The island of La Gomera is known for its spectacular landscapes and trails, but if there is something that truly enchants everyone who visits it, it is its flavor and traditional products. In this article we will talk about the delicious gastronomy of La Gomera and we will recommend dishes and products that you cannot miss during your visit to the island.
The best products and dishes of La Gomera
The gastronomy of La Gomera is characterized by its variety and the authenticity of its flavors. Papas arrugadas, mojos, cheeses, palm honey, almogrote, watercress stew, gofio, confectionery, etc. All this is part of a long list of delicious dishes and products with which to discover the authentic essence of Gomera.
Palm honey, a natural and exquisite syrup
This is the star product of the gastronomy of La Gomera and an essential ingredient in the kitchens of this island and the rest, being included in both savory dishes and desserts. Palm honey is obtained by cooking the guarapo or palm sap, which is extracted from the palm bud.
To obtain this product, the palms are carefully cured day after day, accessing the bud, and are scraped every evening to get the palm to expel this sap during the night.
Once enough guarapo has been extracted, it is cooked until it reaches a texture similar to that of liquid caramel. The product obtained is palm sap, popularly known on the island as palm honey.
Almogrote, much more than cheese
One of the jewels of the gastronomy of La Gomera is, without a doubt, the almogrote. Its intense flavor is due to the ingredients with which it is made. Based on leftover pieces of cured cheese that remain hard and mojo picón, a mixture with a texture similar to pate is achieved, which is a unique experience for any palate.
A product typical of the island that has become the obligatory starter of any meal inLa Gomera and that is one of the signs of the Canarian gastronomic identity.
Gomeran sweets, like feeling in love
If there is something to highlight about the gastronomy of La Gomera, it is its sweets. There is a great variety that includes homemade cookies, butter buns or bollos gomeros, Vilana cake, curd cake, among others. All of them are made in a traditional and artisanal way.
Of all of them, homemade cookies have become a must that can not miss in the suitcase ofanyone who visits La Gomera, if you can bear not to eat them at the time.
Watercress stew, the star stew
One of the dishes that cannot be missing in any Gomeran table is the watercress stew, made with this vegetable so famous in the island, potatoes and pork ribs, which give it that different touch.
Its unique flavor, which is achieved thanks to its preparation in a traditional way and the freshness of its ingredients, make it a tasty dish, ideal to enjoy especially in the highlands of the island. Once at the table, this dish is accompanied with good gofio from the island, white cheese and a little chopped onion.
Gofio, the Canarian superfood
The perfect accompaniment to any stew is gofio.Made from the toasted grain of cereals such as millet, wheat or barley, it has long been one of the staple foods of the inhabitants of La Gomera and the rest of the islands.
The intense flavor of gofio from La Gomera has given it its just fame, differentiating it from the rest of the gofios produced in the Canary Islands. In addition to its consumption with stews, it is also frequently used for the preparation of typical dishes of the island such as "escaldón" or "pellas de gofio", which are obtained by mixing it with honey and almonds.
Gomerón and mistela, after-dinner snaps
In addition to the wines, within the gastronomy of La Gomera you can find some exquisite liquors and drinks. Among them stands out the gomerón, a typical drink made with a mixture of honey or palm syrup and grapevine brandy, characterized by its intense flavor.
Another typical liquor of La Gomera that no visitor should miss during their stay is the mistela. It is a drink made fromwhite wine, orange peel and caramelized sugar, which once drunk, lets you notice the sweet taste of sugar and bitter orange.
If you want to know more about the Canarian recipes, as well as learn how to prepare delicious dishes and typical products of the Archipelago, we recommend you to visit the gastronomy section of Marca Canaria.
Paula Vera
Photos: holaislascanarias.com
