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Gofio is flour made from toasted cereal flour that was used by the mythical Guanche people as a staple in their cooking for centuries. One way of eating gofio is as escaldon, which is made by mixing gofio into fish or meat stock. It can also be reinforced by adding green parsley or red chili mojo – the traditional Canary Island sauces.
Gofio has a high content in proteins, fiber, magnesium, iron, calcium, sodium and many others minerals essential in our daily diet. It is eaten with milk, honey, almonds, oil or water and is used as a daily meal or as an ingredient for pastries.
During long period, this simple and basic product was the support of the island of Tenerife. For preparing gofio, once cereals are gathered, grains are selected and clean. Grains then are toasted in a ceramic bowl and then ground. For grinding local people used to use stone mills. These later became windmills or watermills, which made grinding easier. Most of them have disappeared and now modern mills moved by electricity are used.
Nowadays with growing demands of natural products and revalorization of the Canarian culture identity signs, gofio is no longer a third class product and now receives the deserved distinction gained by its high nutritional values and its history.
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