One of the things I pride myself on the most is my willingness to try new things. I’m always up for visiting new places, trying new skills or meeting new people. Most importantly though, I love sampling new food. My recent trip to the Canary Islands exposed me to just that – the hidden flavours of Fuerteventura. Naturally, I was eager to delve in and try as much as I could.
I am far from an expert. However, my husband’s family have been here for the last twenty years so I had excellent advice. So, here is my guide to the flavours of Fuerteventura. So, as they say on the island, buen provecho!
Flavours of Fuerteventura : A Guide to Canarian Cuisine
Mojo sauce
Almost every meal we had on the island featured some variety of mojo sauce. The delicious and highly addictive sauce is made of olive oil, salt, water, local pepper varieties, garlic and a combination of herbs and spices. Most of the time the mojo sauce was served in its red form. However, I have also tried a green and a yellow version which is equally as tasty!
Papas Arrugás
When my husband originally told me about the traditional Canarian potatoes before our first trip, I wasn’t convinced. I didn’t think that they were going to be anything special to tell you the truth. How wrong I was – they were great! Papas arrugás translates as wrinkly potatoes, which is quite accurate really. New potatoes are cooked in super salty seawater first to parboil. They are then baked in the oven until they start to wrinkle. If you order these in a restaurant, the potatoes will be served along with mojo sauce. Honestly, it is the perfect condiment!
Gofio
Something we didn’t sample, but that is on the menu everywhere, was gofio. This is a mix of toasted cornmeal and wheatmeal. So, according to family friends, it used to be a staple food item of the Canarian people. Nowadays, it is often used as a thickening agent in some of the island’s famous stews. More surprisingly, it is a popular dessert ingredient. Gofio is used to flavour ice cream and also sweet dessert mousses. Definitely something to try next time you visit!
Queso majorero
Made from the milk of Fuerteventura’s goats, the semi-hard and firm cheese has a nutty and slightly milky flavour. The rolls of cheese are often rubbed with pimenta, roasted gofio, or with oil giving it different textures and tastes. The majorero cheese is often served alongside pasta, fruits and vegetables. Honestly, this is my husband’s favourite and I think the sentiment is shared with the locals. So much so that there is a museum dedicated to it.
Berenjenas equivocadas
Possibly my favourite dish in Fuerteventura is Berenjenas equivocadas. This is lightly fried aubergines, with cubes of goat’s cheese with a drizzling of palm honey. It sounds simple, and it is, but it tastes amazing! We must have ordered this dish so many times over the years. What I have found is that all restaurants produce slightly different versions. However, we have decided our favourite is served in El Horno in Villaverde.
Fresh produce
I am always thoroughly impressed with the range of fresh produce in supermarkets and restaurants on the island. People likely expect so much fresh fish and seafood on the island. However, what surprised me when I first went was the range of fresh, home grown fruit and vegetables. The land is so dry and sandy that it came as a shock that the island is famed for tomatoes, figs and tropical fruits. However, they sure are delicious though!
Chupito
After pretty much every meal (bar breakfast), you get a shot of island liquor along with the bill. I’m not usually one to drink liquor. However, there is something really tasty and delicious about the local chupito. It is a honey rum, topped with cream and cinnamon. Definitely something to look forward to at the end of the night.
Final Thoughts – Flavours of Fuerteventura
So, I hope that you found this blog post useful to plan your next trip to this special island. As you may have gathered, I live with somebody who used to spend all summer every summer here. If you have any questions about the flavours of Fuerteventura, or the island, just ask.
Other posts that may help you:
- The South of Fuerteventura: A Road Trip
- El Cotillo Fuerteventura: Exploring the Town
- Popcorn Beach Fuerteventura: A Sunset Picnic
- The Majorero Cheese Museum: Fuerteventura
- Things to do in Corralejo Fuerteventura
Thank you for reading and I hope that my post has been useful and have helped to inspire your next trip to Fuerteventura!
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your family and friends!
Happy exploring,
