What You Should Eat in Puerto Rico

The Puerto Ricans know how to eat! We have been exploring this island and enjoying the wide variety of food and drink on offer here. Another in my series of travel food guides, here are some of our favorites so you know what you should eat in Puerto Rico.

Mofongo

If this isn’t the national dish of Puerto Rico, it should be. Mofongo is on almost every menu and there are so many varieties of it, it’s like the Puerto Rican version of poutine.

The main ingredient in mofongo is fried plantains. Plantains are mashed and mixed with salt and butter or oil. This plain mofongo is often offered as a side dish. Mofongo is also used as a base for a main dish with any kind of protein you can think of: we’ve seen conch, shrimp, seafood, lobster, pork, chicken and rabbit versions of mofongo. It is absolutely delicious, as most foods wih starch and butter are.

Lechon

You already know about Brian’s love of chicharrones. When we found out a Puerto Rican specialty was roasted pig, you can imagine his glee.

Called “lechon,” this is available in most roadside Puerto Rican restaurants. In fact, it’s basically a national pastime to drive around and try new lechoneras or pork restaurants. Apparently the popular day to do this is Sunday. Sounds like a good Sunday activity. Puerto Ricans know how to have a good time.

Bread

The bread in Puerto Rico is excellent. Panaderias are bakeries and they often offer several different types of bread: pan de agua (a harder bread like French bread) and pan sabao (translates as sweet bread and is soft) being the most common.

I had no idea beforehand that Puerto Rico had such good bread, but it ranks up there with Portugal and Italy in taste.

Ice Pops/Paletas

In such a warm climate it’s no wonder they make such delicious treats with fruit and ice. Ice pops are called paletas in Spanish and are very common in Puerto Rico.

We stopped at the renowned Señor Paleta in Old San Juan that serves a high end version. They let you sample before you decide and had a lot of flavors.

We also had some more traditional ice cones at the beach in Culebra. Mango, passion fruit, coconut, with all the fresh fruits here you can’t miss.

Beer/Cerveza

The national cervezas are Magna and Medalla. These beers are available everywhere in Puerto Rico. One is a light beer and the other is a standard Caribbean lager.

What’s interesting about the beers is the size. Instead of 12 oz cans, they’re in 10 ounces. We think the small size is so they stay cold in the heat. They’re very cheap- usually sold for $1.50 or $2.

Eating Out

Everywhere you look there are places to eat. Sure, they have sit down restaurants, but there’s also loads of roadside stands, food trucks and food carts. Plus, people are happy to bring a cooler and sit outside by the beach or on an island. And everybody partakes: from tiny infants to older folk. It’s a good culture and they enjoy themselves while eating delicious food. Me gusta! (I Like!) Now you know what to eat in Puerto Rico when you visit.