Asopao
Asopao is a gumbo-type dish that is common in Puerto Rican cuisine. It can be served in a number of ways and often includes chicken, pork or shellfish. The dish is known for being a budget-friendly comfort food with a great deal of variety depending upon the chef. As a general rule, the spices used include oregano, garlic, paprika, cilantro and chile pepper. The most commonly used vegetables include green peppers, onions, tomatoes, pimentos, green peas, asparagus and olives.
Coconut
Coconut, including its milk (leche de coco) is one of the most common ingredients in Puerto Rican desserts, such as flan, coconut cream desserts, coconut squares and candied coconut rice. Another common use of coconut in Puerto Rican food is for polvo de amor, which is made using grated coconut and sugar that is cooked rapidly and then served as a crisp and golden brown dessert.
Drinks
For more than 300 years, coffee has been a staple beverage of Puerto Rican culture. It is one of the island's chief exports and is traditionally strong and aromatic. Most meals in Puerto Rico end with a cup of coffee. Rum is a very common choice on the island. As the world's leading producer of rum, about 80 percent of the United States' rum products come from the island, where it is used to make a variety of alcoholic beverages.
Chicken
Chicken is the meat of choice for Puerto Ricans and is used in a number of dishes, including arroz con pollo, pollo al jerez, pollo agridulce, and pollitos asados a la parrilla. The chicken is generally seasoned with spices and seasonings prior to cooking in sherry, sweet and sour sauce or combined with rice and vegetables. One of the most common spices is adobo, which is made by combining peppercorns, oregano, garlic, salt, olive oil, and lime juice to make a paste. Equally as common is sofrito, which consists of onions, garlic, coriander and peppers combined with olive oil.
