The Gastrocanarias gastronomy fair, which is being held until this Thursday in Tenerife, has featured the unique gastronomy of La Graciosa. The Heineken stage has been the epicenter of Gastrocanarias with the official presentation of La Graciosa as the guest island at the event.
An event attended by the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, who dedicated a few words on behalf of the eighth island. "This is a unique opportunity to show all of the Canary Islands and the rest of the world the gastronomic idiosyncrasy and delicacies of our Eighth Island, and one of the mandatory products in the Absolute Championship of Chefs of the Canary Islands 2024, such as the already famous hake from La Graciosa."
After the official presentation, the inaugural presentation was also led by La Graciosa, with the history of its dried jareas, its salted fish, its mojos and its ways of preserving coastal fish. The showcooking, by chefs Orlando Ortega and Pedro Santana (Lanzarote) and Fernando Guadalupe and Benjamín Toledo (La Graciosa), brought together all the public of the event this Tuesday, including the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, accompanied by the authorities of Tenerife and those of Lanzarote and La Graciosa.
Already in the whirlwind of the large stand of the Cabildo of Lanzarote in the gastronomic hall, with an overwhelming culinary program, the professionals attending the congress were able to taste true gastronomic jewels, some of which had never left La Graciosa before because they were strictly family recipes, kept only for private enjoyment.
The tastings of Arráez gofio, in the characteristic format of the Chinijo Archipelago and live, opened the appetite in the early hours of the morning, followed by the tasting of volcanic wines from Lanzarote and the highly anticipated tasting of the island's goat cheeses, recently awarded, which closed the day, in which journalists and chefs vibrated with the "menu of the day".
From noon until lunchtime, unique recipes were prepared live, such as the fried cabrilla from La Graciosa, dried and stewed in red mojo, an exquisite dish recreated by chef Yeray Gil (Primario Gastrobar) and Juan Toledo (Girasol-Casa Margucha); the old stewed with sweet potato from jable by Pedro Santana (Cocina del Puerto) and Sasa Toledo; the almost unknown coastal noodles with fried moray eel, a recipe by Manuel 'El Mero', by chef Benjamín Toledo (Princesa Yaiza), together with an updated version by Gonzalo Calzadilla (Isla de Lobos); and the tuna in Graciosero marinade and its preserve, in the view of chef Víctor Valverde (Palacio Ico), a dish followed by a tasting of Conservas Toledo and its different gastronomic applications by Luis Toledo.
After a final push by chefs Orlando Ortega (Lilium) and Suso Alemán (Casa Chano) with their two versions of the dried fula de fondo, the great tasting of Lanzarote goat cheeses took place, a selection with the pieces awarded in the latest world competitions.
And with a final tasting of other products from Lanzarote and La Graciosa, the Cabildo closed the day, in which many other well-known figures from the sector passed through the stand, such as the president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, and, of course, the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, in addition to the mayor of Teguise and La Graciosa, Olivia Duque. Important journalists and chefs - Michelin stars Víctor Suárez and Diego Schattenhofer (Tenerife), and Abraham Ortega (Gran Canaria), who were tasting the dishes, were some of the attendees.
Second day with a master presentation
During the second day of Gastrocanarias, this Wednesday from 11.30 am, the Heineken Stage will host the master presentation with showcooking by Santi Benéitez (SeBe). And there will also be unprecedented tastings at a congress, the result of the Graciosera tradition: Rosario's fried octopus, Enriqueta's already legendary cochino "ahogao", mero broth, gallegada and salted corvina spine and Lanzarote peas. Interpreting everything Ernesto Palomar, David Brito and Enriqueta Romero, Joao Faraco, María del Mar Betancor, Carlos Cabrera and Benjamín Toledo.
