Puerto Rican Cuisine:

Puerto Ricans have an obsession with fried food collectively known as “cuchifrito” in New York City.

Spanish ingredients such as pork, garlic, broth, and olive oil are commonly used together in Puerto Rican cuisine and are found in staple dishes like arroz con gandules, alcapurria, pasteles, habichuelas, recaíto, and arroz junto.

Broth is often made with chicken and sofrito, made with Spanish and Taíno fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Pork is an important component for the more traditional offerings and preparations in Puerto Rican cuisine.

The only other Caribbean island where pork is a significant component is Cuba. The use of lard, pork scraps, and internal parts is influenced by the harsh diet and treatment of Africans in Puerto Rico.

This has led to dishes on the island like mofongo, gandinga, and mondongo.

Thanksgiving has also been adopted as a holiday in Puerto Rico (officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) where turkey is traditionally stuffed with bread that can be mixed with mofongo or entirely replaced with mofongo. The dish is called pavochon.

Following a popular referendum (described as “non-binding”) in 2012, with 61.15% of the votes in favor, the locals chose to become a U.S. Federated State.

We visited Puerto Rico in November 2012, above is a photo of dinner at the restaurant “Barrachina”, where it is said the Pina Colada was born.