Thursday, 26 March 2015 10:57

Gran Canaria Fish & Seafood Glossary

Know what you are getting: Octopus in Gran Canaria is pulpo Know what you are getting: Octopus in Gran Canaria is pulpo

The best Canarian seafood often comes in restaurants with Spanish menus so here's a handy guide to the most common types of fish, seafood and dishes in Gran Canaria. 

Common Types Of Gran Canaria Fish

Abae: Grouper

Atun: Tuna

Boquerones: Small anchovy fillets pickled in vinegar: Nicer than they sound.

Bacalao: Cod

Bacalado salado: Salted cod

Baila: Wild Canarian seabass (very rare)

Bicudo: Barracuda

Bonito: Small tuna

Breca: Pink bream

Caballa: Mackerel (seasonal)

Cabrilla: Comber

Cherne: Deep sea grouper

Chicharo: Horse mackerel (seasonal)

Dorada: Farmed gilthead bream

Gallo: Triggerfish 

Lenguado: Sole

Longorones: Whitebait

Lubina: Farmed seabass 

Medregal: Amberjack (meaty and sold as steaks)

Merluza: Hake

Mero: Grouper

Morena frita: Fried moray eel (bony and fatty: Best left in the sea)

Pejerey: Bluefish

Pescaitos: Tiny, hake-like fish served deep fried with their tails in their mouths. 

Pez de San Pedro: John Dory

Pez espada: Swordfish

Pulpo: Octopus

Rascacio: Scorpionfish (used for soup)

Salema: Porgy (avoid)

Sama: Dentex or giant (and delicious) pink bream

Sardinas: Sardines

Sargo: Striped bream

Sierra: Small Tuna

Tapaculo: Flatfish

Vieja: Parrotfish

Common Gran Canaria Restaurant Terms

A la espalda: A fish that has been split open and grilled skin side down. Comes with lots of garlic.

Al Horno: Baked

A la plancha: Grilled

A la sal: Whole fish cooked under a crust of salt

Almejas: Clams

Arroz caldoso de bogavante: Soupy rice with lobster

Bogavante: Lobster with claws

Buey: Edible or brown crab

Berberechos: Cockles

Burgaos: Winkles

Calamares: Squid

Calamares a La Romana: Battered and fried squid rings. So 1980s

Calamares fritos: Squid rings dipped in flour and fried

Camarones: Small shrimps served whole. Eating the head is optional

Chipirones: Small grilled squid. Best with green mojo

Centollo: Spider crab

Ceviche: Peruvian dish made with raw fish 'cooked' in fresh lime juice. 

Cigala: Dublin Bay prawn

Churros de pescado: Battered white fish

Choco: Cuttlefish. Like squid, but sweeter

Croquetas de pescado: Fish croquettes

Erizos: Sea urchins

Frita: Fried

Gambas: Prawns

Gambas al ajillo: Garlic prawns

Gambas a La Gabardina: Prawns in batter

Gofio escaldado: Thick gruel made from gofio, fish soup and mint leaves, served with red onion. Traditional seafood side dish in the Canary Islands.

Huevas: Fish roe, normally cod or hake. Fried and served whole.

Langosta: Spiny lobster (imported)

Lapas: Limpets: Served with green mojo. Chewy but tasty.

Mejillones: Mussels

Mojo: Canarian garlic and coriander sauce. Green version served with fish.

Navaja: Razorshell

Ostras: Oysters. Not native and imported from Galicia in northern Spain.

Paella: Pronounced pa-e-ya. Only order if the menu warns that it takes a while (otherwise it's frozen and not so good) or at weekends when many restaurants knock up a batch.

Pella de gofio: Think paste made with roasted maize flower: Served with sancocho stew.

Pescado de barquillo: Small fish caught by local inshore fishermen. Served fried of grilled.

Pulpo: Octopus

Pulpo frito: Small octopus fried whole and served with green mojo.

Pulpo a La Gallega: Sliced octopus tentacles served with sea salt and paprika

Puntitas de calamar: Tiny squid battered and deep fried. Like seafood popcorn.

Rodaballo: Turbot (farmed)

Salpicón de marisco: Seafood salad with peppers, onion and a mixture of seafood and fish. Served cold with olive oil and vinegar. Can be delicious.

Sancocho: Traditional Canarian stew made from salted fish: An acquired taste.

Sopa de marisco: Seafood soup

Tacos de pescado: Bits of white fish dipped in flour and fried. 

Tollos: Strips of dried dogfish. Often stewed. Avoid.

Published in Eat Drink & Have Fun in Gran Canaria
Published in Eat Drink & Have Fun in Gran Canaria
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  • Exchange Money In Gran Canaria Or At Home?
    Exchange Money In Gran Canaria Or At Home?

    Visitors to Gran Canaria often ask whether it is better to exchange their local currency for euros at home or in Gran Canaria. 

    The answer is that it is almost always better to buy your euros at home than it is to bring pounds to Gran Canaria and use local banks or currency exchanges. This rule of thumb applies all over the world. A currency is almost always cheaper the further away you are from the place you can spend it (because demand for it is lower). 

    Exchange rates are almost always better at home than in Gran Canaria

    You are very likely to get a better exchange rate using a British currency exchange specialist or local bank. Many of these companies will deliver your euros to your home.

    One of the best rates in the UK is often from the post office, especially if you do it well in advance.

    The only way you'll get a better rate in Gran Canaria than at home is if the exchange rate changes while you are travelling and this is rare. 

    You also have to bear in mind that currency exchanges in Gran Canaria are getting rarer and some local banks don't exchange money for non-clients. 

    To Transfer large amouynts of money to Gran Canaria, or to make regular transfers, always use a reputable currency broker such as Currencies Direct. This will save you money on exchange rates and bank charges and is highky secure. 

    The risk of bringing cash to Gran Canaria

    Another important factor to consider is the risk of bringing cash to Gran Canaria: If it is lost or stolen, there is no way of getting it back. 

    It is much safer to bring a debit or credit card and use local bank ATMs to take out money. These days, a good option is a pre-charged debit card. 

    Cards may be slightly more expensive that carrying cash, unless you seek out a bank card with low commissions, but it is much more secure. 

    Bank ATMs like Bankia, Santander and BBVA often charge lower rates than the ATMs in shopping centres and busy tourist areas.

    Alex Says: Always select the Euro option at ATMs in Gran Canaria because the exchange rate is much better than if you opt for the Local Currency option. The same applies when you pay by card in shops and restaurants.

    See our Gran Canaria Tips section for more nuggets of useful local information.

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