Puerto Rican Cuisine

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Puerto Rico- Cooking and Food

Overview of Puerto Rican Cuisine History


The Puerto Rican cuisine is a fusion of the European, Afro-Caribbean and Latin American cultures and traditions. For this reason alone, the Puerto Rican cuisine is noted to be the most palate tempting cuisines throughout the Western Hemisphere today. The Puerto Rican style of cooking is quite similar to that of the Spanish as well as the Latin American cuisine preparation. Over the decades the Puerto Rican cooking has developed a unique style of cooking that uses native seasonings and ingredients in its cuisine such as coriander, fresh papaya, nispero, apio, plantains, cassava and vampee. The Créole cooking method that is used in the Puerto Rican cuisine can be traced back to the Arawaks and Tainos who were the original inhabitants of the Puerto Rican island. These ancient people thrived on a diet which consisted of corn, tropical fruit and basically seafood. However, when the Spanish arrived in 1493, soon the plantation of sugar began in the region. The Spanish introduced other ingredients such as beef, pork, rice, wheat and olive oil to the island of Puerto Rico, and all of these ingredients were then incorporated into the diet of the native people of Puerto Rico. The Spanish also started to import slaves from Africa, who brought with them okra and taro which is known as yautia in Puerto Rico. This change and blend of flavors and ingredients were then passed from generation to generation, and finally this resulted in the exotic blend of the cuisine of Puerto Rico today.

Cuisines of Puerto Rico


The cuisines of Puerto Rico are undoubtedly very scrumptious and delicious. There is a huge variety of truly mouth savoring dishes in the cuisine of Puerto Rico. Most of the meals in the cuisine of Puerto Rico are made from a blend of herbs and spices that give many of the traditionally native foods their true distinctive taste and color. A popular dish known as Adobo, is prepared by crushing peppercorns, oregano, salt, olive oil and lime juice and sometimes vinegar all together, and then it is rubbed into various kinds of meat varieties before they are roasted. This dish in the cuisine of Puerto Rico is a favorite among the locals in the region. It is prepared with a little tact but does not require a lot of hassle. Most of the dishes in the cuisine of Puerto Rico are extremely easy to prepare and serve. Another common cuisine is the Sofrito, which is basically an assortment of onions, garlic, coriander and a lot of pepper which are browned in olive oil. The cuisines of Puerto Rico are unquestionably really lip-licking and a truly a delight to have.

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Puerto Rican Food Glossary
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Preparation Methods for Puerto Rican Cooking
Even though no specific method which is ‘special’ that used while preparing your Puerto Rican cuisine, nonetheless there are various methods used in the preparation process of the Puerto Rican cooking. If you are looking for perfect results to stem out then it is better to stick to the old traditional manner of preparing your Arabian cuisine. The traditional ways of Puerto Rican style of cooking is easy and quite hassle free. As most of the dishes in the cuisine do not require any specific tact, therefore you will find yourself truly enjoying preparing your Puerto Rican cuisine. It is useful to have the right kind of equipment for making your meals. As the cuisine of Puerto Rico can vary from being hot and spicy to mild, be sure to use the exact amount of spices and herbs while you prepare your Puerto Rican meal. Other than all that has been mentioned above, there is no distinctive preparation method for Puerto Rican cuisine.

Special Equipment for Puerto Rican Cooking
There is no particular ‘special’ equipment that you would necessitate for your Puerto Rican meal preparation. General stoves, ovens, non-sticky pots and pans are some of the most useful and handy utensils that you will need for your Puerto Rican cuisine cooking. It is always recommended to use wooden stirrers rather than the stainless steel ones. You will find many meat dishes as well as vegetable dishes in the Puerto Rican cuisine; therefore metal skewers are very handy and a great utensil. Grills can come to being very handy for a few of the meat dishes. If you are a creative cook and want to make your Puerto Rican soup in the traditional Puerto Rican style, then grab hold of one or two large or medium sized pots. You can find most of this equipment for cooking your scrumptious traditional Puerto Rican cuisine, in almost all food departmental stores that are around you. Cooking a Puerto Rican meal is not a tricky job at all, it is fun, and with having all the right equipment at hand can make your cooking even more pleasurable.

Puerto Rican Food Traditions and Festivals
Traditionally Puerto Rican customs, festivals and traditions play a key role in the region. From common gatherings of friends and family which are quite large to religious ceremonies, all are extremely festive and the traditional Puerto Rican cuisine is served at all of the traditional festivals and religious ceremonies. Even small gatherings, which is a common sight in the region as it has been prevalent in the region for centuries, the cuisine from the cuisine of Puerto Rico is laid out and served to the guests. Religious ceremonies such as weddings, birth of a baby, Christmas Eve celebrations, New Year celebrations as well as funerals are all accompanied by a huge display of the Puerto Rican cuisine at each celebration. Puerto Ricans love food, and any joyous occasion asks for great festivity and a grand array of dishes from the cuisine of Puerto Rico to be prepared, served and of course eaten.

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