Puerto Rico is known as a beautiful place, the ideal destination for a vacation. But it’s not only the beaches and the landscapes that attract visitors — there is something else that characterizes the Caribbean island: its food. There is a great variety of authentic foods unique to Puerto Rico, and islanders don’t skip out on any courses.
Puerto Ricans take snacks seriously, and sorullitos de maíz, made with corn flour, are a classic staple. They have a sweet flavor and a shape similar to that of hushpuppies.
Another appetizer, or picadera, as is common to Puerto Rico is the alcapurria. This fried food is made from dough consisting of yucca, plantain and unripe banana. This dough is later filled with a seasoned type of ground beef.
When it comes time for the main entrée, there is nothing more typical than mofongo. This dish, with African origins, consists of frying pieces of plantains, which are mashed together with bits of pork rind and garlic. In the middle of dish, the mass is shaped as a mountain. It is later filled with fried pork, a chicken stew and sometimes shrimp. Mofongo is the maximum expression of Puerto Rican flavor.
A rich sauce accompanies sorullitos de maiz, alcapurria and mofongo, and Puerto Ricans call it “mayo ketchup.” As its name suggests, it is a sauce prepared with mayonnaise and ketchup, along with a pinch of garlic. The mayo ketchup, a humble condiment, makes these foods taste twice as delicious. It is so common in Puerto Rico that you can buy a bottle of it in the supermarket just as one would buy a bottle of ketchup.
Many Latinos agree that cocktails aid in the digestion of these rich foods, and in Puerto Rico, there is nothing more typical than the piña colada. A man named Ramón Marrero created the drink the capital city of San Juan, in the Caribe Hilton in 1954. Thanks to “Monchito,” his nickname, we all have the opportunity to enjoy this refreshing drink. Drinking a piña colada while eating a mofongo is a harmonious experience — one complements the other.
Puerto Ricans don’t skimp out on dessert, either. The tembleque and the arroz con dulce are two of the native desserts unique to Puerto Rico. Both are based on coconut, but are completely different. The tembleque has a texture like pudding. On the other hand, the arroz con dulce literally means sweet rice — it’s a rice pudding that is served cold with a sprinkle of cinnamon. There is nothing better to end a Boricua dinner with than one of these desserts.
