A piragua ( /pɪˈrɑːɡwə/)[1] is a Puerto Rican shaved ice dessert, shaped like a pyramid, consisting of shaved ice and covered with fruit flavored syrup which are sold by vendors, known as piragüeros, in small colorful pushcarts. Piraguas are not only sold in Puerto Rico; they can be found in the United States in areas such as New York, where there is a large Puerto Rican community.
Contents |
In most Spanish-speaking countries, the word piragua (pi·ra·güa) means pirogue, a small, flat-bottomed boat.[2] In Puerto Rico the word piragua refers to a frozen treat made of shaved ice and covered with fruit flavored syrup. Unlike the American snow cone which is round and resembles a snowball, the piragua is pointy and shaped like a pyramid. The word piragua is derived from the combination of the Spanish words "Pirámide" (pyramid) and "Agua" (water).[3] In Latin America, frozen treats similar to the piragua are known by many different names.[4]
The piragua vendor is known as the "Piragüero". Most Piragüeros sell their product from a colorful wooden pushcart that carries an umbrella, instead of from a fixed stand or kiosk. The Piragüero makes the treats from shavings off a block of solid ice inside his cart[5] and mixtures of fruit-flavored syrups.[6] The tropical syrup flavors vary from lemon and strawberry to passion fruit and guava. Once the syrups are ready, the Piragüero will go to his place of business, which in Puerto Rico is usually close to the town plaza, while in the United States it is usually close to the public parks near Hispanic neighborhoods, to sell his product.[5]
In the process of preparing a piragua, the piragüero shaves the ice from the block of ice with a Hand Ice Shaver.[7] He then puts the shaved ice into a cup and uses a funnel shaped tool to give it the distinctive pyramid shape. The Piragüero finishes making the piragua after he pours the desired flavored syrup. Unlike the typical American snow cone, which is often eaten with a spoon, the piragua is eaten straight out of the cup or is sipped through a straw.[5] Piragüeros are only out on hot sunny days because those are the only days when they can expect good business.[4]
The more common flavored syrups used in the "piraguas" are the following:[6]
Note: There are certain terms used in Puerto Rico that are not common in other Spanish speaking places. Among those terms used are the flavors China, which in most Spanish speaking locales is referred to as Naranja, and Melón, whose correct name is Sandía. The Puertorrican "china" is much sweeter than the "naranja" customarily eaten or drunk elsewhere and which could even be much bitter in taste; whereas "Melón" is an Anglicism, the word comes from the English "watermelon". [8]
In the 1940s, during the Puerto Rican Great Migration in which large numbers of Puerto Ricans moved to New York, they took with them their customs, traditions and their piraguas.[9][10][11]
According to Holding Aloft the Banner of Ethiopia: by Winston James, piraguas were introduced in New York by Puerto Ricans as early as 1926. In his book, he describes the presence of piragua pushcarts during the Harlem Riots against the Puerto Rican migrants in July 1926.[10] Author Miguel Meléndez, who moved from New York City to Chicago in the late 1950s, expresses in his book "We Took the Streets: Fighting for Latino Rights" the following[12]:
"For me, as a Puerto Rican born and raised in New York, a piragua pushcart vendor is a very special person. He represents an important part of our culture. Those shaved-ice cones filled with Caribbean tropical syrups, not only ease the body during the hot summers, their sweet goodness reminds of us of who we are and where we come from, without words."
The following newspaper articles have also made references to the piragua:
The piragua has even been referred to in a report by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which deals with the quality of water. The agency's reference to the piragua is in a report titled "What is in your piragua?" of August 2007, and states the following[14]:
" As this commitment (new water treatment plant) is fulfilled, the water will just get cleaner and cleaner whether it is coming out of a tap or is served in a piragua (no, not a canoe, but a Puerto Rican snow cone) - regardless of the weather".
Piragua vending is not limited to Puerto Rico and New York, piragüeros with their Piragũa pushcarts can be found in Hispanic neighborhoods in Bridgeport, Chicago, Jersey City, Miami, Newark, Philadelphia and elsewhere.
The Puerto Rican piragua has been the subject of paintings and a book. The painting "Carrito de Piraguas" ("Piragua Cart") is a mixed media piece by an unknown artist, on exhibit at El Museo del Barrio in New York.[15] Puerto Rican artist Iván Moura Limardo created various paintings related to the Piragua, among them are "Piragüero 5" and "Piragüero 10" which are on display in the Siena Art Gallery in San Juan.[16] The town of Coamo commissioned the creation of a monument in the honor of the Piragüeros. The statue which is called "Monumento al Piragüero" is located in the town plaza.[17]
In the book "Luisito and the Piragua", the author tells the story of Luisito, a little Puerto Rican boy who has recently moved to the United States, and who misses his friends and his afternoon treat, a piragua. The happy ending is that one day, while on an errand for his mother, Luisito sees a piragüero making piraguas, and is happy to find that he can buy piraguas once more.[18]
Spike Lee's 1989 film Do the Right Thing, which is set in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn on the hottest day of the year, features Puerto Rican actor Shawn Elliott as a friendly Piragüero, who calls himself the "icee icee man." He pushes a well-worn hand lettered cart that reads "Piraguas."
In the 2007 movie "Illegal Tender", there is a scene where the main character, Wilson De Leon Jr. played by Rick Gonzalez, buys a Piragua from a Piragüero in front of Fort San Felipe del Morro during his first visit to San Juan.[19]
In the 2008 Broadway production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical In The Heights, there are songs entitled "Piragua" and "Piragua (Reprise)" in which a local piragüero in Washington Heights (known in the play as the Piragua Guy) sings about his life and trade.[20] This character became the basis for a web-based reality-show parody Legally Brown: The Search for the Next Piragua Guy, which featured several well-known Broadway actors competing to take over the role.
Excerpts about the Puerto Rican piragua and its influence in Puerto Rican culture are also mentioned and can be found in the following books:[21]