Country Cuisine Profile – Puerto Rico

Hispanic Cuisine Profile – Puerto Rico

Most of us have heard of Puerto Rico and have a good idea of the country’s geographic location, but how much do we really know about the cuisine of this beautiful country? Puerto Rico is not just a great destination spot for sunbathing and relaxing, but also for experiencing fine food and new flavors!

Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States. This country is made up of a group of islands located in the Caribbean. The people of Puerto Rico have been considered to be United States citizens since 1917. Since 2003, there have been more Puerto Ricans living stateside (in the U.S.) that in Puerto Rico. Current estimates suggest there are over 4 million Puerto Ricans living in the U.S. Puerto Ricans forms the second largest group of Hispanic people. Puerto Ricans reside in all 50 states, but the largest community is in New York City.

In the United States, Hispanic cuisine is often considered to be “Mexican” food. Therefore, it is very interesting to learn about the foods of other Hispanic countries and see if perhaps some of the dishes you currently enjoy are actually a part of Puerto Rican cuisine!

Traditional Puerto Rican Cuisine

Puerto Rican cuisine is considered by many to be the finest in all of the Caribbean. Puerto Ricans refer to their cuisine as “cocina criolla.” This country’s food features a unique blend of ingredients which create superb flavor and appeal! Puerto Rican cuisine is thought to have a variety of influences:

• Arawak and Taíno (Mayan) – Puerto Rican cuisine incorporates both Arawak and Taíno influences. These groups were the original inhabitants of the island. Their Influence can be seen through the use of tubers and roots such as taro and Yuca (cassava) which is used to make casabe, a thin type of bread. Other influences include the introduction of multiple varieties of peppers, tropical pumpkins, peanuts, corn and beans.

• Spanish and European – These influences can be seen through incorporation of a variety of ingredients including wheat, garbanzos, onions, garlic, meats and poultry, as well as herbs and spices such as cilantro, oregano, basil and parsley. Other items including cheese, cocoa and sugarcane were also introduced. Cooking methods including pot cooking (rice and beans) and stewing are also thought to originate from European influences.

• African – African influences were also brought to Puerto Rico by the Spanish. Common items such as plantains and root vegetables as well as coffee are included. This culture also introduced deep frying.

• United States – In the beginning of the 1900’s, the United States began to influence Puerto Rican cuisine. Perhaps the strongest examples of U.S. influence can be seen in through the incorporation of items such as corn oil and bacon into traditional dishes. Other items such as soda crackers and pasta have also found their way into the Puerto Rican diet.

Puerto Rican lunch and dinner meals often feature appetizers such as bacalaitos (cod fritters) or surullitos (cornmeal nuggets). Soups made out of beans or fish are common. An example of a classic soup is sopón de pollo con arroz (chicken soup with rice). A traditional gumbo dish made of chicken or shellfish known as asopao is also commonly served.

Main dishes are typically made using adobo and sofrito. These are blends of herbs and spice blends used to season a wide variety of recipes. Entrées are often prepared through stewing, roasting, breading or barbecuing. The most popular Puerto Rican chicken dish is Arroz con pollo (chicken with rice). Other traditional entrees include mojo isleño (fried fish with sauce) and jueyes hervidos (boiled crab). Meat dishes include carne frita con cebolla (beefsteak with onions) and various roasted meat entrées made with adobo.

The fertile lands of Puerto Rico also allow for growth of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Produce items such as chayote (christophone) and breadfruit are common. Fried green breadfruit slices called tostones are served with many meat, fish, and poultry dishes. Tostones may also be made from plantains.

Traditional desserts include flan and many types of cakes as well as preserves and jellies. Common ingredients include coconut, guava, papaya and banana.

Today’s Puerto Rican Cuisine

Today, Puerto Rican cuisine is continually influenced by the melting-pot culture of the U.S. Prime examples of stateside Puerto Rican cuisine can be seen in a new class of restaurants which are popping up in large cities such as New York and Chicago. These restaurants feature something usually referred to as Nuevo Latino cuisine. This class of cuisine combines traditional elements of Hispanic (Puerto Rican) cuisine with ingredients and preparation techniques not commonly used in traditional cuisine. As with other types of Hispanic cuisine, Puerto Rican cuisine will likely influence and blend with the foods flavors of many other cultures.

Be sure to give the delicious, flavorful, intriguing cuisine of Puerto Rico a try! It’s truly a mouthwatering experience!