Puerto Rican cuisine
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Puerto Rican cuisine consists of the cooking style and traditional dishes original to Puerto Rico. It has been primarily influenced by the ancestors of the Puerto Rican people: the indigenous Taínos, Spanish colonizers, and sub-Saharan African slaves. As a territory of the United States, the culinary scene of Puerto Rico has also been moderately influenced by American cuisine.[4]
History
Puerto Rican cuisine is a product of diverse cultural influences, including Taíno Arawak, Spanish Criollos, and Africans.[5] It is characterized by a unique blend of Spanish seasonings and ingredients, which makes it similar to 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 15th century. 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 1859.[11]
Taíno influence
See: Indigenous cuisine of the Americas
Many of the
African influence
See: African cuisine
Coconuts, coffee (brought by the Arabs and Corsos to
Spanish/European influence
See: Spanish cuisine
The
Regional
Arecibo
Arecibo is the biggest municipality in Puerto Rico by area and is located on the northern coast. In the Río Grande de Arecibo, whitebait called cetí is caught.[24]
Basic ingredients
Seafood and shellfish
On some coastal towns of the island, such as Luquillo, Fajardo, and Cabo Rojo, seafood is quite popular.
- Cetí – A type of whitebait found in Arecibo.[25]
- Chillo – Red snapper is a favorite among the locals.[26]
Seasoning
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.[27]
The base of many Puerto Rican main dishes involves
Adobos come in two forms dry (adobo seco) and wet (adobo mojado). Both use the same garlic, onion, salt, black pepper, lippia (orégano), and citrus. While adobo seco uses dry ingredients and the option of citrus zest adobo mojado uses fresh ingredients mixed with olive oil, vinegar, and citrus juice. Both of these forms of adobo are typically rubbed on meats and fish. Adobo seco is considered more of an all purpose seasoning used for all typically Puerto Rican dishes.
Sazón like adobo is widely used in Puerto Rican cuisine traditionally made with cumin, salt, annatto powder, coriander seeds, with the option of paprika, crushed bay leaves or avocado leaves.
Sorfito and recaíto are used in the same way but with miner differences, as recaito is heavier on the herb culantro known as recao on the island thus giving its name recaito. The base is a puree made with a large amount or both cilantro and culantro, green bell peppers, garlic, yellow onions or scallions, oregano brujo, cachucha and recently parsely.
Annatto oil is made from steeping annatto seeds with oil or lard with olive oil used mostly and sometimes steeped with bay leaves. It is used for signature dishes adding a bright yellow-orange color and smoky peppery taste to pasteles, arroz con gandlues, alcapurrias, arroz junto, used to sear meats for stews and soups.
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.[5]
Codfish and taro is also a popular dish.
Thanksgiving dishes
Puerto Rico is an island
The meal often includes stuffing the turkey with bread, which can be mixed with mofongo or replaced entirely with it. The dish is called pavochon, which is a combination of the words pavo, meaning turkey, and lechón, referring to roasted suckling pig. Pavochón is essentially a turkey that is seasoned and cooked like roasted pork.
Desserts and sweets are often the same as Christmas or any other holiday that includes, arroz con dulce, bead pudding, flan, cheese cake,
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
Beverages
- Chocolate caliente – hot chocolate made with cocoa, vanilla, milk, and spices and topped with whipped cream.[32]
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.[33][34] 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. Most kiosks have a signature alcoholic drink.[35]
Puerto Rican food outside Puerto Rico
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.
In Chicago, el jibarito is a popular dish.
Chefs
- Doreen Colondres - chef, television presenter, food writer and sommelier
- Luis Antonio Cosme – Puerto Rican actor and television chef
- Giovanna Huyke – television chef
- food network
Gallery
-
Table with typical sweets in Húcares, Naguabo
-
Rotisserie chicken, twice-fried plantain in Ciales, Puerto Rico
-
Alcapurrias
-
Papa rellena de Puerto Rico
-
Mofongo, prepared in New York
-
Pigeon peas(gandules)
-
Yuca, Puerto Rican name for cassava
-
Acerola cherry
-
Green and red cubanelle peppers are used to make sofríto
-
Plantain "arañitas" and "tostones rellenos"
-
Ajicitos /Cachucha, a.k.a., Ají Dulce, the Habanero chili pepper's mild cousin
-
Ajíes caballero (aka, Puerto Rican Jelly Bean Hot Chili Pepper) is a very hot local pepper
-
Marinated cassava (Spanish: Yuca en escabeche)
-
Parcha, passion fruit, is often made into passion fruit juice
-
Coconut with straw at restaurant in Esperanza, Vieques
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Pique (Puerto Rican Hot Sauce)
-
Piña Colada
-
Puerto Rican cooking has a unique blend of influences.
-
Grilled yellow snapper with green papaya salad and tostones
See also
- Caribbean cuisine
- Coco Lopez
- Piragua
- Puerto Rican Chinese cuisine
References
- ^ Reporter's Notebook. York Daily Record (York, Pennsylvania). 15 December 2003. Page 35. Accessed 24 January 2021.
- ^ El Gusto Boricua en el Sur de la Florida. Yined Ramírez-Hendrix. El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida). 27 July 2011. Page D12. Accessed 24 January 2021.
- ^ Sofrito, imprescindible para latinos. Viviana Caraballo. El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida). 6 January 1999. p. 19. Accessed 24 January 2021.
- ^ Proctor, Tammy (November 28, 2022). "Eating the Past: The rich history of Puerto Rican food". UPR. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Albala, Ken (2011). Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia. Greenwood. p. 656 – via Temple University.
- ^ "Herencia de los taínos". EnciclopediaPR. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- ^ "What Are Puerto Rican Food Staples?". The Spruce Eats. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- JSTOR 48669805.
- ISBN 9780470100523.
- ^ Ortiz, Yvonne. A Taste of Puerto Rico: Traditional and New Dishes from the Puerto Rican Community. Penguin group, 1997. P. 3
- ^ "Taino | History & Culture | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ Ortiz Cuadra, Cruz (September 16, 2011). "Las viandas: esa entrañable relación con la comida de las madres". 80 grados. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- ^ Barrett, Otis Warren (1905). The Yautias, Or Taniers, of Porto Rico. Porto Rico Agricultural Experiment Station.
- ^ Magazine, Smithsonian. "What Became of the Taíno?". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ Raíces y Tubérculos. Centro de Recursos Informativos Digitales Agrícolas de Puerto Rico (CRIDAg). University de Puerto Rico en Mayaguez. 2018. Accessed 8 December 2018.
- ^ [1]
- ^ a b M, K. "The History of Barbecuing". The Food Network. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- ^ "Tienen historia: ¿BBQ o barbacoa?". Primera Hora (in Spanish). October 24, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ "A slice of Puerto Rican history". The Salt Lake Tribune.
- ^ Arroz con dulce: ese histórico obsequio de Reyes. Cruz Miguel Ortiz Cuadra, PhD. 80 Grados: Prensa sin Prisa. 3 January 2012. Accessed 15 January 2022. Archived.
- ^ Flan de coco. Zulma Santiago. Welcome to Puerto Rico. Accessed 25 July 2022. Archived.
- ^ Flan de Calabaza. Cielito Rosado. Bordens de Puerto Rico. undated. Accessed 25 January 2022. Archived.
- ^ "Historia del Cetí en Puerto Rico y el Caribe". foodiespr.com (in Spanish). February 3, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ Historia del Cetí en Puerto Rico y el Caribe. Ferdinand Quiñones. FoodiesPR.com February 2015. Accessed 25 January 2022. Archived.
- ^ Nos gusta el bacalao, pero el chillo es el rey de la mesa puertorriqueña Según varios expertos, el chillo es el pescado favorito de los consumidores del país. Agustín Criollo Oquero. Primera Hora. 12 August 2014. Accessed 25 January 2022. Archive.
- ^ "The ultimate Puerto Rican food guide". Explore Parts Unknown. October 1, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ Taylor, David (June 5, 2020). "Legendary Puerto Rican Cookbook Cocina Criolla begins with many details & Sofrito!". Hispanic Food Network. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-4696-0882-2. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
- ^ Receta para preparar los tradicionales pasteles puertorriqueños de navidad. Daysla Cancel. La Opinion. 24 December 2018. Archived.
- ^ Five Favorite Puerto Rican Holiday Recipes: Tembleque. Discover Puerto Rico. Accessed 6 February 2022. Archived.
- ^ Halpern, Ashlea (April 30, 2014). "18 Things to Eat, Buy and Do in Puerto Rico - Casa Cortés ChocoBar". Bon Appetit. Condé Nast.
- ^ Frituras. Recetas Boricuas. Accessed 25 January 2022. Archived.
- ^ Las frituras son nuestro manjar-VÍDEO: Un sondeo informal por el área de Piñones demostró que la alcapurria es la gran favorita. Istra Pacheco. Primera Hora. 26 July 2013. Accessed 25 January 2022. Archived.
- ISBN 9780525938125
- ^ "Jibarito Sandwich: What You Need To Know". Retrieved April 28, 2016.
- ISBN 9781467135511.
External links
- El Boricua - Puerto Rican traditional recipes
- Carmen Santiago, Puerto Rican chef Archived November 11, 2019, at the Wayback Machine