Puerto Rican Cuisine Research Paper

Food is one thing that is vital in everyday life for survival. Every city and town have their own style when it comes to making food. There is an enormous diversity in Puerto Rican Cuisine. Research has exposed that there is way more to the native cuisine than just tacos and spicy food. Many cultures have had a great influence on the cuisine in Puerto Rico such as Africa, Spain, Latin America, and the United States. The main dishes contain staples such as rice, chicken, bran, shellfish, and dairy. These common staples are easy to grow, catch, or cultivate. My research also shows that constant tropical storms and hurricanes hit Puerto Rico. This creates difficulties in agriculture and fishing (whether it be from land or deep sea). This

The phrase cocina criolla means Créole cooking. “Most Americans will associate Créole cooking with the cuisine of Louisiana, but that's not the case here. In the Spanish-speaking islands, criollo refers to Spanish Americans of European descent” (Valldejuli). Valldejuli makes this statement in her book Puerto Rican Cooking to clarify what Créole is. This is very important because it has been found to be what the early colonists ate and “who thrived on a diet of corn, tropical fruit, and seafood” (Rivera). Not only did native Puerto Ricans survive off their selective diet of corn, tropical fruit, and seafood instead they thrived from it. The food resources they were in contact with were much more than one needed to solely survive. Juan Ponce de Leon, a page in the royal court of Aragon, traveled with Christopher Columbus in 1492 to the New World of America’s. Leon later in 1493 discovered the island of Puerto Rico in search for gold. Along with 50 men, Leon and “the Spanish added beef, pork, rice, wheat, and olive oil to the island's foodstuffs” (Rivera). Spain not only brought over food but also brought African slaves long with them. These African slaves introducing taro which is a

Many people assume that Puerto Rican food is spicy and has been derived mainly from Mexico but, they don’t seem to understand that while Mexico has a large influence on their cuisine, they had developed an original cuisine before anything was introduced to them. They lived off a diet of corn, tropical fruits, and seafood. Luckily, with the introduction of animals, vegetables, fruits, and seasonings they could create their own exotic cuisine which differentiates them from any other group of food such as Mexican or Spanish’s. “Almost 70 percent of the food on the island of Puerto Rica is imported from the United States” (Syracuse). With most of the food being imported this leaves for a very small amount that the island must provide for themselves. The frequent tropical storms and hurricanes makes it very difficult for farmers or businesses to create and produce necessary items such as crops and packaged foods. This allows for many homecooked meals which is an important part of cuisine. While restaurants and stores allow natives to buy food from them, it is a very different style to make most of the food at home. Homecooked meals and mild distinctive tastes allow for Puerto Rico to hold true to their exotic