Page 364 - Lanzarotto Malocello from Italy to the Canary Islands

364 from Italy to the Canary Islands

associations resembling our medieval guilds.
The natives lived in caves or stone huts with clay roofs covered with
dried grass. The beds were propped up against the walls of the house, with
leather mats as mattresses.
Goat and sheep skins were tanned and sueded for clothes and shoes; the
latter were called “maho” in Lanzarote.
In addition to clothing, goats, sheep, and pigs provided adequate nu-
trition, which included meat, milk, and cheese. The cereals we mentioned
above were mixed in the form of loaves and baked. The diet was supple-
mented by fruit trees such as pines, palms, vines, figs, and prickly pears as
well as fish and shellfish, which they caught with woven reed nets.
Legumes were quite common, whereas barley was all important; they
toasted it to make the typical “gofio”. Still eaten today, gofio is a blend of
toasted and stone ground barley beans with a pinch of salt added in; it can
be preserved for a long time and provides a great caloric intake, as it is rich
in vitamins, protein, fibre and essential minerals. Furthermore, it is even
suitable for celiacs, because toasting the beans dehydrates the proteins that