Canarian desserts, delicious for those with a sweet tooth

Almond, cinnamon, cheese, lemon and even sweet potato. All these, and many more, are some of the ingredients used to cook Canarian pastries and desserts. Recipes with a long history that have managed to conquer palates, generation after generation, and become a hallmark of the Archipelago. Undoubtedly, tasting one of these typical desserts is a cultural experience full of Canarian tradition, but, above all, a lot of flavor.

Bienmesabe canary

As we have already mentioned in previous articles, Canarian cuisine and its gastronomy are characterized by crossbreeding, the fusion of elements and a pronounced contrast of flavors, the result of high quality products and ingredients, as well as proximity, agriculture, sea and land.

The sweet side of Canarian gastronomy

Undoubtedly, confectionery is a hallmark of the Canary Islands and its variety leaves no one indifferent. There are many island desserts such as Príncipe Alberto, huevos moles, gofio mousse..... Unique recipes based on local ingredients full of tradition and culture. Accompanying a visit to the islands with a Canarian sweet is clearly a must.

Bienmesabe canario, its own name describes it

This Canarian sweet is very traditional on the islands of La Palma and Gran Canaria. In the latter, specifically in the municipality of Tejeda. This Canarian dessert consists of a sweet paste made from egg yolk, sugar, cinnamon and delicious local almonds. In fact, this dried fruit has been cultivated in Gran Canaria since the 15th century and its exceptional flavor is present in many recipes of the island's gastronomy.

Bienmesabe of La Palma

With a thick and creamy texture, bienmesabe is used to accompany other desserts such as flans and ice creams, a very sweet way to give a traditional Canarian touch to any sweet. We talk about this delicious dessert in more detail in this article: Bienmesabe canario, a very simple and delicious dessert.

The famous quesadillas herreñas, a symbol of the island of the meridian.

It is a typical dessert well known in the Canary Islands in which the herreño cheese is the protagonist. Prepared in a wood-fired oven and with a characteristic and peculiar flower shape. To make this Canarian dessert, the cheese must be crumbled, mixed with eggs, flour, sugar, aniseed, lemon and cinnamon, and spread on a layer of puff pastry. Undoubtedly, tasting this gastronomic symbol of the island of El Hierro is a delicious way to find out what Canarian tradition tastes like. We talk about this sweet in more detail in the following article: Quesadilla herreña, gastronomic symbol of the Canary Islands.

Quesadillas herreñas ready to eat

Fried trout, the sweetest and most traditional pasties

Perhaps the name of this typical Canarian sweet has caused it to be confused with a fish dish. However, fried trout are sweet pastries filled with almonds and sweet potato, a sweet tuber traditionally grown in Lanzarote, La Palma and northern Tenerife.

Traditional sweet potato trout, in Marca Canaria

This dessert is cooked, above all, during the Christmas season, standing out above polvorones and turrón. Although it can also be filled with angel hair, cream or chocolate, any Canarian will recommend you to try the recipe with sweet potato. We talk more about this delicious sweet, within the Canarian Christmas desserts, in the following article: Truchas de batata, a traditional dessert from the Canary Islands.

The rapadura palmera, a unique dessert of the beautiful island

Sugar cane has historically been cultivated in the Canary Islands, becoming one of the driving forces of the Spanish economy after the conquest. Therefore, it is not surprising that the quality of this native ingredient gives rise to numerous delicious local desserts. One of them is rapadura palmera, which combines sugar with other typical ingredients such as gofio, palm honey and almonds.

Rapadura, typical dessert from the Canary Islands

This Canarian sweet has a characteristic conical shape that is wrapped in a transparent paper to make it easier to hold. According to tradition, many workers from La Palma used to eat this dessert for breakfast, accompanied by a piece of bread. Undoubtedly, a very sweet and Canarian way to start the day. We talk more about this traditional sweet, within the Canarian desserts, in this article: Rapadura, a canary candy with a difference.

If you are interested in the world of products made in the Canary Islands and want to know more about them, here are some articles for you to read and take some of the sweetness out of your mouth: Canary Island hot pepper, fundamental ingredient;Malvasia volcanica, the Lanzarote grape; Malvasia volcanica, the Lanzarote grape; Morena in the Canary Islands, tradition and beauty.

Paula Vera

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