Gofio

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Gofio
A scalded gofio dish
Region or stateCanary Islands
Main ingredientsWheat or maize
Gofio mill, La Orotava, Tenerife

Gofio is a sort of

Dictionary of the Royal Academy.[3]

In 2014, the name Gofio Canario was added to the register of

Protected geographical indication by the European Commission.[4]

Elements

Gofio is thought to have been the main

nutritive value. It was amongst the provisions of the crew of Thor Heyerdahl's "Ra II" expedition to cross the Atlantic aboard a papyrus ship using the Canary Current in 1970.[8][failed verification
]

Flours made from toasted grains are also known in other

Tibetan tsampa. Roasting the grain before milling has the advantage of destroying mold and mold toxins, allowing poorly stored grain to be used, as well as improving flavour by producing more complex sugars. The traditional roasting process, at temperatures typically much higher than those used for malt barley in the brewing industry, for example, also has the effect of partly breaking down the starch and proteins, making them more digestible.[citation needed
] Gofio with milk, sugar and water is a very popular beverage in Western Sahara, due to Spanish influence and the proximity of the Canary Islands.

Wheels for hydraulically processing grains
A state of crushing grains using a stone mill

Gofio in the Canary Islands is currently produced from cereals of several types, as well as pulses. Maize and wheat are the most common cereals used, but various mixes of these with rye, barley , etc., are also readily available in shops. Gofios of chickpeas and lupin beans are also produced in Fuerteventura, as well as from other wild plants occurring there.[9]

Uses in Canarian foods

Gofio is a highly versatile product which can be added to

minerals. It was favoured by Canarian mariners as it can be stored for long periods while retaining its goodness. It was a vitally important part of the Canarian diet during the lean years after the Spanish Civil War. Mixed with a little water and sugar and kneaded (traditionally inside a goatskin bag) it produces a dough-like mixture that can be eaten as it is and was traditionally used in this way by peasant workers in the fields. Perhaps the most common use today is to add to a small amount to milk
, to produce a wholesome and convenient breakfast food, or to thicken soups or stews at the table. Another popular form is gofio escaldado ("scalded gofio") or escaldón, a kind of thick porridge made by mixing it with the stock from a stew or soup, which is then served alongside the same. Modern products incorporating gofio include ice cream, mousses, other milk desserts and even a beer, Volcan, which was marketed for only a short time around the year 2000.

Uses elsewhere

In the Caribbean, gofio is a snack eaten as it is. In Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, gofio is sold with sugar added, as a candy, sometimes served in a paper cone.[10]

Aboriginals of Argentina and Chile have used a preparation of maize made by the same method of making gofio since before the arrival of the Spaniards. The preparation of gofio in other regions of South America and the Caribbean has come due to Canarian arrival. Gofio is consumed dry with sugar or with milk in Argentina, Chile, Panama, Venezuela, Uruguay and many other countries.[11]

See also

  • Grits – Porridge of boiled cornmeal
  • Pinole – Roasted ground maize mixed with other powdered foodstuffs
  • Máchica – Flour made from toasted barley or other grains
  • Misutgaru
     – Korean beverage

References

  1. ^ "大西洋のハワイ、伝統食は残った 先住民の言葉消えても" [Hawaii on the Atlantic, traditional food remains even if the words of the indigenous people disappear] (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun. 2021-01-10. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
  2. ^ "5 recetas con gofio de La Gomera, el ingrediente canario más tradicional" [5 recipes with gofio from La Gomera, the most traditional Canarian ingredient] (in Spanish). El Español. 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
  3. ^ ASALE, RAE-; RAE. "gofio | Diccionario de la lengua española". «Diccionario de la lengua española» - Edición del Tricentenario (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  4. ^ I·ATE Food Term of the Week: Gofio, 8 August 2020, Interactive Terminology for Europe
  5. ^ "Historia de la conquista de las siete islas de Canaria", Fr. J. de Abreu Galindo, Editorial Goya, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1977
  6. ^ El bosque de laurisilva en la economía guanche, María García Morales, Aula de Cultura de Tenerife, del Excmo. Cabildo Insular de Tenerife, 1989
  7. ^ "A propósito de un alimento tradicional panmazigio: el gofio o arkuku" [About a traditional Pan-Mazigian food: gofio or arkuku]. Mondeberbere.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  8. ^ "Hommage à RA II" [Tribute to RA II] (in French). Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Alt URL
  9. ^ "LA GASTRONOMIA DE LAS ROMERÍAS CANARIAS" [THE GASTRONOMY OF THE CANARY ISLANDS PILGRIMS] (in Spanish). Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  10. ^ "Gofio de Puerto Rico". RecetasPuertoRico.com (in Spanish). 2014-10-17. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  11. ^ "Milk with gofio: the traditional and nutritious breakfast of the Canary Islands - recipes 2022". NatureVia. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
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