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The Mill

The Mill

The mill represents the industry which was the most important generator of the most basic foodstuff for the population of Lanzarote: gofio (flour made from cereals).

These mills use the force of the wind which, through the sails and a series of gears, turn the stone that grinds the grain. They have a circular layout, two floors and a conical roof. The mill has two large round stones, which are extremely hard-wearing, with a central orifice. The upper stone receives the force of the wind, making it turn round over the top of the other, which remains still. The two stones are separated by only a few millimetres. The grains of cereal are introduced through the toba, a funnel-like recipient that drops the grain through the hole in the centre of the stone. As this grain builds up between the stones it is transformed into gofio.

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