Food expericience

Fajardo?  La Estación for lunch or dinner.  Breakfast- Las Vistas & say hello to Gladys.
http://www.lasvistascafepr.com/intro.html

Meanwhile,  pinchos when hungry between meals.  Oh, and definitely try bacalaitos.

There are a lot of places to eat at las craobas, the little kiosks and hole in the wall are fine. Same with food trucks. Empanadas are great made with different meats and seafood and shell fish. It is a pastry like half moon filled with meat and fried. Chopin fish, lobster, crab, shrimp, beef, chicken are typical.

If you see tacos, beware, there is the mexican style tacos and the PR one which is similar to Empanadas and there is nothing mexican about it.

Always go to the busy places specially off hours. If they are busy it is good and cheap.

You may also see the word "Lechon" or "Lechonera", best get it at a Lechonera where they roast a whole pig very slowly. Skin is hard and crispy, meat is tender. While having Lechon try the Batatas (similar to sweet potatoes but firmer when baked) and the Arroz con Gandulez (Rice with Pigeon Peas) eaten all year long but more so during the holidays. Nothing wrong with adding some FREASHLY made to stones (Crispy plantains flatten out and refried to a nice crisp. Think of it as Puerto Rican fries.

On the south coast we have Mariscos. Conch, octopus, crabs.

There is good sea food all over the island, experiment, be ready to put on some pounds while in the island.

One of the best tasting road side food treats is something called "papas rellenos"  - kinda like a ball of mashed potatoes stuffed with meat and deep fried.   Really tasty, but I have it on good authority it is not on the Jenny Craig diet.   

I might have the name wrong, anyone else know what I'm talking about?   

Another good item ( don't know what they are called in Spanish ) is a frozen fruit bar, similar to a popsicle, but looks home made.  They come in tropical flavors, try the mango and coconut!

The correct name is Papas Rellenas (female) but you were big time close.
Also try the piraguas (shave ice cone with different flavors try the Melao (concentrated sugar cane juice but there are many flavors.
Also try the Mantecado (more like a creamy herbert) usually made with coconut and the Helado (ice) which is a server like lemon flavored, sold at carts all over the island.

If you find it anywhere try the MAVI or MABI not sure of spelling they sound the same to a Puerto Rican. It is a golden drink similar in color to beer, it is made from the bark of a tree, it is sweet with a tang and very refreshing specially when almost frozen. Kids and adults enjoy it, it has a very small amount of alcohol due to fermentation process and ok for kids. Ask for it, it is usually in a glass gallon bottle with foam at the neck due to the fermentation. Not many tourist know it.

Malta is also a favored drink in the island, for kids and adults, it looks like dark beer, it is very Malt-ty and an acquire taste, kids drink it all the time and adults order it with meals sometimes. Due to fermentation it has a very sly alcohol content (like .03%). If you like dark beer try it one day. Even in the states I buy it and keep it in the refrigerator, my wife hates the smell and wont try it, but I grew up with it in PR so I find it delicious and the smell pleasant. Acquired taste!!!

Yup, my PR friends insisted that we try Mavi.  They said it was a tradition health tonic in PR and bought us a glass or two in SJ and at some road side stands.    I found it tasted kinda weird - but some people like it. 

Without a doubt, it is best to get advise from the locals who know the island and the foods!   

One food we still need to try is the local land crabs - i'm a little leary of it, but willing to try if recommemded. 

Any other recommendations?  I'm making a list.

Salmorejo de Jueyes (like a thick stew made with Sofrito and crabs), Alcapuria de Jueyes, Empanadas the Jueyes and plain boiled Juayes (crabs) are all the favorite forms of eating local crabs.

They are protected and only allowed to be captured some times of the year. Big fines if caught with them at other times. Once killed you can freeze and enjoy year round.

They are good¡¡¡¡¡

This topic is making hungry and I just ate.  Love Puerto Rican dishes I may have to up my flight sooner.  Buen Provecho!!

Hey Everyone,

  Yes Papas rellenas are awesome, alcapurias are great too and wash it down with Mavi or a Malta, all good.  Getting off can't salivating lol..Caio

Bacalao or salted dried cod is a favorite in PR, it is desalinated and cooked with Sofrito or   boiled and mixed with olive oil, onions, garlic and others and a side of viandas (starchy vegetables like boiled green bananas, Platanos, Yautia, Apio, panas and many others. here is one recipe, try not to overeat. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/214972/bac … fish-stew/

We make it in many ways, easy on the salt, cods is salted and has to be boiled to get most of the salt used previously or soaked in water multiple times until it is no longer salty,  so you may need no salt on the dish.

Bacalao is also used in a fritter called :Bacalaito, which is very tasty if greasy, best when just made if you let it cool off a bit.

People eat saltier in the Caribbean, part of it due to the heat and part because we like to eat and are not as couscous of our health as the US.

Pique, or Aji (hot pepper) are rarely used in foods in PR, only a few items come with it.

However most restaurant will have it by the table like they do in the states with the tabasco sauce. Pique or Aji does not have a strong flavor that overpowers the food unlike tabasco.

The typical hot pepper used is the "Aji Caballero", most just call it aji. It is made in a bottle with water, vinegar, oil, oregano, garlic (heavy), bay leaf, salt and pepper. some may add onions also and some will kick it up a notch by also using some Habaneros but it is not traditional. People vary the recipe so it is ok.

It is very aromatic and tasty without being overpowering, I add a lot of it to some of my foods like the beans and stews. ask for Pique del Pais or from the country. Some people that the doctor will no longer allow them to eat hot, pour a small amount in a dish and just have it by their food so they can enjoy the smell of it.

Aji grows all over the island most houses have at least one plant sometimes more.

https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M1b4 … mp;pid=1.1https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=pi … ea45a95co0

Yes, I have seen it in many restaurants.  Like you said, not as pungent as tabasco.   It is good, we have observed that generally speaking, the food in PR is not very spicy or hot.  And Mexican restaurants seem to be in short supply - guess not real popular in PR.

We have several Mexican food all over the place, maybe they are short in your town. Fajardo for example has at least 4 places.

But most restaurants in PR that came from the states have local dishes in their menu (like rice and beans, Tostones, and others) so a churches chicken and places like that have been changed some.

The local food is great, check some of the rotisserie chicken places (pollo a la varita), some are absolutely the best chicken I ever tasted, some of those hole in the wall places that just do chicken are really great.

I avoid expensive places and US style restaurants and prefer local and original instead, but I was raised in PR.

I think that PR was featured on an episode of the TV show "Anthony Bourdain, parts unknown" on CNN.  Haven't been able to locate a copy of the show, but would like to know where he went on the island and visit the same spots.   

Pig roasts look really good - would like to try one in PR.  Also, looking for a source for fresh seafood.

By the way olddawgsrule, fajardo has an establishment by the sea that all they do is empanadas, not sure of the name ask the locals.

For breakfast try a Panaderia (bakery). Besides bread, deli, they also serve coffee and sandwiches and are very reasonably priced. A lot of times you have people in line at night and very early in the morning when the fresh bread has been baked and people are taking it home to make breakfast or to pack a sandwich to take to work. We eat a lot of bread in PR. Two types are the most common (pan Sobao and pan de aqua) they are similar but one has a crustier outer shell. There are many others including sweet breads.

Some have a Mortadella or some other sausage sandwich with butter in one of the above breads. Then it is dipped in the coffee.

As to coffee, it is traditionally strong and a little foamy, when you order it and make no specification it means regular which means milk and sugar. If you order it black be ready to add a bit of sugar, it can be bitter. It will be rare if you do not get it with milk and sugar when you just ask for a coffee, so be specific.

Cafe (coffee), con Leche (with milk), sin Leche (without Milk), con azucar (with sugar), sin azúcar (without sugar), negro (black, nothing on it).

Sitka wrote:

I think that PR was featured on an episode of the TV show "Anthony Bourdain, parts unknown" on CNN.  Haven't been able to locate a copy of the show, but would like to know where he went on the island and visit the same spots.   

Pig roasts look really good - would like to try one in PR.  Also, looking for a source for fresh seafood.

Here are some of the places he visited http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/anth … avel-guide

Here is a short one not the full thing: http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/anth … mfort-food

But He also visited Guavate and the kiosks in Luquillo I think. His show was in Hulu long ago.

Here is what looks like the entire episode http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2bd9m … shortfilms

Oh my! Guess I asked the right people!!!
Now I have to make a list!

Thank you all!

Thanks Rey!

There is something that I think is called, " Pinono" I do not see it often but it is round like a disc. It has has ground meat in the center then hashed potato, i think, and then that is wrapped with maduros, fried banana and is held together with tooth picks. It is one of my favorite.

Mrkpytn,
    Pinono sounds tasty.  Going to find in if available in Hatillo or surrounding towns, This I haven't seen or tried.  Thanks for future appetizzer..Jose

Piononos originate from spain and there are several items in latin america with the same name. Puerto Rico's Pionono is somewhat unique.
Basically it is ripe fried plantain which is fried until tender and made into a circle and held together with toothpicks, filled with meat. a bit of eggs is put on one end and fried on that side, then more egg is put on the other end (not yet fried) and it is then flip to cook and seal. Some recipes also add cheddar cheese.
Here is a recipe but there are many others all fairly similar:
https://youtu.be/R75yKBNT4G4 (Spanish) but you can see the ingredients and the technic. If you are allelic to eggs then put cheese instead and bake it until it melts and seals on both sides. Another alternative is to use flour and water to make a loose slur and use it to do the sealing instead of the egg. However the use of egg is traditional.

Here is the recipe for the Sofrito, careful to use the seat peppers not the hot jamaican peppers that look similar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3OClWY0Huc you will need this for a LOT of Puerto Rican recipes

For the meat filling see: https://youtu.be/-J_D64ByeSc this filling is used for the piononos, for Empanadas, for Papas Rellenas, for Pastellon, or just served over white rice and beans. There are many other recipies that it is used for. Also it is great way to make something similar to a taco without the heat, just add additional cumin to get a similar flavor. You can substitute the ground beef for ground pork or ground turkey.

The big trick is the meat preparation and also ensuring that the rise plantain have been soften enough so they don't break when you are making a circle. Watch the video.

There is also a similar dish (that is like lasagna like using the fried ripe plantain instead of pasta.

Here is a recipe for the Papas Rellenas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZZq7yMJdj4 (spanish but you will get what goes on and how they do it.

This a wonderful food cultural food post!

Y'all are making me hungry!  We'll be there in a few days, I can see the papas rellenas in my near future.

Not Puerto Rican - but definitely East Texas - is a great little BBQ joint we have in Hatillo.  Sabor A Lena, on Hwy 2 near Walmart.   If you like ribs and brisket, check it out.   Bring your own beer, weekends only.

I imagine that the alcapurrias and papas rellenas can be made in advance and frozen, then fried when needed.  I've got some tostones in my freezer right now, waiting to be fried for serving.

WarnerW wrote:

I imagine that the alcapurrias and papas rellenas can be made in advance and frozen, then fried when needed.  I've got some tostones in my freezer right now, waiting to be fried for serving.

Absolutely this also includes the pasteles. Make big batches, freeze in an airtight container or good quality freezer bag, when ready let it come to room temperature then cook. Make sure it is not frozen in the center or it will not cook properly.

When it is time to make Puerto Rican food in my house, my wife sends me to the kitchen. She is a superb cook but not Puerto Rican. She does make good Puerto Rican Carne Guisada (PR beef stew).

At restaurants the combination of white rice, beans and Carne Guisada is known as a Mista, so just ask for a Mista and you are all set. They may ask if you want Maduros or a salad, those are extra. Very popular for a quick lunch since everything is already made.

I grow mofofo bananas on my farm and this seems to be the favorite for the person who makes the piononos in Ponce. I do not use them much so I gift them to him. My specialty is slicing malanga paper thin and soaking it in coconut oil,  liquid amino acids (Dr Bronners) and lime juice. Then frying them in a panini maker. I have yet to have a guest or friend who has not loved them. A beverage that I developed is frozen fresh mangoe from our tree,  whipped in a blender with fresh lime juice, fresh curry leaf, rum and ice. The curry is very compatible with the exotic mangoe flavor

Yes Curry and mangoes go together just ask the people from India. Great combination. So the malanga is like making potato chips?

Mrkpytn wrote:

I grow mofofo bananas on my farm and this seems to be the favorite for the person who makes the piononos in Ponce. I do not use them much so I gift them to him. My specialty is slicing malanga paper thin and soaking it in coconut oil,  liquid amino acids (Dr Bronners) and lime juice. Then frying them in a panini maker. I have yet to have a guest or friend who has not loved them. A beverage that I developed is frozen fresh mangoe from our tree,  whipped in a blender with fresh lime juice, fresh curry leaf, rum and ice. The curry is very compatible with the exotic mangoe flavor

Looking forward to sharing one of these 'frozen fresh mangoe' treats as you tell us about your area!
I'm a guy that usually has many questions, so it may take two!

Good God what responses! This is awesome! Thank you all!

One of the things my wife and I love of visiting an area, is trying the local flavor.

Some of the dishes like Pasteles and alcapurias take a lot of time and work, make large batches and freeze, then cook when you need a pick me up for months.

The malanga chips are sort of like potato chips but not as crunchy and they need to be eaten freshly cooked. If they sit too long they get a little soft.

ReyP wrote:

Some of the dishes like Pasteles and alcapurias take a lot of time and work, make large batches and freeze, then cook when you need a pick me up for months.

LOL! Like pick you up and share?
Love the responses Rey et all. (hmm, is et Spanish..)

As Puerto Rican having some PR food once in a while in the states lightens my step.