Canarian goat meat: a tradition of Fuerteventura’s gastronomy

FMHOY - Fuerteventura

There is a Canarian ingredient that has been used in the islands’ kitchens forever. It comes from the North of the African continent and has survived, from generation to generation, for its unique taste, quality, freshness and the variety of recipes available that use this ingredient. We are talking about goat meat.

the goat from Tenerife (tinerfeña) and the goat from La Palma (la palmera). They are all brucellosis-free.

The goat from Fuerteventura (majorera)

Goat meat has a strong and intense flavour. It is lean meat, very flavourful, low in fat and with a high protein content. It is said that the key is to start preparing the

Ancestral recipes, unique, endemic flavours, a native legacy and a wealth of gastronomy. Fuerteventura hasits own, unique, incomparable and different kind of gastronomy, full of nuances. The cuisine of Fuerteventura is natural, traditional and without frivolities. Traditional dishes and beverages with intense and unforgettable flavours. This is the gastronomy of the Maxorata Island.

This meat is widely consumed in the islands, but it is particularly rooted in Fuerteventura’s traditions. The first goats that populated the Canary Islands came from Africa, more precisely from the Northern part, Sahel. As those animals didn’t exist in the archipelago, the first populations brought them over to introduce livestock to the islands. Nowadays, the islands have three breeds of endemic goats: the goat from Fuerteventura (majorera), meat from the moment that the animal has died, spices and slow cooking are also important.

The goat from Fuerteventura already has 3 000 years of history. Endemic plants are part of its diet. Everything is used in the goat: milk, meat, skin to make clothes and shoes, tendons for sewing and bones to make needles.

Goat meat recipes

Recipes which are passed from one generation to the next, because, in the Canaries, nothing is lost or changed, they maintain the essence and roots of old traditions to ensure that the product remains unaltered. Goat meat is used in ancient traditional recipes, from stews to soups…

One of the typical dishes on the island is the “baifo”. This is the name given to young goats. It is consumed marinated, with aromatic herbs and garlic. When very young, kid meat cooked in the oven is a favourite dish. Goat meat stews are unavoidabledishes to try on the menu.

Herbs are an important ingredient and are fried with goat meat, spices and onions, which are then cooked. For the colder days, a nice goat meat soup with vermicelli and vegetables is always welcome. But the goat meat dish number one is”composed goat meat”. It uses all the parts of the animal, including the bones. It gives it an intense flavour that tastesdelicious for many and disgusting for as many others. It is an open debate among the consumers of this traditional dish. It is prepared fried or cooked with aromatic herbs and completed with vegetable stock, potatoes, water and white wine.

Healthy, intense, nutritious and low in fat, Canarian goat meat is a delicacy that needs to be on the menu for those who travel to the islands. A product that is known very little by tourists, a classic for the islands’ population, which is a delight for those who try it.