Cuisine of Puerto Rico
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Puerto Rican cuisine and culture takes from its varied and colorful roots. The food of Puerto Rico is reminiscent of the cuisine of its original inhabitants, the Taíno Indians, of countries such as Spain, France, Africa, and the people of the many other countries that passed through the ports of Puerto Rico. The heavy Spanish influece in Puerto Rican cuisine stems from the over 300 year Spanish occupation of the country from 1493 with the landing of Christopher Columbus until the close of the Spanish-American War when Spain was forced to cede Puerto Rico to the United States under the Treaty of Paris (1898).
It is important to note that Puerto Rican cuisine is quite distinct from Mexican cuisine, other Latin American countries and the cuisine of the United States.
Puerto Rican cuisine is always well seasoned, but rarely spicy.
Contents |
[edit] Puerto Rican Cuisine Basics
Staples include:
The favored meat of Puerto Rico is pork, however, the meat used in Puerto Rican cuisine includes almost all food animals one can think of such as:
- Beef
- Pork
- Poultry, including but not limited to:
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Goose
- Duck
- Cornish hen
- Quail
- Rabbit
- Lamb
- Fish & shellfish
In Puerto Rican cooking, no part of the animal goes to waste. In reference to pork there is an old saying that states "the only part of a pig that can not be used is the squeal."
[edit] The Foods of Puerto Rico
The base of many Puerto Rican dishes involves something called sofrito, similar to the mirepoix of French cooking, or the "trinity" of Creole cooking.
Puerto Rico's national dish is called Arroz con Gandules which is a rice and pigeon pea dish nicely seasoned with sofrito and smoked ham (with many variations thereof). Other tasty foods include empanadillas de carne/queso, meat or cheese turnovers usually called "empanadas" in other Spanish-speaking countries, and mofongo, a dish derived from Afro-Boricua culture, made from fried green plaintains that have been seasoned with garlic, olive oil and pork cracklings then mashed. It is usually served with a fried meat and a fish soup.
[edit] Puerto Rican Cuisine in Cities
In New York, cuchifritos are quite popular.
In Chicago, El Jibarito ("The Little Mountain Man") is a popular dish. Typically served with Spanish rice, "Jibaritos" consist of your choice of meat along with mayo, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and onions-all sandwiched between a fried plaintain, known as a canoa (canoe).
[edit] Holiday food
During the holiday season Puerto Rican Cuisine shows its wide variety in taste and texture. It is during this season that most Puerto Ricans will enjoy parties and large family dinners almost daily. Starting with the Thanksgiving turkey which is stuffed with a ground beef and/or pork mixture containing such varied ingredients as almonds, raisins, olives, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, garlic, etc. Rice is a mandatory course in dishes such as "Arroz con Gandules" (rice with pigeon peas), "Arroz con Tocino" (rice with bacon), "Arroz Mamposteao", and the sweet dessert "Arroz con Dulce" (rice pudding).
Pork is central to Puerto Rican holiday cuisine. No holiday meal would be complete without several pork dishes. Among these are: morcillas, pernil, tripa (tripe), jamon con pina (ham and pineapple), and "chuletas ahumadas" (smoked cutlets).
Another dish that is ever present during the holiday season is "pasteles" which literally translates to cakes. The making of "pasteles" is often a family activity in which many members of the family get together for hours or days to make dozens to hundreds of "pasteles" to share with friends and loved ones.
Sweets are common in Puerto Rican cuisine and during the holidays the most popular are deserts such as "Arroz con Dulce" (sweet rice), "Budin de Pan" (bread pudding), "Barriguitas de Vieja" ("old bellies"), "Tembleque" (coconut pudding), "Flan" (Egg Custard), "Bizcocho de Ron" (rum cake), "Mantecaditos" (a sort of cookie), "Polvorones" ("little powdermakers", another type of cookie), "Mampostiales", "Dulce de Leche" ( Milk Caramel), "Pastelillos de Guayaba" (guava pastries), "Besitos de Coco" (coconut kisses), "Tarta de Guayaba" (guava tarts), and "Tortitas de Calabaza" (pumpkin tarts). A popular holiday beverage is "Coquito", an eggnog-like drink made from coconut milk, sugar, eggs, and spices. "Coquito" often includes Rum.
