In recent years, Puerto Rico -
and San Juan in particular - has
commanded a growing reputation
as the culinary hot spot of the
Caribbean. World-renowned chefs
at vanguard restaurants prepare
dynamic
Nuevo Latino
cuisine - a twist on traditional
criollo cooking, with an
emphasis on fish, fruits, tubers
and dark rum sauces or marinades
with tropical ingredients.
You'll also find every manner of
ethnic food in the capital,
including Indian, Thai, French
and even Romanian.
Criollo fare , however,
is still the staple of the
Puerto Rican diet. Meats are
mostly served with rice and red
beans (habichuelas) or
tostones - medallions of
mashed, fried plantains.
Sofrito - a sauce made from
cilantro, onions, garlic and
peppers - is used to season many
dishes, as is adobo , a
mixture of garlic, oregano,
paprika, vinegar and oil. The
food is typically tasty but much
of it is starchy and fried in
animal fat, and pork is far more
popular than fish outside of the
major cities.
The system of state-sanctioned
restaurants , called
mesones gastronómicos ,
presumably ensures a standard of
decency among participating
restaurants (most of which serve
traditional criollo food), but
the quality can vary widely. For
a list of these establishments,
contact the Country Inns
Central Information Office (tel
800/866-7827) or pick up a copy
of Que Pasa? .
Budget travellers can
fill up at cheap rice-and-beans
joints all over the island or
seek out savory criollo staples
like asopao de pollo (stewed
chicken) and plátanos (plantains)
or lechón asado (roast
pork) and mofongo (a ball
of crushed, fried plantains and
seasonings), sold from trailers
or the backs of pickup trucks.
Reposterías are also a
good bet. Found in San Juan and
in strip malls islandwide, they
have some of the island's best
coffee, along with breakfast
postres - slightly sweet
pastries filled with meat or
cheese; they also sell soups,
tortillas, seafood salads and
fresh bread. Note that in all
but the best restaurants, fresh
vegetables are hard to come by,
but supermarkets like Pueblo
usually carry a good supply.
Coffee in Puerto Rico
is strong, served black or with
heated milk ( café con leche
), and very sweet. Look out for
signs for refreshing coco
frío - chilled coconuts
punctured with drinking straws.
While not as common, fresh-fruit
drinks made from mangos,
papayas and oranges (known as
jugo de china ) are also
available. Not surprisingly,
rum ( ron ) is the
national drink, as Puerto Rico
is the world's largest producer
of this sugarcane-based liquor;
more than twenty brands are
distilled here. The locally
brewed beer is Medalla;
Presidente, from the Dominican
Republic, is also popular.
For the most part, tap
water is safe to drink.
However, it's wise to avoid it
after storms and instead stick
with bottled water, which is
widely available. If in doubt,
ask the locals.
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