restaurants have their own fishing boats which go out daily to catch fresh crab, lobsters and fish. One of the best foodie experiences you can have on the islands is a plate of freshly-caught and simply grilled fish at one of the waterfront restaurants at La Caleta or El Golfo on Lanzarote, or at Puerto de las Nieves on Gran Canaria.
What lifts Canarian cuisine into its own class is the local Designation of Origin Products (DOP) such as the local wine. Every sip will remind you of the intense volcanic origins of the islands. Traditional cheeses like the majorero from Fuerteventura and flor de guía from Gran Canaria are valued all over the world and also boast their own DOP. Be sure to sample other locally-made specialities, including chorizo, goat’s cheese and honey. Also definitely worth trying are papas arrugadas (wrinkled potatoes), otherwise known as spicy Canarian potatoes. Enjoy your roast kid goat in Casa Isaitas in Pajara, which serves simple, home-cooked food, much of it organic and locally-sourced.
Besides all the local gourmet food, remember, you’re in Spain, so get ready to try anything from delicious tapas to a huge seafood paella or a giant bocadillo. A wide selection of Spanish wines and beers is also served all over the islands. We will give you the opportunity to sample the local wine at one of La Gería’s bodegas in Lanzarote. Amongst the islands’ wines you should try the Malvasía from Lanzarote. Or you might try the delicious Ron Miel (honey rum), which is considered a local delicacy.
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