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Puerto Rican cuisine consists of the cooking style and traditional dishes original toPuerto Rico. It has been primarily a fusion influenced by the ancestors of thePuerto Rican people: the indigenousTaínos,Spanish Criollos andsub-Saharan African slaves. As aterritory of the United States, the culinary scene of Puerto Rico has also been moderately influenced byAmerican cuisine.[4]
Puerto Rican cuisine is a product of diverse cultural influences, includingTaíno Arawak,Spanish Criollos, andAfricans.[5] It is characterized by a unique blend of Spanish seasonings and ingredients, which makes it similar toSpanish and otherLatin American cuisines.[6][7] Locally, it is known ascocina 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 inOld San Juan.[10] The island's first cookbook,El Cocinero Puerto-Riqueño o Formulario, was published in 1859.[11]
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See:Indigenous cuisine of the Americas
Many of thearrowroots androot vegetables used in Puerto Rican cuisine, collectively known asviandas, have their roots in the diets of the indigenous Taíno people.[12][13] These includecassava (Spanish: yuca) and three kinds oftannier (Spanish:yautía)[14] which are staples in traditional Puerto Rican dishes.[15] Other popular root vegetables includesweet corn root (Spanish:lerén), sweet potato (Spanish:batata mameya),celeriac (Spanish:apio criollo), white sweet potato (Spanish:batata; this potato has purple skin and white flesh) and yambee (Spanish:yambi), all of which are cultivated in the mountain regions of the island.[16][17]
It is hypothesized that Taínos used cooking methods that resemble what is called barbecue today. By some counts, the earliest recorded use of the termbarbecue can be traced back to a journal entry made by a Spanish settler upon landing in the Caribbean.[18] The term was used by the indigenous Taino people, who referred to the practice of slow-cooking food over a raised wooden platform asbarabicu, which means "sacred pit" in their language.[19] 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 is today known as barbecue.[18]The Taíno ate a variety of spices, herbs, fruits and foods, includingsquash,allspice,avocado (fruit and leaves),chili, beans, peppers,papaya (fruit, leaves, and seeds used as a spice),guava (fruit and leaves, wood was used for fire and cooking),soursop (fruit and leaves),corn,lippia,peanuts, andculantro. Some of these foods are still part of Puerto Rican cooking today. The Taínos hunted birds, reptiles, and small mammals, such ashutia and gatheredsnails,eggs,honey,clams,oysters, andmussels. They also capturedmanatees andturtles.[citation needed]
See:African cuisine
While the contributions made by people of African descent are often overlooked in Puerto Rico, their cultural contributions to the island are significant. Several popular Puerto Rican dishes date back to African influences includingmofongo,bacalaitos,funche, andpasteles.
Africans transformed the ceramic cooking tool used by native Tainos to make casaba (yuca-based flatbread) into an iron griddle called “burén.” The tool is used for cooking coconut-based candies wrapped in banana leaf,mondongo,sancocho,coconut rice, gandinga,cazuela, and many plates they brought to the Puerto Rican culinary culture.[20]Important ingredients such as bananas, plantains, yams,orégano brujo,pigeon peas, and maybe even rice were introduced by Africans through the slave trade. Africans also brought spices and used the native spiceannatto in food. Before then annatto was used by Tainos for body paint and a repellent against the sun.
The slave trade broughtguinea fowl to the Caribbean from West Africa in the 1500s. Guinea fowl is a traditional Puerto Rican dish that can be prepared as africassee in lemon zest, sofrito, wine, raisins, olives, and other ingredients. Roasted and marinated traditionally inadobo, orégano brujo,sazón, citrus, and vinegar and often stiffed with mofongo orarroz junto (rice, beans, and pork).
A traditional and typically meal in the Caribbean isbraised fish, meat, vegetables, and beans that derived from the African cuisine. In Puerto Rico these braised dishes called guisadas are served over rice, mofongo, or funche. In Puerto Rico guisadas are typically made with olives, capers, cumin, annatto oil, bay leaves, recaito,lippia micromera, coriander seeds with tomato sauce, potato and pig feet to thicken the sauce. Chicken can be made with bits of ham and beer while beef switches out beer and ham for wine, mushrooms and adds roasmerry, both have carrots andsweet peas. Beans like black, red or pink are cooked with additional squash and also bits of ham orsalchichón (Puerto Rican salami) in water orbroth. Salted cod fish guisadas is also a popular dish with no pork included cooked in white wine, cream and/or coconut milk and served withguanimes (Taino dish similar totamal).
See:Spanish cuisine
Chorizo is a sausage brought over from Spain that is used in a variety of Puerto Rican dishes.Arroz con pollo is frequently made with chorizo; other chorizo dishes include asopao con pollo y chorizo (rice soup with chicken and chorizo),arroz mamposteao (Puerto Rican fried rice with chorizo), chorizo potato salad, and classic breakfast chorizo with chayote and eggs.[citation needed]
As in Spain, bakeries function as social hubs.[21] These local bakeries were first established by Spanish settlers. Major desserts includeflan, a favorite among Hispanic families. There are many flavors of coffee,coquito,orangelo,soursop,piña colada,cassava, sweet plantain, and countless others throughout the island. Originally from Spain,Brazo gitano is a typical dessert in the south of the island but can be found in bakeries all over Puerto Rico. Brazo gitano is a simple thin sponge filled with cream cheese and another ingredient (such asguava,mango,lemon,corn,passionfruit,papaya,carrots withsweet potato and spices,pistachio, ornutella) and rolled up.[citation needed]
Breadfruit was introduced to Puerto Rico byCaptain William Bligh in 1793 and has since become a naturalized part of the island's landscape. This fruit is used as a replacement for plantains as it is used the same way. It is a favorite among Puerto Ricans and frequently paired with fish and coconut or as a dessert with coconut and banana. Mofongo de pana, breadfruit flan,alcapurria de pana,tostones de pana (re-fried breadfruit), pastele de pana, pastelón de pana (breadfruit casserole), ralleno de pana (breadfruit version of papa rellena), and cazuela replacing cassava with breadfruit. Breadfruit flour is widely available throughout the island and used to make cookies, empanada dough, fry batter, bread, pancakes, and waffles.[citation needed]
Arecibo is the biggest municipality in Puerto Rico by area and is located on the northern coast. In theRío Grande de Arecibo,whitebait calledcetí is caught.[22]
On some coastal towns of the island, such as Luquillo, Fajardo, and Cabo Rojo, seafood is quite popular.
TheArecibo region is also famous for its pasteles filled with cetí. Usually, Puerto Rican pasteles are cooked with meat, however, they taste even better with fish. The recipe includes cetí, squash, yuca, yautía, and coconut milk. Pasteles are always wrapped in banana leaf and grilled. It is one of the delicacies served during the Christmas holidays. Cetí is also used in mofongo, alcapurrias, empanadas and other Puerto Rican dishes.[23]
Traditional cooking on the island uses more fresh and local ingredients such as citrus to makemojo andmojito isleño and especially fresh herbs, vegetables and peppers to makerecaíto andsofrito.[25]
The base of many Puerto Rican main dishes involvessofrito, similar to themirepoix ofFrench cooking, or the "trinity" ofCreole cooking. A propersofrito is a sauté of freshly ground garlic, yellow onions,culantro,cilantro, red peppers, cachucha andcubanelle peppers. Sofrito is traditionally cooked with tomato paste or sauce, oil or lard, and cured pork. A mix of stuffed olives and capers calledalcaparrado are usually added with dry spices.[26] Adobo in Puerto Rico most traditional refers to a wet rub known asadobo mojado (wet seasoning) ofCaribbean oregano, salt, black pepper, garlic,shallot, vinegar, citrus juice and zest.
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. Whileadobo seco uses dry ingredients and the option of citrus zestadobo 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,turmeric, crushed bay leaves or avocado leaves.
Sorfito andrecaíto are used in the same way but with minor 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.
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]
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Codfish and taro is also a popular dish.
Puerto Rico is an islandcolonized by theUnited States and which is called acommonwealth. Cultural influence from the United States has spreadThanksgiving to Puerto Rico (Spanish:Día de Acción de Gracias). Puerto Rican Thanksgiving traditions are similar to those on the mainland, and include turkey,arroz con gandules orarroz con maiz,pasteles stuffed with turkey, spicy cranberry sauce, cornbread, squash and/or batatacoquito,pastelón, potato salad, andmorcilla.
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,tembleque, andcazuela. Pumpkin, batata, sweet potato andpumpkin spices can be incorporated into these classic desserts.[27]
Puerto Rican culture can be seen and felt all year-round, but it is on its greatest display during Christmas when people celebrate the traditionalaguinaldo andparrandas – Puerto Rico's version of carol singing. Puerto Rican food is a main part of this celebration.Pasteles for many Puerto Rican families, the quintessential holiday season dish ispasteles, a soft dough-like mass wrapped in a banana leaf and boiled, and in the center chopped meat, raisins, capers, olives, andchick peas. Puerto Ricanpasteles are made from milk, broth, plantain, green bananas, and tropical roots. The wrapper in a Puerto Ricanpastele is abanana leaf.[28] Many other dishes includearroz con gandules,roasted pork,potato salad with apples and chorizo,escabeche made with green banana and chicken gizzards,hallaca are the cassava version ofpasteles, among other dishes.Coquito is a spiced coconuteggnog typically served in a shot glass; family recipes vary. Desserts includeflan,natillas, cream cheese spicedbread pudding made withcurrants and either guava or sweet plantains, coconut spicedrice pudding,tembleque a coconut pudding.[29]
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The history of Puerto Rican alcoholic drinks includes the production ofrum andpitorro, the creation of thepiña colada, and the evolution of thecoquito.
Coffee production in Puerto Rico was first introduced in 1736, when Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony. At first, the industry thrived. By the beginning of the 1800s, civil wars in coffee producing countries had caused an increase in the price of the commodity worldwide. This paved the way for a surge in production. In combination with the arrival of new technologies and European immigrants, who both acquired and worked the land, Puerto Rico became the fourth-largest coffee producer in the Americas. The nineteenth century was a golden era of coffee for Puerto Rico. Coffee sent to theVatican came from Puerto Rico, by the Cooperativa Cafeteros de Puerto Rico, which registered the Café Rico brand in 1924. For a long time, it was considered the best coffee in the world. It had a factory with a coffee cupping laboratory and the only one that had a certified coffee taster in the entire archipelago. Today Puerto Rico still produces small batches of grade 1 coffee andpeaberry. Coquito lattes include coconut milk,condensed milk, egg yolk, and a variety of spices.[citation needed]
Soft drinks have a long history in Puerto Rico, including the creation of popular drinks and the local production of other brands.Coco Rico began marketing its drink in Puerto Rico in 1934, and patented the formula the following year. It is the first coconut soda and has gained popularity throughout the Caribbean,Mexico, and some parts ofLatin America.Kola Champagne was invented in Puerto Rico byÁngel Rivero Méndez. Like Coco Rico, Kola Champagne is popular throughout the Caribbean and parts of Latin America, but alsoPakistan.Malta (soft drink) may have come to Puerto Rico in the mid-19th century with German businesspeople or laborers, or withGerman andGerman-American immigrants who settled in Puerto Rico afterWorld War I. A drink made from malta in Puerto Rico is called ponche de malta. Malta is mixed with whipped egg yolk, and condensed milk. A scoop of ice cream can be added and topped with cinnamon.
Cherry Coca-Cola, spicedrum, cherry liqueur, garnished withmaraschino cherry and lime wedge called spiced cherry is a local play on the famousCuba libre (rum and coke).
Spanish conquistadors broughthorchata to the Americas during colonization, but they did not bringtiger nuts, the key ingredient in the original recipe. Instead, they used rice and other grains, and added sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and sometimesmarigolds. In Puerto Rico toastedsesame seeds are used and sometimescoconut milk is added.
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 asfrituras, these snacks are calledcuchifritos in New York City, but to be strictly correct,cuchifritos are the mom-and-pop stores wherefrituras are sold. In Puerto Rico, the namequioscos (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. Most kiosks have a signature alcoholic drink.[32]
InNew York City,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 and garlic and served hot. In Puerto Rican communities in New York City they include a variety of dishes includingmorcilla (blood sausage),papa rellena (fried potato balls stuffed with meat), andchicharrón (fried pork skin), and other parts of the pig prepared in different ways. Some cuchifritos dishes are prepared using plantain as a primary ingredient. Cuchifritos vendors also typically serve juices and drinks such as passionfruit, pineapple, and coconut juice, as well as ajonjolí, a drink made from sesame seeds.[33][34][35]
In Chicago,el jibarito is a popular dish.[36] The wordjíbaro 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 green plantain. In the early 20th century, bread made from wheat (which would have to be imported) was expensive out in the mountain towns of theCordillera Central, andjíbaros were made from plantains which are still grown there on the steep hillsides. The version introduced toChicago was originally made withskirt steak, but today it can be found in versions made with chicken, roast pork, ham, shrimp and eventofu.La jibarita is the sweet plantain version.[37]
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