Our first stop on our world food tour is the sassy, sunny country of Puerto Rico! Grab your tickets on AirLauhrinse because the plane leaves in 3… 2… 1…
A little over 1,000 miles southeast of Miami, Florida is the country of Puerto Rico. While it may be small in size, it sure is big in culture! Although a territory of the United States of America, the country has maintained its own culture while also being influenced by its dominant neighbor to the north. Scattered along the streets of San Juan you may come across street vendors reminiscent of New York City or the obvious globalization of American business, but clustered in between are authentic Puerto Rican shops and restaurants exhibiting the country’s culture for tourists and locals alike.
Like many Latin American countries, Puerto Rican cuisine is a blend of Spanish, African, and Taíno cuisines. Taínos are considered to be the native people of Puerto Rico and surrounding islands (including Jamaica, Hispanola, and Cuba) and created a staple cuisine based off of the foods and crops that are indigenous to the islands. After Spanish conquest, foods such as cilantro, wheat, sugarcane, and various types of meat were introduced to the country and began to integrate into the Taíno cuisine. Decades later, with the introduction of slavery, Africans were transported to the country and with them brought coconuts, coffee, pigeon peas, and the method of deep-frying food. All of these cultures blended together to make the current Puerto Rican cuisine and one of the eventual product of these cultures: pastelillos.
What? Those are empanadas… WRONG! These are pastelillos, NOT empanadas. Pastelillos are a staple dish made by Puerto Rican families all over the world. As a true blend of cultures, pastelillos include peppers from the Taínos, garlic and onions from the Spanish, among several other ingredients. They are then cooked using the African method of deep-frying to create a mouth-watering little meat pocket that packs a big punch and keeps you coming back for more. Pastelillos can either be cooked as a snack or a side dish, or as the main meal due to its many different variations. Because of its prime location in the Atlantic Ocean, you could guess that seafood pastelillos would be a major hit in the country. Crab, lobster, and shrimp pastelillos are a staple of costal Puerto Rican cities and towns due to their ability to obtain the freshest ingredients for their foods. While pork is also a very popular option in the country, beef pastelillos are generally enjoyed more stateside, almost as an American spin on the traditional plate.
Personally my favorites are the beef pastelillos filled with peppers and cheese. Now, that may be the Philadelphian in me coming out (Philly Cheesesteaks, am I right?), but it is simple yet still packs a powerful punch of flavor and texture. From the crunch of the fried dough, to the juicy beef, to the gooey cheese, everything about it works! Now that I have your mouth watering too, here comes a PSA: by all means, never forget your Adobo seasoning! For those of you who may not know, Adobo is a chief seasoning in every Latin household (and mine too!) that can adorn any and every dish. Next time you’re making a meal with meat or seafood, sprinkle a little of that on for some extra flavor.
Man, now I am hungry! I am going to wrap this up before I eat my screen. If you every pass by a Puerto Rican restaurant or know a Puerto Rican family ask them about pastelillos and I promise it will not disappoint! Join me next week as we venture to another Caribbean island for a taste of their dramatic flair and funky music! Por ahora, ¡hasta la proxima semana! Te veré pronto.
-Lauhrinse
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