Vol.5

Quick Facts

Fun meter: Glad we did it.
Location: Teror, Gran Canaria
Adventure: Food & Culture
Type: Street Food
Time: 1 hour or more
Level of difficulty: Easy except for parking
Good for what ages: All ages
Cost: Food is cheap!
Access: Parking was hard.
Hint: Most stands let us sample everything

An Overview

Teror is a tiny old village in the mountains of the north coast of Gran Canaria. It wasn’t terrifying at all, it was YUMMY. Dad was disappointed we didn’t see zombies. He still hasn’t stopped making stupid dad jokes about the name. He is a weird daddy.

On Sundays, small stands fill the streets surrounding the church. The old stone streets were lined with hanging flowers. It was misting, which our friends said is not normal in October. It was really hot even with the rain and I kept taking my jacket on and off. I can’t pick a favorite food, they were all so good. I would definitely buy the soft cheese, and the lemon and the fennel donuts again.

How to get there

Following google maps is my normal advice. But google got us stuck in a canyon with a dead end. It tried to reroute us around a big accident on the main highway. Thanks Google! Except you failed us badly. Bad Google. There are a lot of routes to Teror. You can’t miss it. Parking though, during Sunday church and market time is tricky. Dad circled around tiny one way streets for a while, waiting for someone to leave. Be patient, and keep a sharp eye.

Fall Colors & Misting Rain

The trees in Teror are changing colors. Huge orange leaves as big as my head fell from the giant trees in the courtyard behind the church. The trees had huge flowers like upside down dandelions. Ada, four years old, called it the playground. Of course, mom was the jungle gym. The rain went on and off, letting us enjoy the day while cooling us down. We put dad’s rain jacked on a bench and had a picnic with all the awesome snacks we collected from the market.

The Cheese of Teror

The red cheese looks perfect for Halloween. The Cheese of Teror!!! It is actually covered in pimenton, which is a red smoked bell pepper powder called paprika. They actually put pimenton on everything here in Gran Canaria. I don’t think it is spicy, just tasty. But Sojourn says he thinks pimenton is too intense. You’ll have to try it and make up your own mind. Dad asked for stinkiest cheese. He actually said strongest because he doesn’t know the word for stinky in Spanish. My favorite was the semi-soft goat cheese.

The Sausage of Teror

The chorizo of Terror is a spicy sausage, but it’s not like a hot dog. Inside the wrapper it’s soft like pâté. If you don’t know what pâté is, it’s a meat spread you squish onto bread. We had it in a sandwich called a bocadillo along with a little bit of cheese. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was pretty good. It’s pretty smelly. Alberto, our friend said it’s because of all the garlic they use. He used to get in trouble when his mom packed him some to go to school because it was soooooo stinky. I would eat it again, but not every week.

Aside: I call the food you put on pizza “toppings”. On a hotdog, dad calls them “condiments”. But what is it called on an open piece of toast?!? Is this actually a “spread”? What about inside a sandwich?

The Glowing Bread of Teror.

We tried three kinds of local breads. Dad’s favorite was the glowing yellow corn bread, called pan de millo. I liked the sweet egg bread. Dad says it is very similar to Brioche but I can’t remember when we had it last year in Paris. The potato bread, pan de papas, was kinda green. Which makes no sense. Potatoes are not green. It was pretty, but not as good as the others.

Eat Dessert First … The Pastries of Teror

The line of people at the pastry stand never got smaller. It was popular for a good reason. Those tiny treats were tasty. The lady at the stand recommended the larger treats, but after trying everything, the tiny donuts were the best. The fennel, which is like anise or black licorice, was the best. I would make daddy drive to terror just to buy me some. Mom and dad both loved the lemon donut holes. There were all kind on teats, from sweet to savory.

Yes, they Sell Other Stuff Too

Mom and I explored the other stands. People sold fruits and vegetables, flowers, toys, clothes and even shoes. There were religious shops selling jewelry, candles and things for people visiting El Pino. Teror, normally has a huge festival the second Monday of September, where people walk to the church from all over the island and say thanks to the lady of the Pino. But this year, because of the great sickness, it was cancelled. They had a pretty sign up in front of the church, but we weren’t able to go in.