10 most common/popular/traditional Puerto Rican dishes

Sofrito:
It is a mix of Green, Red, and sweet pepers with coreander and other herbs, onions, lots of garlic. Made in a blender in large quantities and frozen to use over time. It is the base of many dishes in PR.

Adobo is a mix you cn buy in the store, it is used to put on meats before cooking. Goya brand is most popular

Sazon Goya with Achiote, it is used in combination with the Sofrito in most dishes in PR. The one with Achote (Red natural colorant) provides the redish color most want.

For rice:
White, Rice and Beans (Gandules, Pinto, RKidney beans, not black, thats cuban)
Arroz Masposteao (Mixed rice and beans put together as 1)
Arroz con Gandules
Arroz con Pollo (rice with chicken)
Arroz con pulpo Rice with octopus
Arroz con camarones rice with Shrimp

Pork:
Whole pig roasted on the spit
Pernil (fresh ham baked in the oven
Carne frita (Chucks of port fried)
Chuletas Fritas (fried porkchops)
Chuletas en Salsa (Pork chops in Sauce made with tomato sauce, sofrito, green peppers, onions, and garlic

Beef
Bistec Ensebollao (thing strips of beef cooked with a little vinegar, garlic, lots of onions, and adobo. Cooks for a whole to make it tender, uses a very cheap cut of beef
Regular BBQ also strips of steak with different sauces.

Many many dishes including soups, desserts, etc.
Here is a video to get you started. https://youtu.be/AVLZeUK3XaM

Become familiar with how to make Sofrito, very important, a lot of dishes require it.

If you like hot stuff, become familiar with "Pique", use the hot pepper from PR to be authentic, but use some other pepper if that is all you can find. Pique is served on the side and used only in a few dishes. Mostly it is on the side to use if the person wants it.

There are plenty of videos and channels in youtube about how to make Puerto Rican food.

Ohio has a bit of PR population, find a supermarket that caters to Puerto Ricans. Where Puerto Ricans are the supermarkets will cater. I find most items in MA in a few supermarkets.

My wife is Gringa. When it comes to PR food, I cook it. However she can make a mean "Carne Guisada" (Stew Meat) that she found a recipe for.

I like the recipes from this lady. https://youtu.be/AlAvoFwxeHI

If you understand spanish I like the receipiues from this lady the most: https://youtu.be/DQaQk2uyzAE

Alcapurias: https://youtu.be/WdbCJoXop9U

Mofongo with salsa criolla and with carrucho is my fav. This Wikipedia article doesn't appear to mention carrucho for some reason. The sauce could also be a garlic sauce.

It can also come with shrimp, pulpo, chicken, pork, etc. Untraditionally, it could be made with yuca mash instead of platino, but this is not as common.

It's not usually a dish made at home but it can be!

My favorite PR treat is frozen Limber (sp?).  Named after the aviator Charles Lindbergh who reportedly loved them.   They come in many tropical flavors. 

Some pictures https://www.pinterest.com/pin/446489750529617956/ to make you hungry.

Carrucho Salad https://youtu.be/yHKiIvpSz9w
Carrucho is also known as king Conch

Nothing that delicious in Switzerland - nothing here even comes close!

If you come across a pincho (similar to kebobs) stand, they are delicious!  In the metro area, Willy's Pinchos was our favorite.

Rey... you forgot Mofongo!