45 ~ Dia De Canarias

Girl in Canary costume slicing gofio
(click to enlarge photos)

Today is the day when Canary Islanders celebrate their heritage. Dia de Canarias, Canary Islands Day, is celebrated every 30th of May in each of the seven islands that make up this archipelago. Local people decorate their towns and plazas, display Canary products in shops and markets and put on their traditional colourful costumes, their trajes de mago for dancing and folkloric events throughout the day and evening. Firework displays will surely put a noisy end to the night.

Three girls in their Canary costumes

As I'd heard that a nearby supermarket would be offering free samples of local products today, I went there this morning to find a group of young ladies in their trajes de mago behind a makeshift food counter in the shopping centre. They were busy slicing crispy baguettes and spreading on a soft chorizo as well as passing out small cups of red wine and soft drinks. Other foods laid out on paper plates included rosquetes de vino, a type of round small doughnut, crispy with sugar, several types of cakes, pickled fish, tuna croquettes, frangollo...a cornmeal and raisin pudding, and other typical Canary foods.

As I hadn't yet had breakfast I didn't hesitate to try what they offered.

Here are more photos I took there:



Pouring a wine sample

Rosquetes de Vino (Wine Rusks)

Preparing bread & chorizo

Bread and soft chorizo

A hand reaches for a tuna croquette

Gofio as never before

I have tried gofio on several occasions since living in the Canary Islands but never have I see it in this fudge-like form and never has it tasted so good! Gofio is a nutritious food made from toasted maize or other flours which has been a staple of the Canary diet for centuries, being put even into a bottle of baby's milk or served in a restaurant mixed with broth as a type of porridge. Many Canary people have powdered gofio spooned into a glass of milk for breakfast.

More about gofio and how it is made is
on an earlier post of this blog. But this was so good I think I took three pieces. It tasted toasty, nutty and fudgy all at once. It would make a perfect snack food, because it tastes like a rich treat and yet it's healthy!
I must find out where it is sold in this form.

Serving gofio

Serving frangollo

Frangollo was a treat today since it had been well made and was full of raisins, which I love. Frangollo is a custard type of dessert made from yellow corn meal, flavoured with cinnamon and lemon and topped with raisins, cinnamon and sometimes syrup. Simple to make, it is however a tasty dessert. And so popular here that the corn meal is sold ready for preparing this dish.

My serving of frangollo

Frangollo

FRANGOLLO - Canary Maize Pudding Dessert
Frangollo is a typical dessert from the Canary Islands which has many variations, sometimes made with milk, other times with water. Here is one recipe:

1 quart milk or water
1/2 lb coarse sweet corn (maize) flour -- (approx 225 grams)
grated lemon rind
piece of lemon peel
a few almonds -- peeled & ground or chopped finely
1 handful raisins
2 Tablespoons sugar -- more or less to taste
1 teasp cinnamon & more for sprinkling over top

Put the milk (or water) in a pot together with the piece of lemon peel and a pinch of salt.
Put on the stove.
When it boils, remove the lemon peel and add the corn flour, sugar, raisins, cinnamon, ground almond and grated lemon rind.
Stir constantly and cook until the mix separates from the sides of the pot.
This can take around 20 - 30 minutes of constant stirring.

Pour into a deep glass dish and allow to cool.
Sprinkle with ground cinnamon, raisins and if desired, a little syrup or honey.
Serve cold or at room temperature.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!