Gofio Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Gofio
A scalded gofio dish
Region or state	Canary Islands
Main ingredients	Wheat or maize

A traditional Gofio mill in La Orotava, Tenerife

Gofio is a special kind of flour from the Canary Islands. It's made by roasting grains like wheat or maize (corn). Sometimes, other starchy plants like beans are used, and a little salt might be added.

Gofio has been a very important food in the Canary Islands for a long time. People from the Canary Islands who moved to other places, like the Caribbean (such as Cuba and Puerto Rico) and the Western Sahara, shared Gofio with others. You can use Gofio in many ways, like kneading it into a dough, mixing it into soups, or baking with it. It can also make dishes thicker. In countries like Argentina and Chile, it's known as harina tostada.

In 2014, "Gofio Canario" got a special protection from the European Commission. This means its name and origin are protected, like how some famous cheeses or wines are.

What is Gofio?
How Gofio is Used in the Canary Islands
Gofio Around the World
Images for kids
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What is Gofio?

Gofio was a main food for the Guanches. They were the first people to live in the Canary Islands. They made Gofio from barley and the roots of certain ferns. Even in more recent times, especially when food was scarce, people used fern roots to make Gofio.

The name "Gofio" comes from the language of the native people of Gran Canaria. In Tenerife, a nearby island, it was called ahoren. The Berber people of North Africa, who are related to the Guanches, also had a similar toasted barley flour called arkul. In Morocco, they make a sweet paste called "sellou" using toasted flour, almond paste, honey, and other ingredients. This paste stays fresh for a long time and is very nutritious.

Toasted flours are also found in other parts of the world. For example, in Tibetan cuisine, they have tsampa. Roasting the grains before grinding them helps destroy mold and makes the food safer. It also makes the flavor better and helps your body digest the food more easily.

Today, Gofio in the Canary Islands is made from different grains and even pulses (like beans). Maize and wheat are the most common. You can also find mixes with rye or barley. In Fuerteventura, a Canary Island, Gofios are made from chickpeas and lupin beans.

How Gofio is Used in the Canary Islands

Gofio is a very flexible food. You can add it to soups, stews, desserts, ice cream, and even sauces. It's full of vitamins, proteins, fiber, and minerals. Sailors from the Canary Islands liked it because it could be stored for a long time and still be good to eat.

Gofio was super important for people in the Canary Islands after the Spanish Civil War, when food was hard to find. If you mix Gofio with a little water and sugar and knead it, it becomes a dough-like mixture. Farmers used to eat this mixture in the fields.

One of the most common ways to eat Gofio today is to add a small amount to milk for a healthy breakfast. People also use it to thicken soups or stews right at the table. Another popular dish is gofio escaldado, which is a thick porridge made by mixing Gofio with broth from a stew. This is often served with the stew itself. Some newer products even include Gofio, like ice cream or other milk desserts.

Gofio Around the World

In the Caribbean, Gofio is often eaten as a snack. In Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, Gofio is sold with sugar added, like a candy. It's sometimes served in a paper cone.

Before the Spanish arrived, native people in Argentina and Chile already made a similar corn preparation. The way Gofio is made and used in other parts of South America and the Caribbean came from people moving there from the Canary Islands. Gofio is eaten dry with sugar or with milk in many countries, including Argentina, Chile, Panama, Venezuela, and Uruguay.