Katriel's Life Steps Part 8: Puerto Rico
"Exploring the Gastronomy of Puerto Rico: Culinary Experiences, Tropical Flavors and Local Delicacies".
Getting to know other cultures, and especially other gastronomic cultures, is our favorite sport. That's why in this blog Katriel gives us an interview in which he tells us about the culture of a particular country: "Puerto Rico". He went to this destination in the fall of 2020 when he traveled for work. Keep reading to find out what Katriel has to tell us.
Why did you go to Puerto Rico?
I went to Puerto Rico because I was hired by a family to cook for a baby shower. I remember receiving the invitation with great joy because my services and the value of my work as a chef became known. It is exciting for me to have other people see potential in me, so whenever that happens, I always try to do my best as a person and as a professional.
Did you have to shop for what you were going to cook? What was that experience like?
When we arrived in Puerto Rico, we went around the streets to analyze what they had to offer. It is characterized by offering a lot of fried foods, mashed plantains, mashed tubers, cassava, pumpkins, among other things. This is the style of food they have. Being an island, beef is not a protagonist because it is very hot, the cow does not produce fat and the meat is tough. So it is imported from the USA and it is very expensive.
The family that hired me wanted a special menu for this event, so when we couldn't find it on the street, we went to the supermarket. We were also recommended to go to the side of the road where there were vegetable stands. Here I bought a lot of bananas, huge and creamy avocados (a delight). We bought several fruits; meat; I bought cheese, salami, ham and made an Argentinean picada. I made pork because that is what is produced there and it is common for them to use all these dried meats.
Did you cook anything typical of Puerto Rico?
Yes, I made dishes with products that are abundant there. I made an avocado mousse: I scooped out the flesh of the avocado, emulsified it with butter and cream, and put cooked meat on top (you can try it, it's a one-way trip). I also made taro puree, which is a typical root vegetable in these areas. It had a purple color because of the sap and the water inside, and I added chimichurri by Nativo Spices. To represent a fusion between Puerto Rico and Argentina. It turned out spectacular.
Did you have time to walk around?
We walked around a little bit, but in addition to the baby shower, the family got me to do a Pop-up Dinner at a cafe there. So I had another event where I cooked empanadas, meat, pancakes with dulce de leche and other typical food from my country.
We spent 3 days in Puerto Rico, so we didn't do much sightseeing, but we did have some culinary experiences. We noticed that the people in this place are very calm and friendly. Also, the city is very clean and very nice.
I was amazed with the baking in this place because it is easy to perceive its Spanish notes. It is completely different from the USA and Argentina. On the street we ate panuchos, which is mashed plantain put in a banana leaf with minced meat and seasoned with lots of cumin and garlic and fried. I found it very tasty. I also recommend the ice cream, the seafood empanadas, and the local beer.
Katriel told us that he will return to Puerto Rico very soon. So, soon we will have a blog part 2 from Puerto Rico that you can't miss. If you liked this one, share it with whoever you want and make someone else travel with reading this blog.
