05 Oct Vieja (endemic fish from the Canary coast)
This is a typical fish in the Canary gastronomy. Its scientific name is Sparisoma cretense. Its characteristic mouth has the shape of a parrot beak, which allows it to gnaw the rocks chasing sea weeds and little mollusks and crustaceous to feed itself.
The female has the peculiarity of being red and the male is silver-colored. Its meat is white, with a delicate texture and a flavor that recalls seafood. It’s rich in proteins and it is considered as one of the most selected products in fishing in the Canary Islands. It is captured in the traditional way and with rod, being a clear example of sustainability and respect to the environment. In the kitchen, it can be cooked in different ways: fried, grilled, boiled, etc., but boiled are the preferred option by locals.
Apart from the Canary Islands, this fish can also live in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans, but it is without doubt one of the emblematic species of our islands.