Cafes, Bars and Snacks
The Canaries share in the Spanish cafe culture , with both cafes and bars well patronized throughout the day by customers dropping by for a coffee. An intimidating variety of coffees is offered, of which cafe solo - generally a slightly bitter espresso, served black, is the simplest. If you want it white ask for cafe cortado , or for a really milky coffee (around half hot milk), ask for cafe con leche . Other variations on the theme include cortado con leche condesada , where a layer of condensed milk sits below a black coffee and cortado leche leche , a white coffee with condensed milk. Most coffees come in a small cup as standard, so grande should be specified if you want a large cup. Iced coffee, cafe con hielo , is also frequently available, as is coffee laced with a shot of brandy, cognac or whisky (all known as a carajillo) . Food is served in cafes and bars, as well as restaurants, though the nature of each overlaps considerably. Exactly what they serve varies according to the whim of the owner, but typically cafes specialize in baked goods and include Pasteleria (cake shops) and Zumeria (juice bars), while bars variously described as tascas, bodegas, cervecerias and tabernas have a greater range of not only alcoholic drinks but also savoury snacks, including tapas or raciones. Tapas , the tiny portions of meat, seafood and salad dishes, were traditionally offered free with drinks, but today you can expect to pay ?1.50-3 a dish. Raciones are simply bigger plates of the same, enough for a light meal. Most bars will only have a selection of half a dozen tapas dishes, freshly made and laid out under a glass counter at the bar. The actual contents of the tapas can vary considerably and of course many are considered specialities of a particular bar. Bear in mind that it's often 20 percent cheaper to eat at the bar rather than at a table - and up to 30 percent more expensive out on a terrace. Some bars, calling themselves areperas , also serve deep-fried crispy pockets of cornmeal dough stuffed with fillings like chicken, cheese or ham. Originally a South American dish, arepas usually cost around ?2 and make for a filling snack. Occasionally cafes and bars offer more substantial simple meals, particularly for lunch between about 2pm and 4pm. These can include hearty Canarian soups such as watercress soup ( potaje de berros ), vegetable soup ( sopa de verdura ) or a thick, hearty meat potato and noodle soup known as Rancho canario , and the similar, but thicker stew Puchero Canario . And in many of the more traditional bars and restaurants soups and stews come accompanied by a bowl of the uniquely Canarian gofio - a finely ground mixture of roasted wheat, maize or barley. The origins of this powder have been traced back to Guanche goatherds who used to take a pouch of it to the hills with them, to later eat it as little dough balls made using either milk or water. Now this Canarian staple, regularly offered up in place of bread, is still used to make some traditional Canarian foods, such as the unappealing but filling escaldon , a dish made by pouring broth containing boiled meat or fish over gofio and normally served in a clay dish. Sometimes classier places will add mint, onion, potatoes and chillies to brighten up the dish.
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