Canary Island Tapas and Typical dishes

Firstly, most of you may be asking…what is a Tapa?

 

The answer is quite simple, Tapas were traditionally small individual dishes on sale to provide a light snack during the day or as a starter before the evening meal. The word Tapas literally means lid or top. It is believed that this comes from an old custom where people placed a piece of bread or meat over a glass in the form of a top to keep the flies and insects away! The edible top was known as a Tapa.

 

So if you’re a first time visitor to Tenerife, or even a returning one, the range of restaurants here as well as with many of the other Canary Islands can be daunting. There seems to be a tapas bar each corner you turn. One thing you can be sure of is if you wander into any bar and the locals are eating Tapas…it will be a good tasty meal and at a reasonable price.

 

Dishes vary in each bar…here are a few traditional dishes you may find being served:

Alitas de pollo - chicken wings

Atun en salsa Rojo  - Tuna in Red Sauce

Carne con Papas  -  Meat and potato

Chipirones - Small squids brushed with oil and griddled on a hot plate

Chicharrones - chunks of cooked pork and crackling

Chorizo Iberico - Iberian pork, spicy cured sausage

Garbanzos - A chickpea stew flavoured with garlic and ham

Jamon Serrano - cured ham thinly sliced

Lapas - Limpets in a half shell drizzled with oil, fresh coriander and garlic.

Olivia - Olives

Paella - always includes rice and saffron and either fish or meat

Papas arrugadas - Salty potatoes un-skinned.

Pulpo (Octopus)

Queso curado - strong mature sheep's cheese in olive oil

Salchichon Iberico - Iberian pork salami type sausage

Tortilla Espanol – Chunky omlette made from potato, onion, egg and normally served with alioli.

 

Here are two recipes you may like to try at home and you will find these served in most local bars:

 

Chorizo in Red Wine 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 450g/1lb Chorizo Sausage, cut into slices 6mm/¼ inch thick
• 60ml/2fl.oz. Dry Red Wine
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped mixed Herbs (thyme, parsley, oregano)
• 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
• French bread cubes to serve

 

PREPARATION:

• 1.Preheat the oven to 220C, 425F, Gas Mark 7.
• 2.Place the sausage slices in a very shallow ovenproof dish.
• 3.Pour the wine, herbs and garlic over the sausage and bake for 10 minutes.
• 4.Serve hot with cubes of bread to soak up the sauce.

 

Mojo Verde

 

 

This dish comes from the Canary Islands. It is a staple there, and goes with just about everything! Try it with "papas arrugadas" (small boiled potatoes with salt and lemon) for a Canary Island specialty! Delicious! It keeps well in the refrigerator, and is even better after a day or two. Serve at room temperature.

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 garlic bulb
• 200ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 150ml White Wine Vinegar
• 1 handful of fresh coriander
• ½ teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

 

PREPARATION:

• 1.Firstly, peel the garlic cloves.
• 2.Place the garlic, cumin, vinegar and salt in a blender and puree until finely chopped.
• 3.Chop the coriander leaves.
• 4.Finally slowly mix in the coriander leaves and olive oil.

You will also see Gofio on many a menu…it has been a staple part of the Canarian diet for years and it is very much like flour made from toasted cereals. It was believed to be the main food of the Guanches, the native people of Tenerife and remains a popular dish to this day. Locals have this as a starter or mixed with hot milk and Honey as part of their breakfast.

 

A huge variety of food is available on the Canary Islands, so get ready for a taste sensation to remember – Canarian style!

Reduced Properties for sale under market value in Tenerife South....Investment opportunities!

This is a unique opportunity to purchase a property in Tenerife under market value. The following 3 properties will not be for sale for long.

Previously priced at €210,000 each and now open to ANY reasonable OFFER!!! The bank valued these properties only last month (August 2011) at over €230,000 each! This is the perfect opportunity to invest in Tenerife, but do not delay as we do not expect them to be available for long.

Sunway are pleased to be able to offer 2 apartments in Los Castaños for sale for a bargain! There is a ground floor apartment with 20m garden and a first floor apartment with a 12m terrace. These apartments in Los Castanos are in the new upmarket area of El Madronal and only a 5 minute drive to the beautiful beach of el Duque. They enjoy the sun all day and have lovely sea views. The properties have a fully fitted American Style kitchen with also a separate laundry room area. Two double bedrooms with fully fitted wardrobes and a very large bathroom. The spacious living room also comes fully furnished and boasts fantastic views from the terrace to the ocean and the garden areas. The properties come with secure parking and a storeroom and also a beautiful community pool with lush tropical gardens.

Contact us for viewings on admin@sunway-tenerife.com or (0034)922790021

This second property is very spacious and has recently been hugely reduced for a quick sale.

NOW REDUCED TO ONLY €179,000!! Beautiful townhouse for sale in Roque del Conde. This property has 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 ensuite), an American kitchen, lounge/dining room, terrace with garden, a storeroom, balcony and a big garage of 40m2 with automatic doors. The townhouse has also been recently redecorated. There is a swimming pool on the complex. Property reference LAH 07-370

For more information or to arrange a viewing please contact us on (0034) 922790021 or admin@sunway-tenerife.com

September Events in Tenerife

 

If you feel that you have spent enough time sunbathing or it’s just too hot to stay in the kitchen, there is a mountain of events and fiestas taking place outdoors in Tenerife in September…From Markets to Music, Golf to Beer Festivals, here are just a few to wet your appetite:

September 3rd  -  Rock And Roll Night at the  Plaza Del Pescadora, Los Cristianos. A totally free music event that features local bands from 5pm until late. At the back from the old beach near the fisherwoman statue.

September 11th - Cabildo Cycling Grand Prix - San Miguel Race Circuit. Here you can see top Spanish riders competing in the final leg after eight gruelling rounds in the Cabildo Cycling Grand Prix. Takes place between San Miguel and Candelaria above Tenerife’s east coas.

Mid September - Fiesta del Santisimo Cristo. Religious festivities including a popular Folklore Music Festival held in La Laguna, with a number of other entertainments on offer.

Costa Adeje Market -Dates: From 1 Sep 2011 at 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM.  Held every Thursday and Saturday mornings. This is qsucha popular market you must get there early to ensure a parking spot. You can buy clothes, cosmetics, crafts and much more….opposite CC El Duque. Major brands and bargains to be had here!

Bavarian Week – Plaza Europa, Puerto de la Cruz 25^th Aug – 3^rd Sept - that means the lads and lasses of the Die lustigen Egerländer orchestra will be blowing their trumpets, French horns, tubas and all manner of brass instruments in plazas around the town throughout the week ending with a Bavarian beer bash in Plaza Europa at 7pm on Saturday 3rd September. The concerts in town are free but the beer festival is €10 which covers entrance and participation in a quiz, one ration of food and one drink.

Monday 5^th September – Santa Maria Golf – Play Golf in their weekly competition held every Monday from the 05/09/11. To reserve your tee time please contact Ron Garrood email ron@costalessgolf.com.

Format: Singles Stableford Tee Times from 12.00. Play 18 holes followed by weekly prize presentation.

Green Fee includinig Buggy: Price 45.00€ in low season / 65.00€ in high season.

7^th and 8^th September Procession Virgen del Pino 2011 - The pilgrimage begins on 7th September Castañera Gordo and reaches the doors of the Basilica of La Virgen del Pino, where there is a representation of the municipalities of Gran Canaria and each of the islands. It is characteristic of the Canary pilgrimages, everyone comes dressed in cultural clothing, with ox carta with a float representing the population, followed by pilgrims dressed as wizards.

2nd – 4th September - Pinolere Craft Fair Ethnological -  Museum La Orotava Set around the quaint thatched huts of the Museum there are craft stalls galore selling pipes, shoes, clothing…there are hand rolled cigars, cheeses, wines, hand painted dolls, jewellery and all types of crafts. You can shop and enjoy the music, and colourful street performers. Entrance is €5. start time:10:00 – 9:00.

From 1st – 30^th September -  Fiestas of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes de Rojas. El Médano celebrates its grand fiesta in honour of “Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes de Rojas.” There is a variety of events to honour the patron saint, the main one being a procession of boats along the coast reflecting this town’s pride in its fishing history.

Medieval Night – Thursday and Saturday – San Miguel 8pm - Back to the medieval times with the knights on horseback, jousting for the hand of the fair maiden.  There is a three course dinner and unlimited red and white wine and orange drink. The show begins with the medieval knights showing their prowess in contests of jousting and marksmanship. You can cheer on your own knight as you enjoy a meal of a whole chicken, hot potatoes and other delicacies all eaten in true medieval style, with your fingers! Plus, you can wash it all down with plenty of medieval mead

On the 9th and 10th September 2011, 15 climbers from Switzerland, France and Spain will walk away from the surfers and sunbathers at El Socorro Beach in Los Realejos and will begin a climb. This will take them up to Teide, just over 3718 metres, a distance of 30 kilometres. And every step they take will give a child a chance to live a life outside of hunger and despair.

...oo0oo…

Tenerife can be such a surprising place, turn a different corner and it is possible to see dramatic changes of landscape and climate without travelling too far. There are plenty of places to visit and activities for all tastes.

Get out and discover the ‘real’ Tenerife…