Food you don’t want to miss in Puerto Rico

Half the adventure of vacationing in an exotic location like Puerto Rico is trying all the local treats and good eats.  Puerto Rico has some of the best food throughout the entire Caribbean.  So here’s a list of food you don’t want to miss in Puerto Rico.

Traditional Foods

Rice and beans are the traditional mainstays of Puerto Rico.  Pork in any and every form is also abundant in traditional dishes.  And you can’t get away from the good old plantain (banana), although there are tons of different varieties of plantain that aren’t readily available in the US.  Some of the best treats are made out of bananas usually they are fried and dipped in sugar.

To try some of the very best Puerto Rican food you’d have to have some good connections to native Puerto Ricans.  They serve up some delicious dishes such as asopao, a chicken based stew with rice, seafood, and awesome flavorings.  The Puerto Ricans also have their version of a luau which involves a pig and plenty of good side dishes.  Puerto Rico also makes the famous Spanish dish: paella.  This is a must try for someone who has never had it.

Another very traditional dish served in Puerto Rico comes from Spanish influence as well – the tortilla Espanola or Spanish omelet.  This dish is basically an egg omelet with some chopped up pieces of potato and onion and a healthy dose of olive oil.  It is an amazing dish and is a food you don’t want to miss while in Puerto Rico.

Other Local Favs

There are several other dishes that could be considered local favorites that are available from road side stands or in sit-down restaurants.  One of these must try dishes is bacalaitos which are crunchy cod fritters (everything is good fried right?).  Another famous treat throughout Puerto Rico and many Hispanic regions is the empanada or empanadilla.  This is a half-moon shaped pastry turnover that is usually filled with seafood, pork, or beef.  These tasty treats are a must have.

For a more filling meal, vacationers should try something like the popular fish and shellfish.  This dish includes some savory fried fish with an authentic Puerto Rican sauce.  The sauce comes from olives, olive oil, some onion, a little garlic, tomato sauce, and some capers.

Fruits

People are often amazed at how many more fruits are available in tropical locations.  There are fruits in these locations that people in the United States have never even heard of.   They are all very delicious and certainly foods that you don’t want to miss while in Puerto Rico.  Some of these tasty must-eat-treats are guineos niños which are small finger sized sweet bananas, parcha which is passion fruit, mameyes, quenepas, and guanabanas.  Other more well known fruits are just plain more delicious in Puerto Rico.  While visiting Puerto Rico a person should really make it a point to eat papaya, mango, oranges, and tamarind.  These delicious fruits won’t be a disappointment.

Desserts

Saving the best for last, here’s a look at some fabulous desserts that you don’t want to miss while you are in Puerto Rico.  The traditional mainstay for most desserts is flan.  Flan is just custard which is made with whole eggs, cream, and sugar.  It can have a variety of flavorings added to it, the most common being caramel syrup or vanilla.

For coconut lovers, this is the place to be.  Not only is Puerto Rico the home of the original piña colada, but many of the desserts use coconut flavorings as well.  If you have brought a potential sweetheart along perhaps the dessert for you would be polvo de amor or love powder.  This dessert is prepared by grating up dried coconut meat, mixing it with lots of sugar, and cooking it to a beautiful crispy golden brown.

Puerto Rico has a lot to offer for any hungry appetite, and there are certainly plenty of foods that you don’t want to miss.  So, be sure to try all the local foods while vacationing in Puerto Rico.