Brands and Products

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- Maizena: corn starch; very popular and traditional breakfast. You can also buy it at the supermarket and try making it yourself. The brand, Maga, has other flavors such as coco. Yum!

 

- Goya:​ This Hispanic brand, discovered from a Spaniard, who moved to Puerto Rico, has become the most popular food brand in the island.

"Si es Goya, tiene que ser bueno."



- Adobo:​ One of the primary seasoning products in Puerto Rican cuisine 

 

- Sazon:​ Used to give color to meat, rice and many other foods

 

- Sofrito:​ a mixed blend of yellow onion, green and red peppers, garlic, cilantro, leaves of ricao, Spanish olives, capers, salt, pepper, oregano and olive oil, added to almost any Puerto Rican dish; can be bought at the supermarket but it is nothing compared to homemade. Recipe​

 

- Yaucono:​ The most popular coffee in Puerto Rico. Order a café con leche anywhere in PR.

 

- Mayo-ketchup con ajo:​ just like it's written; mayonnaise and ketchup mixed with garlic in a bottle

 

- Nikini:​ water; inspired by Taíno culture, Ni means water and ki means the spirit of the Earth

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Stamps of Puerto Rico



- Walgreens:​ This American franchise is everywhere in Puerto Rico. I mean everywhere. They have a section for Puerto Rican souvenirs and even Puerto Rican cookbooks! 

 

- McDonalds and Burger King:​ If you will be driving in Puerto Rico, you will notice there are a lot of shopping plazas. You will also notice that where ever you see a McDonald's, right across from it there will be a Burger King. Americanization at its best. 

 

- Banco Popular:​ This bank is like a deli in New York. They are located in every corner of Puerto Rico. They recently changed their name to Popular Community Bank, "in order to cater to all of their customers." 

 

- L​ots of lighthouses:​ It seems like Puerto Rico has a lot of everything. There is a lighthouse located in almost every town in PR built mostly during the last twenty years of the 19th century. They served as guides to important marine routes.

 

- People selling on the highway:​ When I was at a stop light, I bought a water from a man selling them. I was looking for a dollar in the car and he said in Spanish, "Don't worry if you give me pennies I will take it." Employment is extremely low in Puerto Rico and the poverty level is high, so much that people have to even sell quenepas or water in the highway. Support them!

 

- Pitusa:​ This store is also everywhere selling everything from furniture to food. It is actually quite inexpensive.

 

- Econo and Amigo:​ Two of the most popular supermarkets. Econo seems to be the least expensive.

 

- Coquí:​ The national animal of Puerto RIco, a frog. You will see that it is characterized as being green but the coquí is actually brown. It was named this because at night you hear them singing, coquí, coquí...

 

- Cuchifrito: Places to eat that cook lots of fried foods 

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What to Know

FOOD



​- Batata asada con pollo al horno:​ Food trucks on the side of the road are very popular. One of the best dishes I had was baked sweet potato with roasted chicken.

 

- Alcapurria: a Puerto Rican fritter; la masa (dough)​ is made up of green plantains and yautia, stuffed inside with delicious seasoned ground beef (sometimes spicy)

 

- Bolitos de Queso:​ small deep-fried balls stuffed with cheese​

 

- Empanadas:​ fried or baked folded dough stuffed with meat, cheese, fish or anything you can think of. The unique pulpo (octopus)​ and jueyes (crab)​ empanadas are regularly found in PR

 

- Surullitos:​ cornsticks served with mayo-ketchup​

 

- Pinchos:​ chicken or pork on a stick with a slice of bread; pork pinchos were very popular before but since statistics stated that pork is hazardous to the health, Puerto Ricans have cut down a lot on it​

 

- G​uanime:​​ ​boiled flour dumplings served with habichuelas (beans) or bacalao (catfish)

 

- Bacalaíto:​ a pancake-like, deep-fried mixture of codfish and different ingredients such as cilantro, sofrito, parsley and oregano. It is served as a beach snack.



SNACKS

 

- Turón de leche:​ a white brick-like bar made of coconut and milk​

 

- Q​uenepas: small, round, green fruits  that only grow in tropical areas. They look like a small version of a lime on the outside and a lychee on the inside. ​You open half of the skin, pop the seed into your mouth, suck it dry and then place it back and throw it out. You can find men selling on the side of highways for $2-$3.

 

- Pastellitos de guayaba:​ this puff-pastry filled with guava is originally from Cuba but became very popular in Puerto Rico; it's great with a cup of coffee for a mid-day snack 

 

- Limbe: ​tropical fruit flavored icees​​

 

- Piragua: natural syrup poured on top of crushed ice​



Drinks

 

- Maví: fermented tree bark that tastes like rum mixed with tamarindo. It can definitely make you tipsy. They are sold all around PR on the side of the rodes or anywhere with festivities. 

 

- Medalla: Puerto Rico's national beer; it is very cheap, you can find it as low as a $1

 

- Passoá: it is an already made passion fruit liqueur. You can drink it by itself.  (ok, I feel like I'm sounding like an alcoholic)

 

- Bacardi: originated in Cuba, however, during the Cuban Revolution the founder moved to Puerto Rico and based himself in Cataño. You can visit the Bacardi factory there for a free tour and two drinks.

 

- Don Q: Puerto Rico's higher quality rum; a very tasty drink is Don Q Limón with Coke

 

- Coquito: an alcoholic drink similar to egg-nog that contains egg yolks, condensed milk, cinnamon, coconut cream, coconut milk, vanilla and Bacardi rum. It is traditionally made during the holidays.

 

- Piña Colada: was made the official drink of Puerto Rico in 1978; consists of rum, coconut cream and  pineapple juice and can be served on the rocks or blended

 

Very Puerto Rican