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WHAT IS PUERTO RICAN FOOD

Puerto Ricans, like everyone, love to eat and in so doing have perfected the art of Caribbean cuisine into its own cocina criolla. This special Caribbean cookery has a fairly traceable family tree and it is safe to say that it was initiated by the early Indian inhabitants of the island. For almost 500 years the basic ingredients the Arawaks used have been enriched by the culinary skills of newcomers from Europe such as the Spaniards or of the African slaves brought to toil in the sugar fields. The time-honored ingredients are still at te bottom of almost every dish but the different and delicate blends and innovations of five centuries have developed a genuine cuisine. The seasoning is perhaps the most noticeable difference in Puerto Rican cookery.. You must think of pepper, lime rind, cinnamon, cloves, fresh ginger, garlic and the juice of the sour orange. Some favorite herbs are culantro(coriander), and orégano.These, together with small sweet peppers are widely used to flavor soups, meats and legumes. The real secret of the cocina criolla, however, lies in the use of sofrito, achiote lard and the caldero.The mortar and pestle, used to grind small quantities of seasonings to a small paste is indispensable in the Puerto Rican household. Sofrito is a combination of ingredients used as a seasoning to give a distinctive, characteristic taste to many native dishes.The caldero or cauldron is an iron or cast-aluminum kettle with round bottom and straight sides used to cook the arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) and many other dishes. The use of this pot or a similar heavy kettle is indispensable to cook a good rice recipe. The best-loved street snacks are the deep-fried codfish fritter(bacalaítos fritos), pastelillos(deep-fried cheese and meat turn-overs), and alcapurrias, banana croquettes stuffed with beef or pork. The abundant tropical fruits are used to prepare delicious juices or nectars to freshen up the tropical heat--a favorite is pineapple juice from some of the most sweetest pineapples in the world...Coconut, papaya, lime and tamarind are among other delicacies worth trying. Mangoes from the western part of the island are among the sweetest of fruits.. Puerto Rican desserts include the pudding or custard flan and the tembleque..Papaya cubes cooked in sugar and cinnamon must be accompanied by white cheese(queso blanco). Arróz con dulce is made of cooked rice and coconut cream, sugar and cinnamon. Puerto Ricans are heavy coffee drinkers and Puerto Rican coffee is among the best in the world..islanders like their coffee real strong, some drink it black, others as café-con-leche. Puerto Rican Rums are known world-wide as the best as they are aged for years according to law..enjoy Rum and Coke (Cuba Libre) which is one of the local favorites. Rum is also the basis for the famous Piña Colada together with coconut cream, and pineapple juice. Although Bacardi is the brand most sold in the US, for Puerto Ricans the best of rums is Don Q Rum. I invite you to step out and try new flavors, I love mexican, Italian, chinese food, nothing wrong with that. Carribbean food has many flavors to offer you. Infuse them in your regular cusine. Enjoy!!! Happy Cooking!! Lilly