Fuerteventura Gastronomy - Food

Fuerteventura Gastronomy - Food

Gastronomia en español

La Montañeta
Best Canarian Goat's Cheese

This semi-cured cheese made from Goat's milk was chosen as best Goat's Cheese in the Canaries at the eighth Concurso Nacional de Quesos de Leche de Cabra-Premios Tabefewhich took place at the Feria de Agricultura y Ganadería, Feaga.

138 cheeses were represented from various communities.

Because of the hot climate Fuerteventura's cuisine is quite simple and yet extremely tasty.

Obviously the most common food is fish this is generally served up with locally produced sauces and flavourings.

A lot of dishes served are centuries old such as 'gofio amasado' this is made from a doughy mixture of gofio (like a grain flour) water, milk, broth, potatoes, honey and wine. This is then served in a leather or fabric bag called a 'zurron'.

Other local dishes include:-
Papas arrugadas- small unpeeled potatoes steamed with lots of salt until the skin becomes wrinkled and served with a hot 'mojo' sauce.

Fish dishes incude:-
Sea bass
Cazon con mojo
Parrot fish or vieja
Sea bream
Tunafish
Sword fish
Shark

All of the above dishes are normally salted and poached then served with papas arrugadas hot sauce and freshly cooked vegetables.

Pejines- tiny fish dried in the sun then baked, grilled or cooked in alcohol. These are generally served as a tapas snack in typical canarian bars to pick at while drinking a beer.

Shellfish such as mejillones (mussels), lapas (limpets) Cangrejos (crab), camarones (small shrimps), centello (spider crab) and of course langostas (lobsters) pulpos (octopus) and chocos (squid) are found on most good sea food restaurants menus.

Last but not least, is 'queso majorero' a local goats milk cheese that comes in many different flavours and textures and is quite simply delicious.

The goat cheeses produced on Fuerteventura are sought after not only in the archipelago but outside of the islands as well. Fundamental factors determining the quality of this cheese are the rich pastures from a land that is dry but pleasant, and the unsurpassable characteristics of the Majorera goat, a very adaptable rustic animal which produces a thick, aromatic and high-fat milk.

During the Middle Ages, Fuerteventura was known as Maxorata and the name of the cheese "queso Majorero" comes from the adjective denominating the inhabitants and products of the island.

The milk, along with the talents of the Majorero cheese-makers is the main secret of one of the best goat cheeses in Spain.
Queso Majorero is normally available in large sizes presented in three different ways: natural rind rubbed with oil, rubbed with pimenta or with "gofio" (roasted cornmeal).