From the opening scenes of Anaga to the second the celebrity chefs touched down on Tenerife and set up their kitchens in the Mercado La Recova in Santa Cruz, it became apparent the foodie focus was going to be very much on the Tenerife which exists outside of the resorts.
There are some general rules when it comes to traditional Tenerife cuisine, like coastal areas are better for fish whereas inland towns and villages are the places to go for grilled meats and hearty stews. But some areas have quite specific foods linked to them.
Just about every time we go out for tapas on Tenerife, you can bet croquetas (croquettes) are going to figure. They're one of the crowpleasers of the tapas scene.
Ropa Vieja is probably the Canarian dish whose name I like the most. In Spanish it rolls of the tongue nicely and even sounds vaguely exotic.
Given that goats are commonplace, it should come as no surprise to learn that they're equally common on menus in traditional Canarian restaurants across Tenerife.
In Canarian homes, escaldón de gofio often accompanies Canarian stews and broths like pucheros or cazuelos but in some traditional restaurants it turns up on the starters menu.