A Taste of San Juan: Cook a Puerto Rican Feast

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THAT COLLEGE TRIP to San Juan may have convinced you that Puerto Rican cuisine consists mainly of flan washed down with umbrella-laden pina coladas. But there's more to the cooking of the U.S. territory than just rum drinks (more about those later) and fried plantains.

Indeed, when you drive around Puerto Rico, you'll see signs for "cocina criolla," which literally translates as "Creole kitchen" (but has nothing to do with the Creole cuisine of Louisiana). Rather, it refers to typical Puerto Rican fare, with its influences from both Spanish colonizers and Caribbean Indian natives: the prevalence of plantains and rice; the rich flavor base called sofrito; and adobo, a combination of spices used to perk up meats and add tang to sauces.

Perhaps the coziest of these richly seasoned, comforting dishes is mofongo, a creamy mash of plantains, garlic and olive oil, which is served as a savory side or a base for meat or fish stew. Adored by Puerto Ricans and mainlanders alike, it stars in several Latin and Caribbean cuisines, occasionally studded with bits of shrimp or chicken.

At MIO Restaurant (1110 Vermont Ave. NW; 202-955-0075), Puerto Rican-born owner Manuel Iguina sometimes whips up a haute version of mofongo, making it what he dubs "more foodie" by adding chiles from Mexico or stuffing it into chicharrones, bite-sized pieces of chicken or pork often served as an appetizer or street snack.

When it comes to whipping up Puerto Rican specialties at home, a slew of local Latin markets has made the job much easier. "It used to be you had to go to Mount Pleasant to find plantains or seasonings, but now you can get them at places like Safeway or Grand Mart," says Flavio Cumpiano, a D.C. attorney who until January represented the island's government.

Among the spices that star in Puerto Rican food, the blend called adobo reigns supreme. Typically a mix of black pepper, oregano, garlic, cumin, onion and cayenne, adobo is available ready-made at places such as Penzey's (513 W. Broad St., Falls Church; 703-534-7770).

On the island itself, the drink of choice to wash down these tasty dishes is, yes, rum — dozens of types, and nary a bottle of Captain Morgan in sight. Back from a recent trip to Vieques — the 21-mile-long island off the Puerto Rican coast once used by the U.S. Navy as a weapons testing ground — Cumpiano raves about bili, a Viequan rum flavored with quenepa, a small fruit native to the American tropics; brown sugar; vanilla and cinnamon.

If rum's not your thing, there's also Medalla, a beer made by local brewery Cerveceria India; Malta, a cola-colored pop with an uber-sweet, molasses-like flavor; and fruit juice, usually pineapple, orange or a blend of the two. (Many of these drinks are available at larger supermarkets or ethnic grocery stores.)

Want to check out some Puerto Rican flavors before you tackle 'em at home? A few local Latin fusion restaurants often feature Puerto Rico-influenced dishes on the menu. Native foodies recommend Caribbean Breeze (4100 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington; 703-812-7997), where alcapurrias "deep-fried dumplings stuffed with ground turkey or picadillo" are available as an appetizer. Also of note: Cafe Salsa in Alexandria (808 King St.; 703-684-4100), where at lunchtime, piononos — plantains stuffed with meat and/or cheese — fly out of the kitchen.

Written by Express contributor Amy Rogers Nazarov
Photo by Lawrence Luk for Express