WEBVTT 00:00.560 --> 00:05.080 There's no shortage of incredible cuisine in Latin America, but Puerto Rico in particular 00:05.080 --> 00:09.100 produces plenty of mouthwatering delicacies. These are just some of the foods you might 00:09.100 --> 00:18.000 find on a culinary tour of the Caribbean territory. Pernel is the boracoa version of lechon, Latin American-style roast pork. It's a staple on 00:18.000 --> 00:21.760 Puerto Rican tables at Christmas, but you can also get it from restaurants and food 00:21.760 --> 00:26.480 stalls throughout the year, or as an ingredient in other dishes, like sandwiches. It's traditionally 00:26.480 --> 00:31.100 made with a whole suckling pig, but you can also roast any large chunk of skin on pork 00:31.100 --> 00:35.760 if you want to replicate the Pernille experience at home. You roast pigs 00:36.080 --> 00:44.380 We do. We have a big one hanging in the garage. The key to Pernille's incredible flavor is a marinade called Mojo that's made out of 00:44.380 --> 00:52.940 minced garlic, oregano, oil, adobo seasoning, and sazon. These last two ingredients are spice mixes that are ubiquitous in Puerto Rican cooking 00:52.940 --> 00:56.480 You can make them yourself if you have the time, but there's no shame in the store-bought 00:56.480 --> 01:04.580 Puerto Rican seasoning blends that are used by legions of home cooks. Once the pig is roasted, the most desirable part is the crispy skin, known as cuirito 01:04.900 --> 01:08.800 If you're serving per nil at home, make sure everybody gets a piece of the skin so you 01:08.800 --> 01:13.820 don't offend any of your guests. Almost every culture has some kind of rice and beans dish 01:14.020 --> 01:18.860 Whether it's South Asian pilaf, Cajun red beans, or Central American gallo pinto, this 01:18.860 --> 01:22.800 comforting combo has won over fans across the globe. It's easy to see why 01:22.940 --> 01:27.460 Beans and rice are cheap, shelf-stable, and nutritious, delivering all the essential amino 01:27.460 --> 01:35.920 acids as well as fiber, iron, and other nutrients. The Puerto Rican iteration of this dependable formula uses gandoles, a type of legume originally 01:35.920 --> 01:39.560 grown in India that's sometimes referred to as pigeon peas in English 01:39.920 --> 01:44.980 It uses a flavor base that you'll see frequently in Puerto Rican dishes, sofrito, sazon, and 01:44.980 --> 01:49.700 asciote oil, which combine with canned tomato to give the rice in this dish a distinctive 01:49.700 --> 01:56.760 orange-red color and complex flavor. A rose con gandulas is often made with pork, but you can leave out the meat for a vegetarian version 01:57.140 --> 02:02.240 Chopped green manzanilla olives add some pretty color and briny acidity to counter the dish's starchiness 02:03.000 --> 02:07.100 Puerto Rico is a country that has endured several waves of colonization over the centuries 02:07.400 --> 02:11.380 with each new group of people adding their own ingredients and techniques to the island's cuisine 02:11.820 --> 02:16.960 Mofongo originated among slaves of African descent brought to Puerto Rico by the Spanish colonizers 02:16.960 --> 02:23.240 It's descended from fufu, a West African dish made by pounding tubers like yam or cassava into a paste 02:23.500 --> 02:27.060 Mofongo trades African ingredients for ones that were available in Puerto Rico 02:27.480 --> 02:33.460 swapping out plantain for yam and adding pork and garlic. Although it's a starchy side dish eaten to accompany other foods 02:33.620 --> 02:40.920 it provides a lot of flavor and richness in and of itself, combining fried plantains, pork skin or bacon, and garlic into a rich mash 02:41.100 --> 02:45.040 Mofongo got its start in Puerto Rico, but it has spread to other countries as well 02:45.040 --> 02:50.540 with Cubans and Dominicans making their own spins on the dish. How was lunch 02:51.060 --> 02:56.260 I'm a sucker for plantains. Oh, me too. I gotta watch myself around those things 02:56.900 --> 03:03.440 It seems like there's a universal human need for chicken soup. What soothes the soul better than a steaming bowl of brothy chicken 03:03.440 --> 03:08.380 with some rice or noodles floating around in it? Puerto Rican chicken soup, a sopao de pollo 03:08.580 --> 03:17.220 hits all those comforting notes while also packing some serious flavor. Some recipes combine bone-in chicken pieces with ham, adobo, sofrito, tomatoes, capers 03:17.440 --> 03:24.900 and manzanilla olives for an unforgettable experience. A Sopal plays a starring role in a Puerto Rican form of partying called a paranda 03:25.240 --> 03:29.400 It's somewhat similar to the English tradition of caroling in that groups of singers go from 03:29.400 --> 03:33.080 door to door asking for refreshments. The difference is that paranda happens late at 03:33.080 --> 03:38.320 night, and the group of singers, or paranderos, ritualistically kidnaps each household they visit 03:38.320 --> 03:43.420 bringing them along to harass the next house. Traditionally, a sopao de pollo had been the food 03:43.420 --> 03:47.760 of choice for peranda because you can prepare it ahead of time and reheat it whenever you're 03:47.760 --> 03:52.200 rudely thrust out of bed. While the chicken variety is most popular, a sopao in general 03:52.200 --> 03:57.480 happens to be Puerto Rico's national soup. Literally translated to rice with sweetness 03:57.800 --> 04:02.920 a rose con dulce is the boracoa answer to rice pudding. It brings a pop of Caribbean flavor to 04:02.920 --> 04:08.040 what can often be a bland, starchy mush, adding coconut milk, cloves, canela, and fresh ginger to 04:08.040 --> 04:12.580 the rice as it cooks. As with many other rice dishes, soaking the grains before cooking ensures 04:12.580 --> 04:17.279 that every grain is moist, creamy, and perfectly done. It's recommended to soak for at least three 04:17.279 --> 04:21.740 hours, but you can go for up to a few days. Unlike many American and European rice pudding 04:21.740 --> 04:26.720 recipes that rely on dairy for creaminess, a rose con dulce is vegan. It's also a good dessert 04:26.720 --> 04:31.060 option for people who can't eat gluten. You can eat a rose con dulce hot and fresh from the pot 04:31.140 --> 04:35.000 but it's more traditional to eat it chilled. It solidifies when it's cold, allowing it to be cut 04:35.000 --> 04:39.660 into tidy squares for serving. There's just something about the winter holidays that makes 04:39.660 --> 04:44.400 people want a thick, creamy way to drink alcohol. In English-speaking parts of the world, drinkers 04:44.400 --> 04:49.500 suddenly develop a taste for eggnog in December. Puerto Rican cooks, however, whip up creamy coquito 04:49.500 --> 04:53.760 around Christmas time. Although coquito is certainly very rich, it's a little lighter than 04:53.760 --> 04:58.260 eggnog because it doesn't have eggs. The creamy component is a mixture of sweetened condensed milk 04:58.560 --> 05:02.740 coconut cream, and coconut milk. For those who want it boozy, rum is the traditional option 05:02.740 --> 05:07.780 A hefty dose of sweet wintry spices like cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon are added to make it taste 05:07.780 --> 05:11.660 like Christmas. If you're looking for something to serve at a holiday party this year, Coquito 05:11.660 --> 05:15.580 is a real crowd pleaser. You can even make little bottles of it to give to friends 05:16.320 --> 05:20.380 Caldo Santo is another holiday specialty, but for Good Friday instead of Christmas 05:20.800 --> 05:25.420 Translating to holy stew, this meal is made from fish, meaning that it abides by Catholic 05:25.420 --> 05:30.180 proscriptions against eating land animals on Good Friday. Like mofongo, this dish shows an 05:30.180 --> 05:34.560 African influence on its flavors and ingredients. For most of its history, it was little known 05:34.560 --> 05:39.000 outside of the region surrounding the city of Louisa. But its appearance in Emma Dupre de 05:39.000 --> 05:45.440 Sterling's seminal 2004 cookbook, Cocina Artis Puerto Riquenna, made the soup significantly more 05:45.440 --> 05:55.340 well-known and popular. This stew is friggin' delicious. Caldo Santo is typically made with a mix of seafood that includes shrimp, bacalao, and fresh 05:55.340 --> 05:59.660 snapper. The fish is simmered with root vegetables and plantain balls in a broth of coconut milk 05:59.660 --> 06:04.860 aciota oil, coriander, peppers, and garlic. The flavor of the seafood enriches the broth with a 06:04.860 --> 06:12.660 briny flavor, and the aciota oil turns it a beautiful orange color. Tembleca is known as Puerto Rican coconut pudding, but it's not like the stuff you get 06:12.660 --> 06:16.820 in a cup for school lunch. Instead, it's more like the mid-century Jell-O molds that your 06:16.820 --> 06:20.860 grandma might have made, at least in texture. It's named after the Spanish word for shake 06:21.120 --> 06:25.320 temblor, and it definitely lives up to its name when it pops out of the mold in all its jiggly 06:25.320 --> 06:30.420 glory. Unlike Jell-O, which is thickened with animal gelatin, Tembleca uses cornstarch so 06:30.420 --> 06:34.780 vegans and vegetarians can eat it. To make it, combine coconut milk with sugar, seasonings 06:34.880 --> 06:39.860 and cornstarch, and cook in a saucepan until the starch gelatinizes. Then pour the hot mixture into 06:39.860 --> 06:44.580 a pan and chill to set. Flavor-wise, Tembleca tastes festive and tropical, with the sweet 06:44.580 --> 06:49.340 flavor of coconut harmonizing with lime, cinnamon, and vanilla. If you want to achieve a beautiful 06:49.460 --> 06:58.940 snowy-white Tembleca, be sure to find additive-free coconut milk. The word pastel translates to pie in Spanish, but Puerto Rican pasteles aren't very pie-like 06:58.940 --> 07:03.020 Instead, they're much more reminiscent of Mexican tamales, but with some key differences 07:03.480 --> 07:07.760 Like with tamales in Mexico and the American Southwest, Puerto Rican families like to have 07:07.760 --> 07:21.829 big pastel parties during the Christmas season dividing the laborious process amongst many family members Also like tamales pasteles are traditionally prepared with a slow pork filling that wrapped in masa and steamed in a leaf Other than that they pretty different from each other 07:22.049 --> 07:26.309 Rather than the corn-based masa in Mexican tamales, the masa for pasteles is made from 07:26.309 --> 07:31.089 green plantains and a variety of root vegetables. Pasteles are also steamed in banana leaves instead 07:31.089 --> 07:34.609 of corn husks. While the pork filling in pasteles might look like tamale filling 07:34.609 --> 07:39.909 Its use of sofrito, vinegar, capers, and sazon makes it taste Puerto Rican through and through 07:40.549 --> 07:44.409 It's unclear whether He-Burritos existed under their current name until Puerto Rican 07:44.409 --> 07:48.169 restaurants in Chicago started selling them. But whether or not they originated on the island 07:48.349 --> 07:54.269 they're a part of the Puerto Rican food canon at this point. The distinguishing feature of a He-Burritos sandwich is the bread 07:54.509 --> 08:02.549 which is actually a flattened, fried piece of unripe plantain. You fry it, you smash it, you fry it again, and then you have the crispy tostón 08:02.549 --> 08:07.969 Although he didn't call them jiburritos, Puerto Rican restaurateur Jorge Munoz started serving 08:07.969 --> 08:13.469 sandwiches on plantain bread in the early 90s. Juan Figueroa, a Puerto Rican chef in Chicago 08:13.689 --> 08:17.609 read about Munoz's Sandwich de Platano and started making his own version 08:17.889 --> 08:21.869 which was rechristened the jiburrito. From there, it spread to other communities with 08:21.869 --> 08:26.349 large numbers of Puerto Ricans, like New York City and Florida. You can put almost anything 08:26.349 --> 08:30.669 inside a jiburrito, but the original filling is a thin-sliced steak dressed with mayonnaise 08:30.669 --> 08:34.889 garlic oil, lettuce, and tomato. If beef isn't your thing, you can swap it out with pork 08:35.069 --> 08:39.189 chicken, or seafood. Like its cousins, the po' boy sandwich and the hoagie 08:39.469 --> 08:46.269 the tripletta started as a portable meal for working-class men. The long roll that tripletta's are served on allows cooks to shove an entire dinner 08:46.269 --> 08:51.269 onto one sandwich. If you like Cuban sandwiches, the tripletta's combination of roast pork and ham 08:51.269 --> 08:56.169 will look familiar. The Puerto Rican sandwich ups the ante by adding a third meat, thinly sliced 08:56.169 --> 08:59.689 steak. The sandwich gets its name from the combination of these three meats, which are 08:59.689 --> 09:05.629 dressed with Swiss cheese and the standard lettuce, tomato, and onion. The classic condiment for a tripletta is mayo quechu 09:05.869 --> 09:10.049 a mix of ketchup, mayonnaise, and other seasonings that's quite popular in Puerto Rico 09:10.309 --> 09:14.169 The final topping, and the most fun one, is crispy canned shoestring potatoes 09:14.489 --> 09:19.049 With all the fixings, a good tripletta can be a struggle to fit in your mouth, but it's worth the effort 09:19.729 --> 09:24.489 Like many food names, almojabanas refers to different dishes depending on what country you're in 09:24.489 --> 09:28.829 In Colombia, it means a kind of savory leavened roll made with a dough of corn masa flour 09:28.829 --> 09:34.109 baking powder, and cheese that gets baked in the oven. Puerto Rican almojabanas share some features 09:34.109 --> 09:38.669 with the Colombian variety in that they are round breads made with cheese. However, the Puerto Rican 09:38.669 --> 09:42.829 version is deep-fried, almost like a cheesy donut. It's also made with a different kind of dough that 09:42.829 --> 09:47.869 uses rice flour and wheat flour instead of masa. This kind of almojabanas is often served sweet 09:47.869 --> 09:51.789 with a post-fry soak in honey and brown sugar. If savory is more to your taste 09:51.789 --> 09:55.709 you can use the same dough and frying procedure and just sprinkle it with crumbled cheese instead 09:55.709 --> 10:01.449 of sugar. Albon di Ghosn, which roughly translates to big meatball, is like if a classic meatloaf 10:01.449 --> 10:06.029 and a scotch egg had a baby. Some recipes use a whopping six different types of meat — ground 10:06.029 --> 10:10.949 beef, ground pork, chopped ham, ground chicken, bacon, and canned deviled ham. The mixture is 10:10.949 --> 10:14.649 bound together with breadcrumbs and eggs, and then, in case there wasn't enough protein 10:14.949 --> 10:19.049 stuffed with hard-boiled eggs. Like classic diner meatloaf, it gets a thick tomato-y glaze 10:19.229 --> 10:23.209 but in this case, it's a step up from sticky ketchup. This is a fresh tomato sauce that's 10:23.209 --> 10:31.569 thickened with flour, and flavored with bay leaf, oregano, and olives. Albonne de Gón is popular beyond Puerto Rico, with variants between regions and even families 10:31.969 --> 10:38.169 For instance, other recipes for Colombian Albonne de Gón stuff the meatloaf with carrots and green beans, in addition to the boiled eggs 10:39.109 --> 10:44.949 Fricassee is a term for a type of meat stew. You can fricassee many different types of meat, but chicken is always a popular choice 10:45.129 --> 10:49.809 Fricasseeing is a European technique that arrived in Puerto Rico because of Spanish and French colonists 10:49.989 --> 10:54.669 Europeans brought fricassees to many of their Caribbean colonies, and this dish is very popular in Cuba 10:54.849 --> 10:59.069 in addition to Puerto Rico. Fricasse de pollo is somewhat similar to French cocova 10:59.349 --> 11:06.089 slowly simmering chicken in a broth of red wine and aromatic vegetables. The seasoning for fricasse shows a distinctly boricola touch 11:06.229 --> 11:10.109 adding tomatoes, cilantro, bell peppers, and adobo. This is a saucy dish 11:10.269 --> 11:14.849 and it definitely needs some kind of starch, like a rose con gandulas, to soak up all the juices 11:15.269 --> 11:19.549 Of course, as a home cooking dish, there are as many fricasse recipes as there are families 11:19.809 --> 11:23.869 Other variations add ham, vinegar, and capers for a completely different experience 11:24.409 --> 11:28.749 How you doing, Marchi? How's the fricassee? Pretty darn good. You want some 11:29.389 --> 11:33.389 Picadillo is a seasoned ground beef dish that is popular in many Latin American cultures 11:33.649 --> 11:38.169 The Puerto Rican version gets its flavor from sofrito, a mixture of cilantro leaves, garlic 11:38.329 --> 11:42.789 and peppers cooked down into a paste. Sofrito is one of the base flavors of Puerto Rican cuisine 11:43.129 --> 11:48.449 showing up in many of the most popular dishes. You can make it at home, but there's also the jarred variety for convenience 11:48.769 --> 11:54.509 offered by brands like Goya. To make Picadillo, You start by sautéing sofrito together with chopped peppers and onions 11:54.769 --> 11:59.909 Next, add tomato sauce, ground beef, and olives, and cook until the meat reaches a thick but saucy consistency 12:00.189 --> 12:03.709 sort of like Italian meat sauce. You can serve picadillo on top of white rice 12:03.809 --> 12:11.809 or use it as a component in other dishes, like empanadas. Pastalone is a plantain and beef casserole that's kind of like the Puerto Rican equivalent of lasagna 12:12.049 --> 12:19.309 Rather than lasagna's layers of pasta, ragu, and cheese, pastalone stacks thin slices of fried ripe plantains and layers of picadillo 12:19.309 --> 12:23.489 finishing off with a mixture of eggs and baking soda that holds everything together while it bakes 12:23.649 --> 12:27.809 That's the basic template for pastelone, but the details vary depending on who you ask 12:27.969 --> 12:32.309 In the mainland U.S., cooks tend to add mild cheese to their pastelone. In Puerto Rico 12:32.549 --> 12:37.129 there's usually no cheese, but they do add canned French-cut green beans. Some recipes also call 12:37.129 --> 12:41.549 for raisins. Pastelone is customizable to your tastes, so if you think raisins are gross 12:41.729 --> 12:45.769 get icked out by green beans, or can't eat cheese, there's a pastelone for you 12:45.769 --> 12:50.769 Alcapurrias are another dish stuffed with picadillo. In this case, the picadillo goes 12:50.769 --> 12:55.909 inside a dough made of green plantains and yaotia root. Yaotia, also known as malanga 12:56.289 --> 13:00.389 is a kind of tuber that can be cooked and eaten like a potato, dried and turned into starch 13:00.509 --> 13:05.389 or pounded into dough. The dough is dyed orange gold with achiote for color. Its flavor is subtle 13:05.389 --> 13:09.409 but it does have a certain bitter, floral character. After stuffing with picadillo 13:09.649 --> 13:14.009 the dough gets formed into a little cigar and then deep-fried. Alcapurrias are a popular street 13:14.009 --> 13:18.769 food on Puerto Rico's coasts, where many street stalls offer the deep-fried treats. In addition 13:18.769 --> 13:23.269 to the beef-filled variety, you can also find versions stuffed with crab or bacalao 13:24.109 --> 13:28.429 What's better than pie? Deep-fried pie, of course. What's better than deep-fried pie 13:28.809 --> 13:37.209 A deep-fried pie that's filled with meat that you can eat on the go. Empanadillas, smaller versions of empanadas, are a type of savory or sweet hand pie that's popular all over 13:37.209 --> 13:41.509 Latin America. Think of them as the original Hot Pocket, only a million times better. They're a 13:41.509 --> 13:46.149 treat in bakeries on the island, the Puerto Rican version uses a wheat-based pie dough that gets 13:46.149 --> 13:50.689 fried in oil, but some variations call for baking instead of frying. If you don't feel like making 13:50.689 --> 13:54.769 your own pastry and have access to a Latin American grocery store, you can buy pre-cut 13:54.769 --> 13:59.169 circles of dough designed for empanadillas to make your life easier. As with so many other 13:59.169 --> 14:04.109 stuffed Puerto Rican snacks, picadillo is a popular filling, but it's by no means the only option 14:04.109 --> 14:13.909 Vakalitos are a type of fritter or pancake made from salted fish 14:14.189 --> 14:18.469 traditionally cod, but pollock works too. The preserved fish is inedibly salty at first 14:18.469 --> 14:22.469 and needs to be pre-prepped before it can be used in recipes. To prepare the fish 14:22.609 --> 14:37.299 first soak it in water for six hours changing the water at least once Then poach the fish in more fresh water mixed with a little vinegar which takes out even more salt and cooks the fish Once the fish is ready to go mix it with a thin pancake batter seasoned with chopped bell peppers herbs and sazon 14:37.499 --> 14:42.019 The vacalitos get shallow fried in a skillet until crispy, golden brown, and delicious 14:42.339 --> 14:49.679 If the labor-intensive process of prepping salted fish doesn't appeal, but you still want to taste vacalitos, Goya makes a powdered mix that takes a lot of the 14:49.679 --> 14:54.759 work out of the process. In Spanish, the word chicharrones refers to crunchy pork rinds 14:54.879 --> 14:59.739 Puerto Rican chicharrones de pollo is a special type of fried chicken so crispy that it almost 14:59.739 --> 15:04.499 mimics the texture of chicharrones. Chicharrones de pollo are common in roadside fast food stands 15:04.499 --> 15:08.959 in Puerto Rico, where they can be purchased with mofongo on the side. A few techniques set this 15:08.959 --> 15:13.219 dish apart from a standard southern fried chicken. First off, the marinade incorporates vinegar 15:13.519 --> 15:18.079 citrus juice, garlic, and oregano. Next, the bone-in chicken is cut into smaller pieces before 15:18.079 --> 15:22.459 breading and frying. This increases the surface area-to-volume ratio of the chicken, allowing 15:22.459 --> 15:27.179 for more crunch. Third, perhaps most importantly, the chicken is fried multiple times. This 15:27.179 --> 15:31.119 technique — which is also seen in Korean fried chicken — makes the breading significantly 15:31.119 --> 15:35.579 crispier than a single fry. Some recipes call for three separate stages of frying to achieve 15:35.579 --> 15:42.619 the ultimate crunchy exterior. All right, dude, roger that. One extra crispy coming up 15:42.619 --> 15:47.339 Bistec is a Spanish adaptation of the English beef steak, and bistec in sepollado is a thin 15:47.339 --> 15:51.059 piece of steak cooked with rings of onion. The steak of choice for this dish is flank 15:51.339 --> 15:55.359 preferably cut into thin strips. The steak is first marinated for at least a few hours 15:55.619 --> 16:00.039 and up to a couple of days in a mixture of sofrito, vinegar, sazon, adobo, garlic 16:00.259 --> 16:03.839 oregano, and cumin. After the marinade has gotten a chance to flavor the meat 16:04.139 --> 16:08.279 the beef is briefly seared, then braised with a leftover marinade, as well as tomato sauce 16:08.419 --> 16:12.299 onions, more sofrito, and butter. Once cooking is done, you're left with soft 16:12.299 --> 16:17.239 slow-cooked steak in a thick, rich gravy with soft onions. One classic way to serve it is on 16:17.239 --> 16:21.939 a bed of simple white rice, maybe with some fried plantains on the side. You can also add bell peppers 16:21.939 --> 16:27.919 or fried eggs on top to dress it up. Abichula squisadas y viandas is Puerto Rico's version of 16:27.919 --> 16:32.659 stewed pork and beans. The base of the dish is a broth made from country ham, tomatoes, sofrito 16:32.919 --> 16:37.739 sazon, and adobo. Pink beans simmer slowly in this broth and become soft, stewy, and delicious 16:38.139 --> 16:43.399 Recipes for abichula squisadas vary, but the beans, tomatoes, sofrito, and pork remain constant 16:43.399 --> 16:47.879 no matter what else changes. Some versions use asciote oil to give the dish a more vibrant orange 16:47.879 --> 16:52.259 hue, while others add the likes of green olives and potatoes for some variety. Regardless of how 16:52.259 --> 16:57.759 it's dressed up, abichula squisadas is, at heart, a rustic, homey dish. It's made with inexpensive 16:57.759 --> 17:02.059 ingredients, but the end result is nourishing and delicious. You can serve these beans as a 17:02.059 --> 17:06.639 side dish in a more elaborate meal, or simply put them on top of plain rice for an easy weekday 17:06.639 --> 17:11.599 dinner that's packed with flavor and nutrition. Flan is popular in many different countries 17:11.879 --> 17:16.279 Recipes for Cuban-style flan vary in how the dessert is made and sold across Latin America 17:16.279 --> 17:20.119 You can find multiple flavors of flan sold in Puerto Rican panaderias 17:20.279 --> 17:26.899 including fruity flavors as well as the ultra-creamy version. The addition of cream cheese to flan de queso changes the texture of the custard 17:27.119 --> 17:33.139 making it reminiscent of cheesecake filling. The hint of tang from the cheese also gives flan de queso a little more depth of flavor 17:33.139 --> 17:38.179 than a plain vanilla flan. Other than the cream cheese, flan de queso is pretty much the same as any other flan 17:38.319 --> 17:45.999 You cook a caramel, then pour an eggy custard batter over the top. The whole thing gets baked together, then carefully inverted so the liquid caramel oozes over the top 17:46.339 --> 17:53.119 Oh, fly! Oh, boy! Come on, kids! Fly time! Fly time, you guys! Get down here! The fly's here 17:53.959 --> 17:59.299 Soruritos de maiz, also known as cerulos or surulitos, are finger-shaped corn fritters 17:59.539 --> 18:03.499 usually filled with cheese. You can think of them as the Puerto Rican version of mozzarella sticks 18:03.699 --> 18:09.219 They can be eaten as a snack, a breakfast food, or a side with a larger meal. Sometimes, souritos are sweetened 18:09.339 --> 18:14.139 but it's also common for them to have a more savory flavor profile. This dish provides a wonderful contrast 18:14.139 --> 18:19.599 between its crispy exterior and a gooey, cheesy filling. The specific type of cheese varies depending on the recipe 18:19.979 --> 18:24.559 Some recommend idam or gouda, though it is possible to use American or sharp cheddar as well 18:24.759 --> 18:31.019 To make souritos, cook cornmeal with water to make cornmeal mush. Then, either mix cheese with the cooked cornmeal dough 18:31.019 --> 18:36.739 or take small pieces of the dough and wrap them around chunks of cheese. Finally, deep fry until the outside is golden brown 18:36.739 --> 18:40.839 and the inside is molten. Corned beef is associated with St. Patrick's Day 18:40.839 --> 18:44.459 and Irish culture in the mainland U.S., but it's popular all over the world 18:44.659 --> 18:48.939 Carned beef is a boracua riff on corned beef hash. It uses canned corned beef 18:49.099 --> 18:53.079 which is a common ingredient in Puerto Rican home kitchens. According to the Seattle Times 18:53.319 --> 18:57.739 the government of Puerto Rico actually promotes canned beef as an emergency preparedness supply 18:57.739 --> 19:03.959 But even in good times, it's a beloved component in many recipes. Carned beef differs from other types of corned beef hash 19:03.959 --> 19:10.319 in that it's kind of a brothy stew. It's made by cooking together canned corned beef, water, potatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings 19:10.659 --> 19:18.539 and often served with white rice and plantains to soak up all the juices. The specific seasonings vary from household to household, but as with so many Puerto Rican dishes 19:18.799 --> 19:26.379 you'll likely find sofrito and sazon. You can consider adding alcaparado, a briny condiment that combines green olives, pickled peppers, and capers 19:27.059 --> 19:34.679 In English, casitos means little cheeses. These are small, cigar-shaped baked treats made with puff pastry and filled with sweetened cream cheese 19:34.679 --> 19:41.319 They can be found in panaderias throughout the island of Puerto Rico. After they're baked, they get brushed with a simple sugar syrup that adds sweetness 19:41.319 --> 19:46.999 and makes the outside of the pastry extra glossy. The most basic filling is a simple mixture of sugar and cream cheese 19:47.179 --> 19:52.859 but casitos can be found in a variety of delectable flavors. Guava paste is quite popular and pairs well with cream cheese 19:53.079 --> 19:56.699 Dolce de leche, jam, and nuts also occasionally make their way into casitos 19:57.019 --> 20:02.739 If you don't have access to a Puerto Rican bakery, casitos are easy to make at home with store-bought puff pastry sheets 20:02.739 --> 20:06.499 If you can pronounce it, we can make it arroz con pollo 20:06.899 --> 20:11.839 Arroz con pollo is a comfort food chicken dish that hits many of the same flavor notes as pollo guisado 20:12.099 --> 20:15.979 But instead of cooking the chicken and the rice separately, in arroz con pollo, they're cooked together 20:16.139 --> 20:23.199 So all of the flavor of the meat perfumes the rice. This dish is popular all over the Spanish-speaking world and can be found in numerous regional variants 20:23.459 --> 20:28.859 Beyond the chicken and rice mentioned in the dish's name, the ingredients in Puerto Rican arroz con pollo can vary dramatically 20:28.859 --> 20:36.619 You're pretty much always going to find sofrito, sazon, or adobo. but every family makes it differently. Generally, the chicken is browned, then the rice and 20:36.619 --> 20:40.319 seasonings are sautéed in the oil from the chicken before everything is combined with a 20:40.319 --> 20:44.699 flavorful broth and cooked until the rice is done. Medium-grain rice is perfect for this dish 20:44.819 --> 20:49.259 as it has the correct balance between being sticky and fluffy. If desired, this dish may 20:49.259 --> 20:53.759 be cooked in a way that makes the bottom layer of rice become flaky and brown. Puerto Ricans 20:53.759 --> 20:58.559 call this toasted rice layer the pegau. Pollo guisado simply means chicken stew 20:58.559 --> 21:03.039 and it's as warm and hearty a dish as you might imagine from its name. It starts with chicken pieces 21:03.459 --> 21:07.199 Both dark and white meat may be used. Sometimes the chicken is seasoned separately 21:07.199 --> 21:12.719 and allowed to marinate before being incorporated into the stew. And sometimes the spices are added directly to the broth 21:12.859 --> 21:18.519 But in either case, the flavors are about the same. Sofrito, sazon packets, and adobo seasoning mix 21:18.679 --> 21:23.319 The pre-mixed seasonings are made with spices like cumin, anato, oregano, and garlic powder 21:23.639 --> 21:28.839 which all add savory complexity and earthiness to the broth. Canned tomato sauce gives the dish a nice red color 21:28.839 --> 21:32.939 and some acidity, while green olives bring pops of brininess to cut through all the richness 21:32.939 --> 21:36.919 Typically, the stew is made with sturdy root vegetables like potatoes and carrots 21:36.919 --> 21:52.729 If you want to double down on the starch and make your pollo guisado really stick to your ribs it traditional to serve it with white rice Rellanos de papa is another fried food typically sold by vendors as a street snack These crispy balls are stuffed with mashed potatoes and a basic ground beef filling or picadillo In order to 21:52.729 --> 21:56.489 make the mashed potatoes stick together and hold the filling without falling apart, they're mixed 21:56.489 --> 22:01.089 with eggs and cornstarch. Some ways of cooking rellenos de papa involve seasoning the potatoes 22:01.089 --> 22:05.629 with chicken stock and butter, but others skip this step. The mashed potatoes can also be coated 22:05.629 --> 22:09.849 with more cornstarch to make them extra crispy. When you bite into rellenos de papa 22:10.109 --> 22:13.969 the delicately crispy shell quickly gives way to starchy, fluffy mashed potatoes 22:14.229 --> 22:18.669 These would be delicious potato fritters, even if they didn't have any stuffing, but the picodillo in the middle 22:18.669 --> 22:22.449 elevates them to another level. The savory meat with hints of acidity and sweetness 22:22.449 --> 22:26.949 makes for the perfect taste. The word pincho originates in Spain's Basque region 22:26.949 --> 22:31.249 In that area, the term refers to any kind of snack or appetizer served on a skewer 22:31.469 --> 22:35.969 The word can even be used more broadly to refer to any kind of Basque, tapas-style snack 22:36.069 --> 22:40.629 In Puerto Rico, however, a pincho is specifically a skewer of grilled, marinated meat 22:40.809 --> 22:44.409 usually served with a piece of bread and some barbecue sauce. They're a common street snack 22:44.649 --> 22:48.409 and people also make them for family cookouts. A good option is chunks of chicken thigh 22:48.409 --> 22:51.929 marinated in a mixture of olive oil, sazon, oregano, and white vinegar 22:52.149 --> 22:55.749 Chicken isn't the only meat used in pinchos. Pork is another popular choice 22:55.989 --> 22:59.749 Some cooks call for tenderloin soaked in a garlicky marinade. Whatever meat you choose 23:00.029 --> 23:03.989 pinchos are a fun variation on barbecue that is easy to make at home for a crowd 23:04.369 --> 23:08.629 What do we got, pinchos on the grill? Ah, before she even says hello to anyone 23:09.109 --> 23:14.209 something's never changed. Biscocho de Novia means bride's cake, but it's more like funfetti cake 23:14.209 --> 23:18.829 than anything you'd find at a wedding. It's an extra fluffy vanilla cake topped with an airy vanilla frosting 23:18.829 --> 23:23.089 and a generous dusting of multicolored sprinkles. Often seen in Puerto Rican bakeries 23:23.089 --> 23:26.729 this cake is extra fluffy because the eggs, oil, and sugar in the batter 23:26.729 --> 23:30.849 are creamed until they hold a lot of air. One of the things that sets Biscocho de Novia 23:30.849 --> 23:34.789 apart from a regular white vanilla cake is the textural contrast in each bite 23:34.969 --> 23:38.889 In addition to the sprinkles on top, there's also a crunchy sugar layer on the bottom of the cake 23:39.049 --> 23:43.029 This is made by resting the baked cake layers on a bed of granulated sugar while frosting 23:43.289 --> 23:47.549 The frosting itself is made with a mixture of whipping cream, vegetable shortening, and powdered sugar 23:48.309 --> 23:53.529 Pan de Mallorca was invented on the Spanish island of the same name, but it's a classic Puerto Rican sweet bread 23:53.529 --> 23:58.569 prepared with a soft, fatty, enriched yeast dough. Pan de Mallorca is kind of like a cinnamon roll 23:58.569 --> 24:04.769 without the cinnamon. It's even made in a swirled shape, like a cinnamon roll. The dough is extra rich because it contains a ton of egg yolks 24:04.949 --> 24:11.309 Still, Pan de Mallorca has a hint of sweetness, both from a small amount of sugar in the dough and a dusting of powdered sugar over the top 24:11.429 --> 24:16.009 It's popular to eat it for breakfast alongside a cup of coffee. It can also be used as a sandwich bread 24:16.129 --> 24:19.829 as its mild sweetness is somewhat similar to a Hawaiian roll or potato bread 24:20.569 --> 24:26.709 Biscocho de Rhone is the Puerto Rican version of rum cake. It's basically a yellow butter cake flavored with rum and sometimes nuts 24:26.889 --> 24:30.929 Recipes for this cake vary, but the one constant is that bakers should never be shy 24:30.929 --> 24:34.789 about using a substantial amount of rum. In fact, some may tell you that this dessert 24:34.789 --> 24:39.489 uses as much as a half cup of spiced rum in the cake batter. If you don't feel like making the batter from scratch 24:39.769 --> 24:44.369 a boxed cake mix is also a valid option. Some also add vanilla pudding mix to the cake mix 24:44.369 --> 24:47.869 to allow for extra richness. The final product is hard to turn down 24:47.869 --> 24:51.609 and perfect to enjoy for a special occasion. Hey, you want a little rum cake 24:51.849 --> 24:57.869 I really can't. Have a little rum cake. No, no, no, I can't. Oh, come on. You know, I'm trying to lose a couple micrograms here 24:58.169 --> 25:01.889 Where? Plantains make their way into all sorts of Puerto Rican recipes 25:02.309 --> 25:08.609 but tostones might be the most snackable plantain dish on the island. Tostones start with green plantains, and this is a savory dish 25:08.789 --> 25:13.329 So when making a tostone recipe, the goal is to select unripe plantains that aren't sweet at all 25:13.509 --> 25:18.089 The plantains get cut into small pieces and double-fried, sort of like french fries, but with a twist 25:18.269 --> 25:23.589 Between the two fryings, the plantain chunks are smashed into flat discs, which gives them a ton of crunchy surface area 25:23.589 --> 25:27.689 Sometimes the smashed plantains are also soaked in seasoned water before the second fry 25:27.869 --> 25:34.049 which gives them more flavor and makes them turn out crispier. The final result is sort of like a super thick chip, perfect for dipping into sauce 25:34.309 --> 25:39.409 Sauce-wise, a blend of mayonnaise and ketchup is a classic choice. Garlic sauce and hot sauce taste great too 25:39.669 --> 25:44.289 Plain salt is the most common seasoning for tostones, but you might find them sprinkled with adobo as well 25:45.069 --> 25:49.929 Like tostones, maduros are made by frying plantains, but beyond that, the similarities end 25:49.929 --> 25:56.669 While tostones are savory and crunchy, maduros are soft and sweet, This is because maduros are made with ripe rather than green plantains 25:56.929 --> 26:00.669 The darker and sweeter, the better. They're also only fried once and aren't smashed 26:00.949 --> 26:05.069 so you have more of the soft interior and less of the golden brown fried exterior in each piece 26:05.249 --> 26:11.229 The seasoning of maduros is also quite distinct from Tostones. If you've picked the right plantains, they'll be quite sweet on their own 26:11.229 --> 26:17.549 so sometimes they're served plain with no salt or any other spices. This works well when serving them as a side dish with savory foods 26:17.869 --> 26:24.189 If you'd like to enjoy your maduros on their own as a snack, then you may want to add some extra sweetness to them in the form of granulated sugar or honey 26:24.449 --> 26:28.169 which is also quite common. The sweetener of choice is sprinkled or drizzled onto the 26:28.169 --> 26:31.709 plantains after they emerge from the oil to make them truly irresistible 26:40.909 --> 26:45.809 Aranguitas means little spiders in Spanish, but don't worry. No arachnids are used to make this 26:45.809 --> 26:49.949 savory fried treat. Aranguitas are actually fritters made with grated and fried plantain 26:50.309 --> 26:54.189 They're called little spiders because the crispy threads of plantain look sort of like spider legs 26:54.389 --> 26:59.509 This snack is made with plantains that are still unripe and green, which is when they're at their starchiest and least sweet 26:59.709 --> 27:07.469 The process is very similar to the way you'd make hash browns with potatoes. First, grate green plantains, then squeeze them together into little lumps and fry them until crispy 27:07.469 --> 27:11.509 The craggy outside, with all of its nooks and crannies, becomes very crunchy 27:11.769 --> 27:16.029 while the inside stays starchy and soft. Aranjitas are often served as a side dish 27:16.249 --> 27:23.829 but they can also be a standalone snack when served with a dipping sauce. You can go with a blend of mayonnaise and ketchup, or get fancy with some cilantro aioli or cocktail 27:23.829 --> 27:34.689 sauce. This is a guava! Guava. Cosquitos de guayaba are made with halved guava fruits that 27:34.689 --> 27:38.989 are hollowed out into a cup shape. The guava halves are boiled in a flavored sugar syrup until 27:38.989 --> 27:43.409 they become soft and sweet. This dish is popular in other countries like Cuba as well, and the 27:43.409 --> 27:47.689 syrup may be flavored differently depending on where you're eating. In Puerto Rico, the classic 27:47.689 --> 27:52.089 flavoring as cinnamon. Once the guavas are done, they can be served fresh and hot, but it's more 27:52.089 --> 27:56.209 common to let them cool down before eating. While they can be eaten on their own, the standard way 27:56.209 --> 27:59.809 to serve them is with some kind of mild cheese. The cheese may be something a little firmer 27:59.989 --> 28:04.149 like queso blanco, or fresh farmer's cheese, or it might be a smear of rich cream cheese 28:04.329 --> 28:08.629 The acidity and tropical sweetness of the guava work with the tang and mild savoriness of the 28:08.629 --> 28:14.769 cheese to make a truly unique dessert. Bariguitas de Viaja is a sweet pumpkin-flavored treat with a 28:14.769 --> 28:19.609 slightly rude name, meaning old women's bellies. The unappetizing moniker supposedly comes from the 28:19.609 --> 28:23.529 way these fritters are shaped, but it seems like a bit of a stretch. This dish is influenced by 28:23.529 --> 28:28.649 African cuisine, as are many other Puerto Rican Creole recipes. Barighitas are made with cooked 28:28.649 --> 28:32.869 pumpkin, flour, sugar, and some cinnamon and vanilla for flavor. The batter is spooned into 28:32.869 --> 28:37.329 hot vegetable oil and fried until crispy on the outside and fluffy within. The fritters are 28:37.329 --> 28:41.189 sometimes sprinkled with granulated sugar, powdered sugar, or cinnamon when they're fresh 28:41.189 --> 28:45.989 from the fryer. These fried pumpkin pancakes can be served as a snack on their own or alongside a 28:45.989 --> 28:50.669 hot drink like chocolate or coffee. And even though they taste a bit like dessert, much like Maduro's 28:50.789 --> 28:52.869 they can also be used as a side dish with dinner