Puerto Rican Cuisine

Living on my own has forced me to improve on my cooking abilities. OK, after eight months my ability does not go much further than Healthy Request Chunky Soup, grilled cheese, or tuna sandwiches, but I still eat well. Since I'm pretty limited on cooking, I never pass up the chance to eat a nice Puerto Rican meal.

If a friend invites me over to have dinner, there is no point in asking what will be served, because the answer is already known. Over the past 8 months I have eaten more arroz y habichuelas (rice and beans) than I have in 23 years of my life. I would go as far as saying that the rice and beans that I consume here throughout the course of my year will probably exceed the amount that I will eat in the rest of my life. Before Puerto Rico, rice and beans would not have sounded very stimulating, but now I love it. With hot white rice, or yellow rice or however its prepared with some hot beans soaking over the top, it grows on you.

Another fantastic side dish or compliment to any dinner is the mofongo. Mofongo is usually made out of plantains that get smashed up and fried and when its done it is served to you in a heaping mound. It has a texture similar to mashed potatoes but not quite. Mofongo can be filled with anything, from chicken, meat or sea food. However, mofongo is best when you pour one of Puerto Ricos finest innovations over it. This innovation is the infamous mayoketchup. Literally a mixture of mayonnaise and ketchup. Tastes kind of like 1000 island dressing, but different. Any recreation is not a quality substitute. I've tried making my own mayoketchup, but I just can't pull it off. Mayoketchup makes everything a little sweeter.

Another favorite food of mine is the hot dogs sold on the street. If you take a cruise down just about any street here in Puerto Rico you can see little entrepreneurs on almost any corner. These hard workers arrive every morning in their restaurant, literally in their restaurant as they turn UPS like trucks into businesses. They sell everything, pizza, burritos, tripletas (a fantastic sandwich) and much more. My favorite is the hot dog. I just pull off the side of the road and sit down at one of these little businesses and enjoy a mouth watering dog. There is no such thing as cross contamination as I watch the man (or woman) use the same tong to pick out the hot dog, ground beef, and onion that he puts on it. I am not too concerned, that's probably more of a guideline than a rule. The item that makes these hot dogs fantastic are the little potato chips that look like little sticks. This extra crunch along with the ground beef, ketchup, mustard, and onions is delicious. I usually can get a hot dog and a soda for under $2.25.

Another excellent, cheap food are the pinchitos. When I say pinchito think of the state fair in Minnesota, because its on a stick. My favorite place to get a pinchito is at the most beautiful beach on the island, Crashboat, in Aguadilla. Every now and then on a Saturday or Sunday morning I will wake up and drive about 3o or so miles (with all the traffic lights 30 miles feelslike 100) westward to Crashboat. I only bring about 20 bucks because I know I will not spend more. Once you arrive to the beach you see about 6 or so negocios (businesses) barbecuing pinchitos out of their truck. The chicken and meat are good, but I have been opened up to the seafood pinchitos. I recently tried marlin. I have not tasted anything so good in a long time. Besides marlin you can get pinchitos of shark, shrimp, or dorado. The great thing is, each one only cost $3 (and only $2 for chicken or meat). So for only $3 you can get a fat pinchito, while at the Minnesota State Fair that would run you about $7 or so. So if you're ever in Puerto Rico and see a little truck selling pinchitos, do yourself a favor and try one, and don't be deceived there are thousands of little trucks claiming to be "Lo mejor pincho" or the best pincho, but they are all pretty damn good.

Another food that is very popular among Puerto Ricans is your typical American fast food. I think it would be interesting to see a report on how many Wendy's or Burger Kings there are per square mile. In my town alone I could take you to 3 or 4 Wendy's. The main chains here are McDonald's (with no dollar menu), Burger King, KFC (referred to by the locals as simply "Kentucky") Wendy's, Subway, and Church's Chicken (similar to "Kentucky"). I try to steer clear of these places but every now and again I am tempted, especially with Wendy's and Subway. I continue to convince myself that Wendy's isn't fast food, "it's Wendy's" just like the commercial says, so I don't feel as guilty eating it.

The Puerto Rican food goes on and on. I have omitted many fruits and vegetables (i.e. guayaba, and yuca) but this blog would run on for a long time. If you do ever come to Puerto Rico make sure you try the local food, and don't go to a Mexican restaurant thinking all latino food is the same. Believe me, when I lived in Venezuela I remember people asking me "so what do they eat down there, tacos?" The food has variations from country to country. One last thing, if you order rum drink, ask for the Don Q not the Bacardi, because the Don Q is truly Puerto Rican and Bacardi is the big market company that is actually Cuban and was forced to flee when Castro instituted his communist regime.

Once again, Thanks for reading.