Characteristic products
Many Puerto Rican dishes borrow from European, African and South American gastronomy. Cassava, sweet potato, yautia and malanga (two types of tubers) were already consumed by the indigenous Tainos, the first inhabitants of the island. With the arrival of the Spaniards at the end of the 15th century, these products were complemented with pork, beef, wheat and rice introduced in the New World by the Europeans. With the arrival of the first slaves, we see the introduction of African elements such as okra, a green vegetable with a slight taste of eggplant appreciated for its viscous juice, which allows to thicken the sauces. Other ingredients include coconut, coffee, pigeon peas, several varieties of bananas and even some poultry such as guinea fowl.
If many recipes take elements of the Iberian cuisine, the dishes are generally flavored with preparations that, despite their names, are quite different from their Spanish equivalents. For example,adobo, a powerful seasoning made of pepper, coriander, oregano, garlic and sweet pepper, does not include vinegar, unlike the European version. This is also the case of sofrito, which on the island is prepared with cubanela
peppers, onion, garlic, coriander, oregano and oil, with or without tomato depending on the recipe.Because of the American influence, Puerto Ricans often eat all day long and there is no shortage of small kiosks offering snacks in town. On the food side, there are four types of establishments. First, there are the street vendors, which abound along the beaches or in the centers of the big cities. From them, you can buy a hot dog, an empanada or a hamburger. Then there are the fast food restaurants
: the Americans have exported almost all their fast food chains to the island. Then comes the category of popular restaurants, whose cuisine, local and typical, is often good and always copious. Finally, the slightly more upscale, and therefore more expensive, establishments include American bars as well as the more gastronomic restaurants, whose clientele is composed exclusively of tourists, businessmen, expatriates and wealthy Puerto Ricans. Because gastronomy is considered an activity in its own right in Puerto Rico, it has its own festivals all around the island. And it would be a shame not to take advantage of them; first of all because they allow you to get used to the local food, but also because they guarantee many discoveries. The biggest culinary event is undoubtedly the Saborea. Every year, on Escambrón beach in San Juan, renowned chefs get together to prepare delicious dishes accompanied by rum. Dates vary, please inquire.The classics of Puerto Rican cuisine
Whether at lunch or dinner, Puerto Ricans never fail to pick up a few appetizers, many of which are fried, or cuchifritos. The big local specialty is the cod fritter called bacalaito, as well as surullitos, puffed corn croquettes, sometimes filled with cheese, usually served with cocktail sauce (mayonnaise and ketchup). There are also empanadillas, small fried empanadas in the shape of a half moon, filled with meat. Very convenient for eating on the go, alcapurrias are one of the favorite snacks of Puerto Ricans. They are long croquettes made with a paste of plantain and taro tuber (yautia
) and stuffed with meat.There are also many recipes for soups served as appetizers or main courses. The most famous isasopao or sopon, a thick and generous soup with rice, chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, seafood and/or vegetables.Asopao is one of Puerto Rico's most popular dishes. The more unusual sopa de garbanzos is made with chickpeas, pumpkin, chorizo, pig's trotters, chili, tomatoes, potatoes and cilantro. Another dish in sauce, the carne guisada puertoriqueña
is a beef stew with potatoes and carrots, flavored with coriander and cumin.The national dish isarroz con gandules, rice colored withachiote seeds, topped with pigeon peas and pork, all flavored with sofrito. Another emblematic dish, mofongo, is made of fried plantains mashed into a ball before being served with meats in sauce. This puree is garnished with pieces of pork crackers (chicharrón) or bacon. Sometimes it is molded into a bowl shape to be filled with shrimp or meat (mofongo relleno). Pasteles are also a popular dish for the holiday season. They are superficially similar to Mexican tamales, but do not contain corn and are instead made of a dough made of plantain, taro or manioc. This dough is filled with minced meat, shellfish or chicken and flavored with sofrito
. The whole thing is wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed.Another common dish in Puerto Rican homes, pastelón de carne - sometimes called lasagna de Puerto Rico - is a kind of gratin made of layers of plantain and spicy ground meat. The whole thing is covered with cheese before being baked in the oven. Ternera a la parmesana is a breaded veal cutlet, topped with tomato sauce and melting cheese. Puerto Ricans are also barbecue aficionados. The favorite barbecue is lechón asado, which is a pig cooked on a spit. The locals often boast that they have preserved the ancient Taino recipe, which is over 500 years old. Before being placed over the fire, the meat is soaked in a slightly acidic orange juice and coated with a paste made fromachiote
seeds that gives it a beautiful orange color. A garlic sauce often accompanies the meat once on the plate, with plantains of course. If the locals consume proportionally a lot of meat for an island, tourists will be delighted by the abundance of seafood. Fish and seafood, including delicious lobsters, are commonly served grilled and often accompanied by the famous mojo isleño, a sauce made of onion, tomato, garlic, vinegar, cilantro, capers and chili. As a matter of interest, there are approximately 5.8 million Puerto Ricans living in the United States and there are large communities that have brought their specialties to some of the major cities in the United States. New York City, for example, is home to approximately 1.2 million Puerto Ricans. The jibarito is a sandwich where the bread is replaced by fried plantain strips. Filled with steak, chicken or pork with garlic mayonnaise, and raw vegetables, it has become emblematic of Chicago.Between desserts and rum
Local desserts are typically Iberian, with a passion for egg custard and tres leches, a cake soaked in sweetened condensed milk and topped with whipped cream. There is also an American touch that can be seen at Thanksgiving, with many pumpkin desserts such as cazuela de calabaza (dense pumpkin and sweet potato cake), barriguitas de vieja (sweet pumpkin fritters) or budín de pan y calabazas (pumpkin bread pudding). Probably the most authentic dessert is tembleque
, a coconut pudding, often topped with fruit puree or sprinkled with cinnamon.Coffee began to be cultivated on the island in the early 18th century and Puerto Ricans are great consumers. Although the coffee industry has experienced various setbacks, including a lot of damage caused by hurricanes in recent years, coffee is still very popular and producers are increasingly turning to smaller farms in order to provide a higher quality coffee. Hot chocolate, or chocolate caliente
, is made with bitter chocolate, not cocoa, flavored with cinnamon and vanilla, then usually with a dash of sweetened condensed milk and topped with whipped cream. Puerto Ricans often serve it with bread and cheese, and some locals even like to dip the cheese directly into the hot chocolate.Like many countries in the region, Puerto Rico has always had a strong relationship with rum. Sugar cane cultivation on the island began as early as 1515, during the colonization of Juan Ponce de León. Historically, rum was primarily a drink for sailors. In the 18th century, to boost the performance of its men, the British Royal Navy even decided to increase the rations. It was not until the 19th century that rum became a more refined liquor, when its distillation became an art. In Puerto Rico, the first confirmed traces of rum date back to 1737, with a document from the British crown indicating that some bottles were 4 years old.
For the aged production, the precious liquid is stored in oak barrels. After the Second World War, to revive the activity, the government of Puerto Rico put in place the Mature Spirits Act
in 1948. This law obliges all producers to sell only bottles that are at least one year old. The quality then rises and finds a new market. It is no coincidence that more than 70% of the rum sold in the United States is made in Puerto Rico, with aged rum being particularly sought after.Puerto Rican brands such as Captain Morgan, Bacardi, Don Q, Ron del Barrilito, Ron Llave, Palo Viejo or Castillo have all logically focused on their production of aged rum in recent years. In the trade, it is possible to find bottles from 1 to 15 years of age. Rum that is only 12 months old is called blanco, because of its transparent color. From 24 months, it becomes more orange, but it is necessary to wait at least 3 years before the rum can receive the label añejo
, which means "aged". The flavors of caramel, hazelnut or honey are then undeniable.Don Q rum is probably the most emblematic of the island. Juan Serrallés founded his first distillery in 1903. He already knew that rum had a bright future, far ahead of sugar cane, whose price on international markets was very volatile. If the law on alcohol prohibition in the 1920s altered his progress, the sale under the cloak allows however to reap important profits. When he died in 1921, his son Juan Eugenio, who had already been working with him for several years, took over the management of operations and brought the brand to the international market.
This profusion of rums has of course given birth to various cocktails. There are the classic mojitos and daiquiris from Cuba, but there are also local creations such as the famous piña colada (pineapple juice, coconut cream, white rum), which has been declared a national drink since 1978. The variant, called amaretto colada, contains a drop of almond liqueur (amaretto). The bilí is a rum made with quenepas, the acidic fruit of the quenettier. Eggnog lovers can try the local version, coquito, which contains coconut milk and cream, white rum, condensed milk and spices. Finally, the pitorro is a homemade rum called "moonshine", whose alcohol content is much higher than the rum sold in the shops, up to 80°. To consume with great moderation...
