Potatoes are a staple food for many countries, yet the so-called wrinkled or wrinkly potatoes, 'las papas arrugadas' in Spanish, are unique to the Canary Islands, and even labelled one of seven gastronomic marvels of Spain.
Traditional Canarian potatoes are to be washed, not peeled, and then boiled in seawater instead of tap water, with a few good handfuls of sea salt instead of table salt, and some lemon which is supposed to remove the bitterness out of potatoes' skin. Although many cooks today don't use sea water anymore, they still add sea salt.
The dish is usually accompanied with mojo sauce that occurs in two varieties: Mojo verde is a green version, made with fresh coriander leaves available year-round except the hottest months, and also Mojo rojo—the red alternative with chillies and paprika.
Extra early potatoes are collected in the Canary Islands from mid-January to mid-April, and mid-April to mid-June frames the early potatoes harvest.
