A Taste of Spain

As the Taste of Spain (www.atasteofspain.co.uk) kicks off in London on Sunday, consider the little island of Lanzarote, one of the smallest of the Canary Islands, which has a reputation of being brash and, well, not very nice. Monty Python man Michael Palin with his ‘Lanzagrotty’ tag is to blame, but many locals are actually grateful that his description has kept so many potential holidaymakers away, claiming it has helped to preserve the local traditions.

There is an authenticity about life in Lanzarote, more than in many places in Spain. Although undeniably popular as a tourist destination, the island remains essentially rural and was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1993. With less rainfall than the scorching Sahara desert and year-round sun, the lovely island of Lanzarote is often mistaken for a barren landscape sprouting nothing but volcanoes. Yet, a huge variety of food is grown here, in the same way as it has been for hundreds of years, using simple and largely organic farming methods. Vines for the surprisingly good Malvasia wine, corn and sweet potatoes are amongst the bumper crops.

Read the full article at http://www.cd-traveller.com/2011/06/03/a-taste-of-lanzarote/