Popular culture

A collection of everyday cultural materials showing how Canarian identity is expressed in words, food, local humour and popular memory.

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Canarianisms: The Words That Define Us - LanguageLanguage

Canarianisms: The Words That Define Us

Canarianisms are the words and expressions unique to the Spanish spoken in the Canary Islands, a lexicon reflecting centuries of confluence between aboriginal languages, Castilian, Portuguese and other influences.

Canarias Historia

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Traditional recipes

Wrinkled potatoes with mojoCanary Islands

Unpeeled potatoes cooked in salted water until wrinkled, served dry and accompanied by mojo.

Watercress stewCanary Islands

Vegetable stew with watercress, courgettes, yam, beans, potatoes, corn cobs, tomato and onion.

Canarian fish brothCanary Islands

Fish broth with potatoes, tomato, onion, garlic, herbs and a traditional serving style with gofio and green mojo.

Canarian sancochoFuerteventura · Tenerife

Desalted salted fish with potatoes, sweet potato, mojo and gofio pella; documented in general, Majorero and seafood recipe books.

CarajacasCanary Islands

Calf liver marinated in a mojo of garlic, paprika, oregano, thyme, bay, vinegar and oil; fried and finished slowly in its sauce.

Majorero stewed kidFuerteventura

Kid marinated with garlic, oregano and salt, fried and then stewed with onion, bay and white wine; served with potatoes.

Grilled limpetsLa Gomera · El Hierro

Cleaned limpets grilled on a hot plate and finished with a herb, garlic, oil and cumin or coriander mash, depending on the island.

Parrotfish and crabs with wrinkled potatoesTenerife

A Valle de Guerra recipe with parrotfish, crabs, potatoes and mojo picon.

Sardines in vinegarTenerife

Small Tenerife sardines cleaned, cured in vinegar and preserved in oil.

Chickpeas with fishFuerteventura

Fuerteventura stew with salted fish or leftover sancocho fish, chickpeas, sofrito, white wine and diced fried potatoes.

La Gomera tuna in mojoLa Gomera

Tuna cooked with oregano, vinegar and salt, finished in red mojo and served with potatoes, kneaded gofio and fresh cheese.

La Gomera fish casseroleLa Gomera

White-fish casserole with onion, sweet pepper, garlic, herbs, potatoes or sweet potatoes and gofio.

Grilled alfonsinoEl Hierro

Grilled alfonsino fillets with garlic, coriander and oil mash, served with lemon.

Pickled burgadosEl Hierro

Boiled burgados covered with a pickle of garlic, thyme, paprika, cumin, oil, vinegar and salt.

Fennel stewGran Canaria

Gran Canaria midland stew with fennel, beans, potatoes, onion, garlic and oil.

Wild mustard greens stewGran Canaria

Stew from Gran Canaria midlands and northern summit area with wild mustard greens, pumpkin, beans, pork, potatoes and spices.

Mogan-style tunaGran Canaria

Fresh tuna browned and stewed with small potatoes, garlic, parsley, pepper, paprika, walnuts and hard-boiled eggs.

Majorero ropa viejaFuerteventura

A resourceful dish with chicken, pork, bacon, chickpeas, sofrito, white wine and diced fried potatoes.

Majorero vigil stewFuerteventura

Stew of cod, chickpeas and rice with garlic, parsley, bay leaf, sweet paprika and olive oil.

Grass pea stewFuerteventura · Lanzarote

White grass pea stew with pork ribs, potatoes, pumpkin, cumin, coriander and Canarian safflower.

La Graciosa corn stewLanzarote · Fuerteventura · La Graciosa

Eastern-island corn stew with ribs, garlic, onion, tomato, jable sweet potato, potatoes, courgette and olive oil.

Canarian frangolloGran Canaria

Dessert of frangollo or crushed corn cooked with milk, water, sugar, raisins, lemon, cinnamon, aniseed and butter.

Huevos moles with gofioCanary Islands

Sweet yolk cream cooked in syrup scented with lemon and cinnamon, served in cups with corn gofio.

El Hierro whey custardEl Hierro

Custard cooked with goat whey, yolks, cornflour, sugar, cinnamon, aniseed and lemon peel.

Vilana or milana cakeLa Gomera

La Gomera cake made with sweet potato or potato, eggs, sugar, almonds, oil, flour, raisins, lemon and cinnamon.

Key terms

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