Canarian cheeses, black potatoes, and El Hierro pineapple are among the products that Pope Leo XIV will taste during his stay in Gran Canaria this Thursday and on Friday morning, before continuing his journey to Tenerife.
The Hecansa team, which has received the commission to prepare and serve the menus for the Pontiff and his entourage with "great satisfaction," is finalizing the last details of the three culinary proposals. In addition to the aforementioned products, they will offer watercress cream, black pork, gofio, traditional pastries, locally produced oils, seasonal fruits, and coffee grown on the islands, among other Canarian foods, according to a press release from the regional Ministry of Tourism.
The menus for the Pope have been designed by the Hoteles Escuela de Canarias (Hecansa), an entity dependent on the Ministry of Tourism and Employment of the Government of the Canary Islands. A total of 13 professionals and two students from the Culinary Management program will be responsible for preparing and serving Pope Leo XIV's breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Thursday, June 11, as well as the Friday morning service on June 12 on the island of Gran Canaria.
In addition to the preparation of the dishes, the team will assume all the logistics associated with this operation. Among the 13 professionals who make up the Hecansa team are four former students, two specialized in Service and two in Kitchen, who currently work in accommodation establishments managed by the public company.
Hecansa received this commission after the bishop of the Diocese of the Canary Islands, José Mazuelos, conveyed it to the Minister of Tourism and Employment, Jéssica de León, and the CEO of Hecansa, Paola Plasencia.
Mazuelos thanked Hoteles Escuela de Canarias for "their involvement and availability" to collaborate in an event "so important" for the Diocese as the visit of Pope Leo XIV. He added that it "represents a magnificent" opportunity to showcase the "gastronomic richness" of the Canary Islands, a product of its land, its sea, and its traditions.
The bishop emphasized that this collaboration "is also an opportunity to highlight the talent and professionalism" of the Hecansa teams, as well as the "effort" of the students training in their centers. "They are a benchmark of excellence and commitment to quality, values that we wish to convey during this historic visit," he added.
He also stated that he is convinced that the "Holy Father will be able to know, through this gastronomic experience, an important part of the identity" of the Canarian people because its cuisine "speaks of welcome, of encounter and of a culture that knows how to unite tradition and innovation, something that the work carried out by Hecansa in its centers represents very well".
For her part, the Minister of Tourism and Employment, Jéssica de León, acknowledged that it is a "great responsibility" that the Hecansa team assumes with "maximum professionalism and enthusiasm", since it "allows us to show the quality" of the products of the Canary Islands, as well as the "talent" of the professionals and the "excellent work" carried out by the students who train in its centers.
"It will be a magnificent presentation of the hospitality, gastronomy and excellence of the islands," she assured, adding that "it is a pride" that a public company of the Government of the Canary Islands participates in an event of this relevance.
Finally, the CEO of Hecansa, Paola Plasencia, expressed her gratitude to the staff for "their involvement and willingness" from the beginning, highlighting that "this assignment confirms the trust placed" in the work they perform every day and in the ability of their "teams to respond professionally to a challenge of this magnitude".
"Our centers are dedicated daily to training and also to organizing events, so this opportunity is magnificent to demonstrate our strength in the face of a challenge that becomes a great opportunity for all the people who are part of this public company," she admitted.