Puerto Rico

 

A close friend of mine grew up in Puerto Rico and I travelled there one winter with her to visit her hometown:   another exciting tropical distination

with beautiful beaches and unique food!    Funny, some trips I have less food documentation than others.   I must have been distracted by the scenery

and fun with my friend's family.     There were plenty of different things to try.    The most memorable was mofongo, which is made from smashed

plantains.     There is one pic of a homemade meal, a simple meal of rice with pork, beans, and amarillos, which are pan-friend ripe plantains.

It  looks very simple, but the seasoning is so flavorful.     They use peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, and another herb called culantro to make

a "sofrito".     Everything is ground up and this is used as a base seasoning for lots of dishes!     Of course I had to get a recipe to make this at home!

As with any tropical destination, there were plenty of fresh fruits.    Small bananas and mangos that grow in the backyard are simply the best!!

I can never seem to find fruit at the grocery store in the USA which tastes as good as this.   There are so many different varieties of bananas also,

each having their own distinct shape, size and flavor.    The "guineos manzanos" are a small fruit having an apple-like flavor.   It's a great treat to

be able to go outside and pick these off the tree and enjoy the fresh flavor!

I visited San Juan, the capital, and Caña Gorda Beach on the south side of the island, which is near Ponce.     I also stayed in Juana Díaz, where my friend grew up.  Nearby was the Seralles Castle in Ponce.   It is a mansion where the owner of the Seralles distillery lived.   Today it is a museum with information 

about the sugar cane and rum industry.    There are beautiful gardens and an amazing view of the city and ocean.