We’re still sampling our way through the foods of Puerto Rico, but I am finding it a love/hate relationship.
I love many of their coffee, fruits and their local dishes—a fusion of the many cultures who have either lived here or used the island as a rest stop after a long ocean crossing. Pork from the Spanish, rice from West Africa, and beans that have been here since the Taino indigenous people, the list goes on and on.
Mofongo is green plantains fried and then mashed with garlicky goodness. Sometimes served in the bottom of a bowl or cup and topped with shrimp and/or pork, other times served like the world’s ugliest Jell-O mold. Always delicious.
My newest discovery is the quesito—cream cheese wrapped in a puff pastry and lightly brushed with a sugar glaze. Perfect to accompany the coffee you are likely drinking from one of the family haciendas that produce it on the island.
All of that is amazing, but trying to cook something at home besides carbs and caffeine is where my problem lies. There are quite a few things it is depressing to shop for here—namely produce. (Full disclaimer: we’ve only been here a few weeks, so I may be naively missing some key shopping tricks.)
We are staying in a pretty normal (non-touristy) area. I would have thought it would be easier to access local produce. We walk about 20 minutes to get to the mercado to buy local products. Perhaps I’m spoiled by Mexico, but I have been accustomed to small fruit and vegetable stalls closer to home, so I don’t have to walk all the way to the large mercado unless I’m in need of a big shopping trip.
If it’s not local, be prepared to pay a high price and get a moderate quality. I was slightly expecting this, but not fully prepared for the reality. I get that it’s an island so things come in by boat which makes it expensive. However, the controversial Jones Act has a heavy toll on Puerto Rico. The act means that anything shipped from the mainland must be on US-built, US-owned, US-crewed ships—which makes everything pretty expensive. Getting average quality bell peppers from Canada, eggs from Pennsylvania and lettuce from California at the grocery store just seems wrong—and paying about 50% more than in the mainland makes it all the more painful.
Beyond my produce struggles, we love the availability of rum, mangoes and enormous avocados (all super cheap). Next week we are off to explore an area of the country known for their whole pig roasting—very much looking forward to tasting my way through that!
Side note: For more info on the Jones Act and how shipping impacts Puerto Rico, check out the great book my mother-in-law recommended to us: Into the Raging Sea by Rachel Slade.