Worldcanic, explosions of flavour in Lanzarote

A culinary gathering to share to share the gastronomy of volancoes

Dear Lemonista, 

Welcome to your latest edition of The Lemon Grove. This exciting edition focuses on citrus and other foods grown in the shadows of volcanoes. Perhaps, though, not the volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland currently causing the night sky of Iceland to burn red. We're looking at the rich, fertile, blackened soils of the Canary Islands and Lanzarote, sisters to such places as Mount Etna in Sicily, and Mount Vesuvius on the Italian mainland. 

Best wishes,

Bruce

The volanic landscape of Timanfaya National Park, Lanzarote © Josep Castells

“That dirt on that lemon is no ordinary dirt! That's volcanic ash from Mount Etna.”

And so, with those few words from a specialist vegetable seller in south London's Borough Market, I handed over my cash and became the proud owner of a bright and luminous, and not to mention expensive, piece of fruit shipped from one of the fabled citrus islands of Sicily. Like many of us, I am a sucker for a good food story, soaking up words ranging from history, community, farming and cooking to gastronomy and geography.

For more about the intimate bond between volcanoes, farming and gastronomy, I turn to Worldcanic, an annual event since 2021 that seeks to highlight this relationship through talks, dinners and knowledge sharing between growers, producers, chefs and winemakers.

Now an annual event, Worldcanic was held recently in Lanzarote, a beautiful place in the Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa. Its black soils and rugged, other-worldly volcanic, rocky landscapes are a popular draw for travellers seeking adventure sports of beach time.