Puerto Rican Cuisine

Puerto Rico cuisine dates back 500 years to the Indians who once lived on this island and includes a blend of the different heritages that followed, including Spanish and African. The food in Puerto Rico is something to behold and is considered among the best cuisines in the Caribbean.

Because of the mixture of cultures that make up Puerto Rico, the cuisine of Puerto Rico is a fusion that is unlike anywhere else in the world. Some of the spices that are used include ginger, garlic and sour orange. There are a lot of sweet peppers in many of the dishes and legumes also are very favored and a great source of protein. The cuisine of Puerto Rico is called Cocina Criolla. The secret is said to be in the spices which are ground fresh in most homes with the use of a mortar and pestle.

Chicken as well as rice dishes such as Arroz Con Pollo is a favorite native dish in Puerto Rico. Plantains are also used in abundance on the island as they are grown here. They can be eaten when ripe or when green and are often used in a variety of dishes. Plantains are usually fried or baked and the leaves are used to make wrapped dishes such as the popular pasteles.

Soup is also a big part of Puerto Rican cuisine and soups are made from chick peas or pigeon peas. There are a variety of different rice and chick pea dishes served in Puerto Rican cuisine and these figure into just about every meal.

Roasted pigs are big and are roasted on a barbeque spit, similar to the mainland United States. Puerto Ricans eat chicken, pork and fish and small amounts of red meat in their diet. You will get some of the best seafood in the Caribbean in Puerto Rico.

Desserts include sweets such as flan and tembleque which consists of papaya cubes cooked in cinnamon with white cheese. There is also the Arroz con Dulce which is sweet rice, or what is known in the mainland United States as rice pudding.

The cuisine in Puerto Rico takes advantage of the natural resources of the island and includes abundant seafood as well as fruits such as plantains and mangoes which grow plentiful on the island along with bananas and pineapple. Coconut also figures into a lot of dishes.

If you want to get a true taste of Puerto Rico, taste the street snacks which include Pastelillos which are a pastry filled with meat and cheese and deep fried, Alcapurrias which are banana croquettes that are filled with meat or Bacalaitos Fritos which is basically deep fried codfish. Street snacks will also feature deep friend bananas and plantains dusted with powdered sugar.

You might have to loosen a notch in your belt after your trip to Puerto Rico and sampling the incredible cuisine. Once you have partaken of the different types of spices all mixed together to create Cocina Criolla, you will probably want to start creating some of these dishes on your own.

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TIME

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New York Daily News

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