Puerto Rican cuisine has its roots in the cooking traditions and practices of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

(mostly

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and the native

Taíno The Taíno were a historic Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the ...

History

Puerto Rican cuisine has been influenced by an array of cultures including Taino Arawak, Spanish, and African. Although Puerto Rican cooking is somewhat similar to both

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

and other Latin American cuisine, it reflects a unique blend of influences, using indigenous seasonings and ingredients. Locals call their cuisine ''cocina criolla''. By the end of the nineteenth century, the traditional Puerto Rican cuisine was well established. By 1848 the first restaurant,

La Mallorquina La Mallorquina is a restaurant in San Juan, Puerto Rico that specializes in the making of Puerto Rican and Spanish-particularly Palma de Mallorca-cuisine such as asopao, gazpacho, arroz con pollo, paella and flan. It opened in 1848 and has been ...

, opened in

Old San Juan Old San Juan ( es, Viejo San Juan) is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the Isleta de San Juan, islet of San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Old San Juan, Ballajá, Catedral, Old San Juan, Catedral, Ma ...

. ''El Cocinero Puerto-Riqueño o Formulario'', the island's first cookbook, was published in 1849.

Taíno influence

''See:

Native American cuisine Indigenous cuisine of the Americas includes all cuisines and food practices of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Contemporary Native peoples retain a varied culture of traditional foods, along with the addition of some post-contact foods ...

'' From the diet of the

(culturally related with the

Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...

and Carib peoples of Central America and the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

) and Arawak people come many tropical roots and tubers (collectively called viandas) like ''yautía'' (

Xanthosoma ''Xanthosoma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae. The genus is native to tropical America but widely cultivated and naturalized in other tropical regions. Several are grown for their starchy corms, an important food s ...

) and especially ''

yuca ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

''. ''Viandas'' are starchy

root vegetables Root vegetables are underground plant parts eaten by humans as food. Although botany distinguishes true roots (such as taproots and tuberous roots) from non-roots (such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers, although some contain both hypocotyl a ...

, including

ñame Yam is the common name for some plant species in the genus ''Dioscorea'' (family Dioscoreaceae) that form edible tubers. Yams are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in many temperate and tropica ...

yautía ''Xanthosoma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae. The genus is native to tropical America but widely cultivated and naturalized in other tropical regions. Several are grown for their starchy corms, an important food stap ...

, batata, malanga, and the Puerto Rican apio, all locally grown in the mountain regions of the Island.

Spanish/European influence

''See:

Spanish cuisine Spanish cuisine consists of the cooking traditions and practices from Spain. Olive oil (of which Spain is the world's largest producer) is heavily used in Spanish cuisine. It forms the base of many vegetable sauces (known in Spanish as ''sofri ...

'' * ''Arroz con Dulce'' – In Puerto Rico rice pudding is made with rice, sugar, coconut milk, milk, clove, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, rum, and raisins. There are other variations that include purees added such as squash, sweet plantains, batata, yuca, and ripe breadfruit. Cream cheese and pistachios are popular and a rice pudding made with additional egg, lemon peel, and cream cooked just like

crème brûlée ''Crème brûlée'' or ''crème brulée'' (; ), also known as burnt cream or Trinity cream, and virtually identical to the original crema catalana, is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hardened caramelized sugar ...

. The first written record known to exist about this dish dates 1859 but historians can trace it as far back as the 16th century. * '' Flan'' – A milk and carmel custard very popular throughout Puerto Rico. There are several ways on making this dish. Some are unique to Puerto Rico such as breadfruit flan, sesame seeds milk among others. Coconut and pumpkin are two popular varieties.

African influence

''See:

African cuisine African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

'' Coconuts, coffee (brought by the Arabs and Corsos to

Yauco Yauco () is a town and municipality in southern Puerto Rico. Although the downtown is inland, the municipality stretches to a southern coast facing the Caribbean Sea. Yauco is located south of Maricao, Lares and Adjuntas; east of Sabana Grande ...

from Kafa, Ethiopia),

okra Okra or Okro (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with su ...

taro Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Africa ...

(malanga),

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs ...

, yams (ñame),

sesame seeds Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...

, ''gandules'' (

pigeon peas The pigeon pea (''Cajanus cajan'') is a perennial legume from the family Fabaceae native to the Old World. The pigeon pea is widely cultivated in tropical and semitropical regions around the world, being commonly consumed in South Asia, Sout ...

), plantains, many varieties of

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...

s, other root vegetables and

Guinea hen Guineafowl (; sometimes called "pet speckled hens" or "original fowl") are birds of the family Numididae in the order Galliformes. They are endemic to Africa and rank among the oldest of the gallinaceous birds. Phylogenetically, they branched ...

, all came to Puerto Rico from, or at least through, Africa. African slaves also introduced the deep-frying of food, such as cuchifritos.

Regional

Arecibo

Arecibo Arecibo (; ) is a city and municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta and Florida. It is about west of San Juan, th ...

is the biggest municipality in Puerto Rico by area and is located on the northern coast. In the river of

Río Grande de Arecibo The Río Grande de Arecibo (Arecibo River) is a river of Puerto Rico. The headwaters lie in the mountains to the south of Adjuntas. From there it flows north until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean near Arecibo. The tributaries lie along the side of ...

whitebait Whitebait is a collective term for the immature fry of fish, typically between long. Such young fish often travel together in schools along coasts, and move into estuaries and sometimes up rivers where they can be easily caught using fine- ...

called '' cetí'' is caught.

Basic ingredients

Seafood and shellfish

On certain coastal towns of the island, such as Luquillo, Fajardo, and Cabo Rojo, seafood is quite popular. * '' Cetí'' – A type of

found in Arecibo. * '' Chillo'' – Red snapper is a favorite among the locals.

Seasoning blends

Traditional cooking on the island uses more fresh and local ingredients such as citrus to make ''mojo'' and ''mojito isleño'' and especially fresh herbs, vegetables and peppers to make ''recaíto'' and ''sofrito''. The base of many Puerto Rican main dishes involves ''

sofrito (Spanish, ), (Catalan), (Italian, ), or (Portuguese, ) is a basic preparation in Mediterranean, Latin American, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese cooking. It typically consists of aromatic ingredients cut into small pieces and sautéed or ...

'', similar to the ''

mirepoix A mirepoix ( ; ) is a flavor base made from diced vegetables cooked—usually with butter, oil, or other fat—for a long time on low heat without coloring or browning, as further cooking, often with the addition of tomato purée, creates a dar ...

'' of French cooking, or the "trinity" of Creole cooking. A proper ''sofrito'' is a sauté of freshly ground garlic, tomatoes, onions, recao/culantro,

cilantro Coriander (;

, red peppers, cachucha and

cubanelle The Cubanelle, also known as "Cuban pepper" and "Italian frying pepper", is a variety of sweet pepper of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. When unripe, it is light yellowish-green in color, but will turn bright red if allowed to ripen. Compared to ...

peppers. Sofrito is traditionally cooked with olive oil or annatto oil, tocino (bacon), salted pork and cured ham. A mix of stuffed olives and capers called alcaparrado are usually added with spices such as bay leaf, sazón and adobo.

Puerto Rican dishes

Although Puerto Rican diets can vary greatly from day to day, there are some markedly similar patterns to daily meals. Dinners almost invariably include a meat, and rice and beans.

Thanksgiving dishes

Most American dishes have been adopted for this special day. Side dishes such as cornbread, roasted yams, mashed potatoes with gravy, hard

apple cider Apple cider (also called sweet cider, soft cider, or simply cider) is the name used in the United States and Canada for an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage made from apples. Though typically referred to simply as "cider" in the Un ...

, and cranberry sauce are a part of a Puerto Rican Thanksgiving menu. * ''Dulce'' – The fusion of American mainland and Puerto Rican food can be clearly seen in Thanksgiving desserts. Puerto Rican desserts use the same traditional ingredients as American holiday desserts including pumpkin, yams, and sweet potatoes. Classic sweets are infused with sweet '' viandas''. ''Flan de calabasas'' (squash flan), ''Tortitas de Calabaza'' (pumpkin tarts), ''

Cazuela Cazuela ( or ) is the common name given to a variety of dishes, especially from South America. It receives its name from the ''cazuela'' (Spanish for cooking pot) – traditionally, an often shallow pot made of unglazed earthenware used for c ...

'' (a pie made with pumpkin, sweet potato, coconut, and sometimes carrots), '' Barriguitas de Vieja'' (deep-fried sweet pumpkin fritters made with coconut milk and spices),

Cheese cake Cheesecake is a sweet dessert consisting of one or more layers. The main, and thickest, layer consists of a mixture of a soft, fresh cheese (typically cottage cheese, cream cheese or ricotta), eggs, and sugar. If there is a bottom layer, it ...

with tropical fruit, ''Buñuelos de Calabasas o platáno'' (pumpkin or sweet plantains doughnuts), and ''Budín de Pan y calabasas'' (bread pudding made from squash bread).

Christmas dishes

Puerto Rican culture can be seen and felt all year-round, but it is on its greatest display during Christmas when people celebrate the traditional ''

aguinaldo A thirteenth salary, or end-of-year bonus, is an extra payment given to employees at the end of December. Although the amount of the payment depends on a number of factors, it usually matches an employee's monthly salary and can be paid in o ...

'' and ''

parranda A parranda (English language, English: party or spree) is a Puerto Rican music tradition that takes place in Puerto Rico during the Christmas and holiday season, Christmas holiday season. Parrandas are social events that feature traditional Puert ...

s'' – Puerto Rico's version of carol singing. Puerto Rican food is a main part of this celebration. * ''

Pasteles ''Pasteles'' (; singular ''pastel''), also pastelles in the English-speaking Caribbean, are a traditional dish in several Latin American and Caribbean countries. In Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, ...

'' – For many Puerto Rican families, the quintessential holiday season dish is ''pasteles'', a soft dough-like mass wrapped in a banana or plantain leaf and boiled, and in the center chopped meat, shellfish, chicken, raisins, spices, capers, olives, ''sofrito'', and often '' garbanzo'' beans. Puerto Rican ''pasteles'' are made from either green bananas or starchy tropical roots. The wrapper in a Puerto Rican ''pastel'' is a

banana leaf The banana leaf is the leaf of the banana plant, which may produce up to 40 leaves in a growing cycle. The leaves have a wide range of applications because they are large, flexible, waterproof and decorative. They are used for cooking, wrappin ...

. * ''

Tembleque Tembleque is a coconut dessert pudding from Puerto Rico. It is one of the most popular desserts in Puerto Rican cuisine. Ingredients is made by cooking coconut cream, coconut milk, heavy cream (optional), salt, cornstarch, sugar, frequently ...

'' – Sweets are common in Puerto Rican cuisine. During the holidays, one of the most popular are desserts such as ''

tembleque Tembleque is a coconut dessert pudding from Puerto Rico. It is one of the most popular desserts in Puerto Rican cuisine. Ingredients is made by cooking coconut cream, coconut milk, heavy cream (optional), salt, cornstarch, sugar, frequently ...

''. This is a coconut-based dessert pudding. It can be made with 2 cans of coconut milk, ¾ cups of sugar, ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ cup of cornstarch, 1 pinch of ground cinnamon (for garnish), and toasted coconut (for garnish).

Beverages

Sorullitos (hushpuppies) from Ponce, Puerto Rico (IMG 3046)

* ''Chocolate Caliente'' – Hot chocolate made with coco, vanilla, milk, spices, small amount of

edam cheese Edam ( nl, Edammer, ) is a semi-hard cheese that originated in the Netherlands, and is named after the town of Edam in the province of North Holland. Edam is traditionally sold in flat-ended spheres with a pale yellow interior and a coat, or r ...

, and topped with whipped cream.

Kiosks

Rustic stalls displaying many kinds fritters under heat lamps or behind a glass pane can be spotted in may place in Puerto Rico. Collectively known as ''frituras'' in Puerto Rico, these snacks are called ''cuchifritos'' in New York City, but to be strictly correct, ''cuchifritos'' are the mom-and-pop stores where ''frituras'' are sold. In Puerto Rico, the name ''quiscos'' (kiosk) is used to refer to the cuchifrito. Quioscos are a much-frequented, time-honored, and integral part to a day at the beach and the culinary culture of the island. Fresh octopus and conch salad are frequently seen. Much larger kiosks serve hamburgers, local/Caribbean fusion, Thai, Italian, Mexican and even Peruvian food. This mixing of the new cuisine and the classic Puerto Rican food. Alcoholic beverage are a big part of kiosks with most kiosks having a signature drink. * ''

Bacalaíto A bacalaíto is a salted codfish fritter, a traditional Puerto Rican snack that typically is eaten with an entire meal. Bacalaítos are served at the beach, ''cuchifritos'', and at festivals. They are crispy on the outside and dense and chewy in ...

s'' – Bacalaítos are the codfish fritters from Puerto Rico. They are a staple food at many kiosks. * '' Sorullos'' – The cornmeal equivalent of mozzarella sticks, except that they're rather fatter and shorter. They're often made with cheese.

Puerto Rican food outside Puerto Rico

* ''Cuchifritos'' – In New York, ''

cuchifritos Cuchifritos () or cochifritos refers to various fried foods prepared principally of pork in Spanish and Puerto Rican cuisine. In Spain, cuchifritos are a typical dish from Segovia in Castile. The dish consists of pork meat fried in olive oil an ...

'' are quite popular. ''Cuchifritos'', often known as "Puerto Rican soul food" includes a variety of dishes, including, but not limited to: ''morcilla'' (blood sausage), ''chicharron'' (fried pork skin), ''patitas'' (pork feet), (fried porkmeat), and various other parts of the pig prepared in different ways. * ''Jibarito'' (Plaintain Sandwich) – In Chicago, ''El Jibarito'' is a popular dish. The word ''

jíbaro Jivaro or Jibaro, also spelled Hivaro or Hibaro, may refer to: * Jíbaro (Puerto Rico), mountain-dwelling peasants in Puerto Rico * Jíbaro music, a Puerto Rican musical genre * Jivaroan peoples The Jivaroan peoples are the indigenous peoples ...

'' in Puerto Rico means a man from the countryside, especially a small landowner or humble farmer from far up in the mountains. Typically served with Puerto Rican yellow rice, ''Jibaritos'' consist of a meat along with mayonnaise, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and onions, all sandwiched between a fried plantain, known as a ''canoa'' (canoe). In the early 20th century, bread made from wheat (which would have to be imported) was expensive out in the mountain towns of the Cordillera Central, and ''jíbaros'' were made from plantains which are still grown there on the steep hillsides. The version introduced to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

was originally made with

skirt steak Skirt steak is a cut of beef steak from the plate. It is long, flat, and prized for its flavor rather than tenderness. It is not to be confused with hanger steak, a generally similar adjacent cut also from the plate. Though it is from a di ...

, but today it can be found in versions made with chicken, roast pork, ham, shrimp and even the

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianism m ...

option

tofu Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super firm ...

is available.

Chefs

* Alfredo Ayala - was recognized as the father of Puerto Rican modern cuisine *

Doreen Colondres Doreen Colondres is a Puerto Rican chef and food writer, who is the author of ''La Cocina No Muerde'' ''(The Kitchen Doesn't Bite).'' She is a sommelier, television presenter and specialist in Hispanic cuisine. Biography Born in Puerto Rico, ...

- chef, television presenter, food writer and sommelier * Luis Antonio Cosme – Puerto Rican actor and television chef *

Giovanna Huyke Giovanna Huyke-Souffront (born 21 December 1956), known as Giovanna Huyke and "Chef Giovanna", is a Puerto Rican celebrity chef and an international culinary leader often referred to as the “Julia Child of Puerto Rico". Biography Huyke wa ...

– television chef * Dora Romano – author of ''Cocine Conmigo'' written in 1972 * Daisy Martinez – author of ''Daisy Cooks: Latin Flavors That Will Rock Your World'' written in 2005 and ''Daisy: Morning, Noon and Night'' written in * of ''Daisy Cooks!'' on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

and ''¡Viva Daisy!'' on the

food network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ...

* Maria Perez – author of ''Tropical Cooking Made Easy'' written in 2007

Gallery

Mesa con dulces típicos de Puerto Rico.jpg, Table with typical sweets in Húcares, Naguabo Rotisserie chicken, twice-fried plantain in Ciales, Puerto Rico.jpg, Rotisserie chicken, twice-fried plantain in

Ciales, Puerto Rico Ciales (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico, located on the Central Mountain Range, northwest of Orocovis; south of Florida and Manatí; east of Utuado and Jayuya; and west of Morovis. Ciales is spread over eight barrios and Ciale ...

Alcapurrias.jpg, Alcapurrias Papa rellena de Puerto Rico.jpg, Papa rellena de Puerto Rico Mofongo en Kaplash Cuchifritos Coney Island.jpg, Mofongo, prepared in New York Pigeon peas2.jpg,

(''gandules'') Manihot esculenta dsc07325.jpg, ''Yuca'', Puerto Rican name for

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively ...

Sechium edule dsc07767.jpg, ''

Chayote Chayote (''Sechium edule''), also known as mirliton and choko, is an edible plant belonging to the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. This fruit was first cultivated in Mesoamerica between southern Mexico and Honduras, with the most genetic diversity ...

'' Malpighia glabra.jpg, Acerola cherry Cubanelle Peppers.jpg, Green and red cubanelle peppers are used to make sofríto Aranitas tostones.jpg, Plantain "arañitas" and "tostones rellenos" Ajicitos.jpg, Ajicitos / ''

Cachucha Cachucha is a Spanish solo dance in or time, similar to the bolero. Cachucha is danced to an Andalusian national song with castanet accompaniment. Etymology From Spanish , small boat. Possibly from diminutive of ', shard, saucepan, probabl ...

'', a.k.a., ''Ají Dulce'', the Habanero

chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

's mild cousin Ají Caballero.jpg, Ajíes caballero (aka, Puerto Rican Jelly Bean Hot Chili Pepper) is a very hot local pepper Yuca or cassava (tapioca, maniok, yucca).JPG, Marinated cassava ( es, Yuca en escabeche) Maracuyá.jpg, ''Parcha'',

passion fruit ''Passiflora edulis,'' commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to southern Brazil through Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy ...

, is often made into passion fruit juice Coconut drink in Esperanza, Vieques, Puerto Rico.jpg, Coconut with straw at restaurant in Esperanza, Vieques Boricua hot sauce.jpg, alt=Real Boricua Hot Sauce, Pique (Puerto Rican Hot Sauce) PinaColada.jpg, Piña Colada Comidapr 1.jpg, Puerto Rican cooking has a unique blend of influences. Grilled yellow snapper with green papaya salad and tostones.jpg, Grilled yellow snapper with green papaya salad and tostones

References

External links

El Boricua
- Puerto Rican traditional recipes
Carmen Santiago, Puerto Rican chef
{{DEFAULTSORT:Puerto Rican Cuisine Latin American cuisine Caribbean cuisine

History

Taíno influence

Spanish/European influence

African influence

Regional

Arecibo

Basic ingredients

Seafood and shellfish

Seasoning blends

Puerto Rican dishes

Thanksgiving dishes

Christmas dishes

Beverages

Kiosks

Puerto Rican food outside Puerto Rico

Chefs

Gallery

See also

References

External links