What is Gofio
Gofio are ground and roasted cereals; wheat, corn (millo), and these ones mixed also with chickpeas, barley, oats, rye, etc. More than 6 million pounds of Gofio are produced every year, and it is consumed in more than 80% of Canary Islands´s homes. As a matter of fact, its consumption dates back centuries, to the Canarian aborigines. But it is also consumed in countries such as; Germany, Japan, Venezuela, Cuba, Argentina, Chile, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Uruguay. And in other areas such as; Miami, Cape Verde, and Occidental Sahara.
By default salt is added to Gofio, but it is also sold without salt, and special for diets, what makes it a product for all audiences. You can mix it with whatever you want (usually with milk, bananas, water, etc.). Even formerly it was mixed with wine (ralera). And it is sold in various weight formats; 17 ounces, 8.8 ounces, monodose packs, etc.
Here in the Canary Islands we consume it on a daily basis. At breakfast; with milk, or as a slice of a sweet kneaded Gofio. At lunch; with a vegetable potage, “escaldón” (adding lots of Gofio to a vegetable soup until it gets too dense), or as a slice of kneaded Gofio with water and salt. At snack time with bananas, or with figs. And at dinner or supper, I at least sprinkle a little bit of Gofio on the yogurt or on the vegetable potage, specially when I´m hungry. “Para gustos hay colores” (a Spanish saying which means that there are as many personal preferences as colors exists).
If you want to read and watch a video of how to make a sweet kneaded Gofio recipe, then click on the link at the end of this post.
It is usually a complement to typical Canarian foods, for example with “papas arrugadas” (“wrinkled” potatoes stewed with water and coarse salt), with “mojo verde” (green sauce with coriander), with “mojo rojo picón” (red hot sauce with hot peppers), and with “pescado salado” (it is made with fish preserved in salt, which is desalted for days, before being stewed with other ingredients).
Advantages of the Canary Islands´s Gofio
Canary Islands´s Gofio got on year 2014 the official record as a designation of origin of Europe (also named IGP or Protected Geographical Indication).
Furthermore, Gofio is a very nutritious food;
• It´s healthy because it only contains cereals (and salt, if it is preferred that way)
• It has high nutritional value, because it contains all the grain´s parts (endoesperm, germ and bran)
• It has high mineral content
• It hasn´t more than 370 Kcal / 3.5 ounces
• It has low fat content (5% max.)
• It has low saccharose content (usually lower than 1%)
• It has high quality energy (frequently it has a 79% of starch)
• It has proteins (min. 7%)
• It has vegetable fiber content (min. 1,5%)
• And it has 50% of the recommended daily intake of vitamins; B3, and D.
Next you will see a couple of links to some of the studies carried out on Gofio;
- https://www.internationaljournalofcardiology.com/article/S0167-5273(15)00605-1/abstract
- http://scielo.isciii.es/pdf/nh/v29n3/31originalotros02.pdf
So, What are you waiting to eat some Gofio?
Thank you for visiting and see you soon!