Puerto Rican cuisine has its roots in the cooking traditions and practices of native Taínos, colonial Spanish, and enslaved Africans.[4]
History
Cocina criolla can be traced back to African, Taino and Spanish inhabitants of the island.
Puerto Rican cuisine is a product of diverse cultural influences, including Taíno Arawak, colonial Spanish, and enslaved Africans.[5] It is characterized by a unique blend of indigenous seasonings and ingredients, which sets it apart from both Spanish and other Latin American cuisines.[6][7] Locally, it is known as cocina criolla.[8][9]
The roots of traditional Puerto Rican cuisine can be traced back to the 19th century, when it became firmly established. In 1848, the first restaurant, La Mallorquina, was opened in Old San Juan.[10] The island's first cookbook, El Cocinero Puerto-Riqueño o Formulario, was published in 1849.[11]
Taíno influence
Maví bottles from Ponce, Puerto Rico; left bottle has maví, the right one is empty
Many of the starchy root vegetables used in Puerto Rican cuisine, collectively known as viandas, have their roots in the diets of the indigenous Taíno people.[12][13] These include cassava (Spanish: yuca) and Tanier (Spanish: yautía)[14] which are staples in traditional Puerto Rican dishes.[15] Other popular root vegetables include Yam (Spanish: ñame), sweet potato (Spanish: batata), and taro (Spanish: malanga), all of which are cultivated in the mountain regions of the island.[16]
It is hypothesized that Taínos used cooking methods that resemble what is called barbecue today. By some counts, the earliest recorded use of the term barbecue can be traced back to a journal entry made by a Spanish colonizer upon landing in the Caribbean.[17] The term was used by the indigenous Taino people, who referred to the practice of slow-cooking food over a raised wooden platform as barabicu, which means "sacred pit" in their language.[18] While the Tainos likely slow-roasted fish due to the region and their diet at the time, this cooking method may have given rise to what we know today as barbecue.[17]
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. The first written record known to exist about this dish dates 1859 but historians can trace it as far back as the 16th century.[19]
Flan – A milk and caramel custard very popular throughout Puerto Rico. There are several ways to make this dish. Some are unique to Puerto Rico, such as breadfruit and sesame seeds. Coconut[20] and pumpkin[21] are two popular varieties.
Coconuts, coffee (brought by the Arabs and Corsos to Yauco from Kafa, Ethiopia), okra, taro (malanga), tamarind, yams (ñame), sesame seeds, gandules (pigeon peas), plantains, many varieties of bananas, other root vegetables and Guinea hen, all came to Puerto Rico from, or at least through, Africa. African slaves also introduced the deep-frying of food, such as cuchifritos.[22]
Chillo – Red snapper is a favorite among the locals.[25]
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.[26]
The base of many Puerto Rican main dishes involves sofrito, similar to the mirepoixofFrench cooking, or the "trinity" of Creole cooking. A proper sofrito is a sauté of freshly ground garlic, tomatoes, onions, recao/culantro, cilantro, red peppers, cachucha and cubanelle 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.[27]
Puerto Rican dishes
Arroz con gandules, widely regarded as Puerto Rico's main national dish
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.[5]
Taro and (codfish) bacalao
Codfish and taro is also a popular dish.
Thanksgiving dishes
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 (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 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).[28]
Pasteles are a favorite staple during the Christmas festivities
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 and parrandas – Puerto Rico's version of carol singing. Puerto Rican food is a main part of this celebration. The main dishes are arroz con gandules, roasted pork (lechón), pasteles, coquito (coconut and rum eggnog), tembleque (coconut pudding), and other dishes, desserts, and drinks to complement the meal.
Beverages
Sorullos from Puerto Rico.
Chocolate Caliente – Hot chocolate made with coco, vanilla, milk, spices, small amount of edam cheese, and topped with whipped cream.[29]
Kiosks
Rustic stalls displaying many kinds fritters under heat lamps or behind a glass pane can be spotted in many places throughout Puerto Rico. Collectively known as frituras, 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.[30][31] 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.
Bacalaítos – Bacalaítos are the codfish fritters from Puerto Rico.[32] 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 (carnitas) in New YorkJibarito and rice in Chicago
Cuchifritos – In New York, cuchifritos are quite popular. Cuchifritos, often known as "Puerto Rican soul food"[by whom?] includes a variety of dishes, including, but not limited to: morcilla (blood sausage), chicharron (fried pork skin), patitas (pork feet), masitas (fried porkmeat), and various other parts of the pig prepared in different ways.
Jibarito (plaintain sandwich) – In Chicago, el jibarito is a popular dish.[33] The word jíbaro 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 was originally made with skirt steak, but today it can be found in versions made with chicken, roast pork, ham, shrimp and even the vegetarian option tofu is available.[34]
Chefs
Alfredo Ayala - was recognized as the father of Puerto Rican modern cuisine[35]
Doreen Colondres - chef, television presenter, food writer and sommelier
Dora Romano – author of Cocine Conmigo[36] 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!onPBS and ¡Viva Daisy! on the food network
Maria Perez – author of Tropical Cooking Made Easy[37] written in 2007
^Raíces y Tubérculos. Centro de Recursos Informativos Digitales Agrícolas de Puerto Rico (CRIDAg). University de Puerto Rico en Mayaguez. 2018. Accessed 8 December 2018.
^Ortiz, Y. A Taste of Puerto Rico: Traditional and New Dishes from the Puerto Rican Community. Plume, publishers. The William G. Lockwood and Yvonne R. Lockwood Collection of National, Ethnic and Regional Foodways. 1997. ISBN9780525938125
