Eat like a local; Mojos in the Canary Islands

Besides its eternal summer and of course its appealing weather Gran Canaria is a place where, as everywhere in Spain, delicious food can be found. Local dishes & traditional cuisine are awaiting to steal your heart and please your appetite. To get to the point, when I arrived in Canarias, everyone has been talking and suggesting trying the famous traditional “sauce” of the island, that accompanies probably the majority of the dishes served in the local restaurants, the mojo picon. But what is the mojo picon in fact?

In a few words, a mojo, basically, is any sauce that has oil, cumin, vinegar, garlic and salt. Many variations of mojos can be found; however, in general, the locals are faithful to the simplest ones, the green mojo used in fish, and the red mojo normally used in meat and potatoes. A huge range of recipes that could include cheese, almonds, fruits, hot peppers, all kinds of herbs and spices and even fruits can be found. The great thing is that all retain the essence, but each person elaborates it their own way.

The most famous and most common mojo of the islands, is the red one, also known as mojo picon; the ingredients used for it are garlic, cayenne peppers, cumin, paprika, vinegar, salt and of course olive oil! If you don’t like the spicy cuisine make sure you advise the waiter before ordering it! If you do though, you can ask for dishes accompanied by the most spicy sauces of the island and you will be definitely delighted!

Bon appetit!