A Foodie’s Guide to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain (B)

This time last year, I was writing about the food of Madeira – a cuisine that’s as unique to itself as it is similar to Portuguese food. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, the same can be said of the food of the Canary Islands – a Spanish archipelago off the coast of Morocco that combines the flavours of Spain with its own very local traditions. I’ve been lucky enough to spend the last seven weeks on Gran Canaria, making the most of the winter sun and (of course) the culinary bounty around me. This article covers the capital city – Las Palmas – specifically, but I’m working on another article for the rest of the island next week…

Whether you choose one of the restaurants featured in this guide or not, there are several Canarian dishes that you’ll come across all over the island. So when you’re perusing the menu, look out for the ubiquitous papas arrugadas – the tastiest, tiniest potatoes grown in volcanic soil, boiled until their skin wrinkles, and served with mojo – a garlicky, peppery sauce that every restaurant has its own recipe for. In fact, garlic seems to be a theme in general: most bread comes with some variation on aioli, most grilled fish comes slathered with shavings of fried garlic, and pretty much every sauce is laden with garlic! Speaking of fish, look out for the classic Canarian varieties – sama and cherne – both meaty white fish that generally come simply grilled with bread, potatoes and veggies. Moray eel, squid and octopus are also found in abundance, fried or grilled and dipped in yet more garlic sauce. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).