It’s this wonderful mixture that makes Tenerife’s cuisine so tasty and versatile and unforgettable. There are the traditional dishes of Canarian farmers along with the influences from seafarers who have landed (and have occasionally been stranded) on the island over the course of time and, last but not least, the growing number of top creative chefs who refine old indigenous recipes with extreme sophistication and know how to pamper demanding gourmands at a high level.

A popular traditional dish is puchero canario, a rich, delectable stew made of a variety of vegetables including carrots, squash, cabbage, maize and potatoes, and up to five different types of meat such as lamb, mutton, chicken, beef and pork. Seasoned with chorizo, garlic, caraway and saffron makes it all really savoury and chopped parsley makes it really fresh.

The traditional fare of Canarian herdsmen is gofio: Dough is made from the flour of roasted maize or wheat and is, for instance, shaped into little balls. As a mash gofio also has a variety of uses in cuisine. The same applies to mojo, a spicy hot paprika chilli sauce, of which a green variation with coriander leaves also exists – called mojo verde or cilantro.

From time immemorial potatoes have been among the most popular and important foodstuffs: Close to fifty different varieties are grown on the Canary Islands. Here one recipe in particular caused a sensation, also on the Spanish mainland: papas arrugadas. For this, very small potatoes are washed thoroughly and barely covered with water in a pot that is not too wide, a quarter of which is filled with sea salt. They are left covered and boiled for approximately half an hour. Afterwards, the lid is removed and the potatoes are shaken repeatedly until the remaining water has evaporated. This is how they get the desired salty crust and become beautifully wrinkled. Mojo is served with it.

The finest Japanese food is served at the “Kabuki” gourmet restaurant in the “Abama” luxury hotel. When chef Rafael Carrasco serves freshly caught silver perch as a type of razor-thin carpaccio he also serves a portion of tradition: papas arrugadas and mojo verde. Delicious!