Papas Arrugadas with Mojo

Papas arrugadas are made by boiling small potatoes in water with a great deal of coarse salt, sometimes seawater originally, until the water evaporates and the skins wrinkle and take on a fine salt crust; they are served unpeeled and whole. The varieties used are Canarian, papas antiguas, brought from South America in the sixteenth century and grown continuously since, including papa negra and papa bonita, which are small, dense and quite unlike modern commercial potatoes. They come with mojo, of which there are two: mojo rojo, made with red peppers, garlic, cumin, oil and vinegar, mild or picon depending on the pepper, and mojo verde, green with coriander or parsley. Red generally goes with meat and potatoes, green with fish.

What you actually see

• The salt crust - wrinkled skins with fine salt from evaporated water.
• The old varieties - Canarian potatoes descended from sixteenth-century imports.
• Mojo rojo and verde - red pepper and green coriander sauces served alongside.
• The whole serving - potatoes unpeeled and eaten with the skin.

When to go

Year-round; they appear on every menu in the islands as a starter or a side. The genuine Canarian varieties are more likely in inland restaurants than in coastal resort strips.

Honest expectations

Resort restaurants often use ordinary imported potatoes, which lack the density and flavour of the local varieties. The salt crust means they are salty by design. Mojo picon can be genuinely hot.

Nearby

Restaurants across all seven islands; Tenerife and Gran Canaria's inland villages are the best bet for local varieties.