Food and drink in Tenerife
Op culinair vlak zal men in Tenerife zeker geen honger lijden. Het aanbod aan restaurants in de touristische centra is overweldigend. Maar ook in de lokale restaurantjes net buiten die centra kan men van de echte lokale specialiteiten genieten voor weinig geld. Wie een beetje Spaans spreekt kan ondertussen nog een prettige babbel maken met de Tinerfeños.
Characteristics of Canarian cuisine
The Canary Islands mainly eat fish, meat, vegetables and potatoes. In general, the food is not expensive. Fish is especially popular in local restaurants. The food on the islands is very similar to that of the (is)lands in and around the Mediterranean. Vegetarian food is also sufficiently available on the Canary Islands. As in many other countries, Spanish cuisine varies greatly between the different regions, but there are a number of common characteristics:
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het gebruik van olijfolie, zowel op salades als voor het frituren
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het gebruik van gefruite uien en tomaten als begin voor de bereiding van gerechten
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het gebruik van look en uien als belangrijke kruiden
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het gebruik van wijn tijdens het koken
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het eten van brood tijdens de maaltijd
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het veelvuldige eten van salades, vooral in de zomer
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het eten van een stuk fruit of van een zuivelproduct als nagerecht. De zoetigheden zoals taarten en gebak worden voorbehouden voor speciale dagen of voor vieringen.
Among the multitude of dishes, there are some that originate from the Spanish peninsula. These include tortilla de patata (potato omelette), gazpacho (a cold tomato soup), paella (rice dish with fish, meat or both), pisto (a kind of ratatouille), migas (bread dishes), embutidos (cold cuts such as jamon de serrano, chorizo and morcilla) and cheeses. There are many dishes based on legumes such as chickpeas, lentils and beans, especially in stews and soups, although there may be differences in the ingredients used.
The Canarian cuisine is simple and very tasty, but in the tourist areas it varies of course. There you will often find Dutch, Italian, Chinese and other international restaurants and fast food chains. The local restaurants can be recognized by the Canarians, who often eat there themselves. A typical Canarian restaurant/local or establishment, where you can drink home-made traditional dishes and locally produced wine is also called Guachinche.
For breakfast, the Spanish in Tenerife usually drink a cortado leche y leche. A perfect coffee for real milk lovers. The coffee consists of an espresso with three layers. A sweet side dish is usually eaten with it. But the tourists are taken into account. In the hotels, of course, they adapt to the tourists.
The traditional lunch starts around 2pm and ends around 4pm and consists of a hot meal. The dishes vary every day in most restaurants. Also popular is the Menu de Mediodia, a usually cheap three-course menu where you can choose between different dishes.
The merienda is enjoyed between lunch and dinner, which is often a small snack or tapas/appetizers.
Dinner is the fourth and last meal of the day. Traditional Canarian cuisine opens late: between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. But here too, they have adapted to the different nationalities. Often, they don't eat as extensively as they do at lunch, but the meal consists of one course.
In terms of drinking, the wines are of very good quality and fruity liqueurs are popular. The local beer of Tenerife is called La Dorada. The regional wines of Tenerife are also more famous and are definitely worth trying!
The canary custard,
9 typical plates
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Papas arugadas con mojo
gerimpelde aardappeltjes met Mojos saus: koude sausen op basis van olie en azijn -
Caldo de pescado
stevige soep op basis van rijst, saffraan, vis of schaaldieren -
Caldo de papas
stevige soep op basis van aardappelen -
Potajes
stevige maaltijdsoepen -
Ropa vieja
stoofpotje van restjes vlees en groenten -
Puchero Canario
stoofgerecht met verschillende soorten vlees en verse groenten -
Sancocho
Canarische schotel van gedroogde, zoute vis met zoete aardappelen. -
Paella
gele rijst met vlees of vis en groenten -
Papas Arrugadas
in zeezout gekookte aardappelen in de schil.
A list of typical food and drinks
01
Canarische banaan
Bananas are used in many of the Canarian dishes. In the dish 'arroz a la cubana' (rice dish) the bananas are eaten warm. They are also often used with local products, such as 'gofio' (Coriander Mojo). A whole garlic is crushed with a mortar and pestle, together with a green pepper without seeds. Then cumin, coriander and coarse salt are mixed in and this mixture is slowly prepared with oil and vinegar.
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Tapas
The tapas bar is a special part of Spanish life. Here you drink your wine, sometimes straight from the barrel, and this is accompanied by a huge range of food, both cold and warm, which you usually eat standing up. After eating several small portions, you sometimes eat a full meal and others make a meal of all kinds of tapas.
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Entremeces of de Spaanse hors-d’oeuvres
Entremeces are appetizing dishes but are usually eaten as a starter.
A typical starter is a potato salad with pepper and olives, asparagus with mayonnaise, slices of serrano ham and sausages, fried sardines or a few prawns with olives. A platter of entremeses can be a complete meal.
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Barraquito
A barraquito is a Spanish coffee preparation that is especially popular in the Canary Islands. It is served in a small glass. The base is condensed milk with a shot of sweet liqueur: Licor 43, strong espresso, warm frothed milk, a slice of lime and a pinch of cinnamon.
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De wijn (vino blanco o tinto)
The Canary Islands have a long history of wine production. Wine has been grown on all the islands except Fuerteventura for 500 years. DO Valle de la Orotava. In this lush, north-western corner of Tenerife, vines are found on the terraced northern slopes of Mount Teide. They spread around the attractive old town of La Orotava and down towards Puerto de la Cruz, once the island’s busiest port. Healthy local demand, fuelled by year-round tourism, has seen production continue to grow and the quality of the wine improve. Fruity whites come from the western part of the DO, while bright reds come from the eastern part. Only 30% of the wine is currently bottled, so there is a huge potential for the coming years.
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Ensalada
In Spanish, the term “ensalada” refers to a whole range of cold dishes, many of which are eaten as a tapa but others can be eaten as a starter.
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De mojo´s (Canarische saus)
The mojo sauces are one of the most famous products of the Canarian cuisine. These sauces are made on a base of oil and vinegar, which is crushed with various ingredients.
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Kaas (queso)
Cheese was introduced to the Canary Islands by the Spanish conquerors. Despite the fact that there were many goats on the islands, there is no evidence that the former inhabitants of the islands produced this cheese. In Tenerife, the cheese is curdled with enzymes and pressed into shapes, but not cooked. The rind is smooth, almost non-existent and white in color, the mass is also white with small holes.