We were surprised by the wide variety of dishes local to Tenerife. A rich cuisine isn't one of the characteristics which immediately spring to mind when thinking about the Canary Islands, but of course it makes sense -- close to Africa, linked historically to Europe, and with a strong connection to the New World, the food of Tenerife should be special. Here are a few more dishes we loved.
I had thought that the word "guachinche" must somehow be related to the guanches -- the original inhabitants of the Canary Islands, who were conquered by the Spanish in the 15th century. But that missing "n" in the root syllable bugged me… "guach" is not the same as "guanch".
I don't think it's unfair to point out that the general populace of Tenerife is a little more… solidly built than on the Spanish mainland. And now that we're getting familiar with the cuisine here, we understand why. Theirs is nourishing food, served in construction-worker portions. And if you're not out in the fields all day, or regularly exercising, all that protein has just one place to go.
