Las Palmas de Gran Canaria offers much more than just its climate, nightlife, and famous beaches such as Playa de las Canteras. At LOCK & enjoy!, we’ve prepared a broad selection of 10 typical dishes from Las Palmas.
Did you know we also have lockers in Las Palmas? We’re located near Las Canteras Beach, specifically at 11 Fernando Guanarteme Street, Unit 5, near the center of Las Palmas.
The Gastronomy of Las Palmas
Here, we detail the most typical dishes of Las Palmas cuisine. Plan a morning museum tour and find a restaurant to try these out!
Watercress Stew
This is the quintessential Canarian dish, popular across most of the islands. Its main ingredient is watercress, similar to cabbages, but it also includes corn on the cob, pork ribs, potatoes, etc. This makes for a very strong and hearty flavour.
It’s a warm dish, ideal for colder days. Its preparation might vary depending on where it’s served, but any watercress stew is known for its intense taste.
Puchero
This dish is quite similar to the stews made in other parts of Spain, like Alicante or Madrid, both in its preparation and flavor.
It consists of a mix of meat, vegetables, and chickpeas. Some variations might include potatoes or carrots. It’s a dish usually made to last more than a day, so it’s common to eat it multiple times a week.
Unlike in other parts of Spain, puchero here is not typically a winter dish; it’s usually prepared at the end of spring or the beginning of summer.
Carne Fiesta
Carne fiesta is another famous dish in Las Palmas and is quite easy to digest. It’s often served with a soft drink or beer as a tapas for several people.
It consists of marinated pork cut into small pieces, making it ideal for an appetizer. The meat is heavily seasoned with pepper, oregano, parsley, and paprika.
Though available in any bar or restaurant on the island, it’s especially common at religious festivals and pilgrimages.
Sancocho
This meal requires more extensive preparation. It uses salted fish, such as wreckfish, which needs to be brined a week in advance. After desalting and resting for 24 hours, it’s ready to cook.
It’s typically served with potatoes or sweet potatoes in small pieces, and sometimes with Canarian bananas.
It’s traditionally made during Holy Week, but due to the high tourist influx all year round, it can be enjoyed any month.
Stewed Parrotfish with Wrinkled Potatoes
The secret to this dish is the use of a fish unique to Canarian waters, called ‘vieja’.
Depending on the area, it can be fried or baked. It’s a flavorful dish thanks to its green ingredients: crushed tomatoes, olive oil, or garlic. It’s served with potatoes or salad and a green sauce.
Have you come to spend the day at the beach and fancy trying a typical dish? Move freely and book a locker on our website. We offer USB charging and 24-hour video surveillance!
Bienmesabe
Desserts are also an integral part of Las Palmas’ cuisine. Bienmesabe may originate from Málaga, but it’s very popular in Las Palmas due to its early expansion.
It’s a sweet cake made from almonds, eggs, sugar, and ground cinnamon.
At LOCK & enjoy! we recommend asking for it in bakeries and pastry shops in the capital.
Mojo Sauce
Canarian mojo sauce is the undisputed star of the local gastronomic offer. It’s a traditional sauce that accompanies wrinkled potatoes and can be used with any type of meat or fish. It’s a tourist and culinary emblem, widely available in any shop.
There are endless varieties, i.e. green, red, mild and spicy. The food industry has also incorporated it into cheeses, fruits, and almonds.
Rabbit in Salmorejo Sauce
Be sure not to confuse this with Andalusian salmorejo; they are very different dishes. Its consumption is more widespread on the island of Tenerife, but we at LOCK & enjoy! have also found it in Las Palmas restaurants.
Here, salmorejo is a sauce made of garlic, pepper, water, oil, and salt used to marinate the rabbit.
Ropa Vieja
This dish is typical of other areas in Spain too, but it holds particular significance in Las Palmas due to its widespread consumption. It’s a winter dish, rich in flavour and ingredients.
It’s a dish made from leftover stew or Canarian puchero, consisting of chickpeas, meat, chicken, potatoes, peppers, bacon, etc.
Sweet Potato Pastries
Canarians are very creative with their cuisine. A great example is the sweet potato pastries. Made from pastry dough and sweet potato filling, this surprising fusion of flavours will not leave you indifferent.
They are prepared throughout the year, though they are particularly typical during Christmas.
Experience Las Palmas through its magnificent gastronomy! Plan your gastronomic tour and trust us with your belongings in one of our lockers. We look forward to seeing you at LOCK & enjoy!