Going on a Food Trip in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Your experience of a place would not be complete without a taste of its culinary offerings. In Puerto Rico, its criolla dishes are a must-try although international and fusion cuisines are also served in a lot of restaurants. Dining options run the gamut from upscale places to casual diners. The capital, San Juan, offers a wide and interesting variety of restaurants and is the perfect place for the ultimate Puerto Rican food experience.

Comida criolla or creole food refers to the local cuisine in Puerto Rico. It's a melting pot (no pun intended) of traditional Taino food, Spanish culinary influence, and African cooking. Some of the most popular criolla dishes are lechon asado (roasted pork), adobo (seasoning made of vinegar, paprika, oil, garlin, and oregano), asopoa de pollo (stewed chicken), habichuelas (rice and red beans served with meat), and sofrito (a sauce made of cilantro onion, garlic, pepper, and other seasonings and spices). Criolla cooking also features several manners of cooking plantains. There's tostones which is mashed green plantains, platanos which slightly varies from tostones in cooking style, and mofongo which is a ball of crushed plantains mixed with meat or seafood that were fried and flavored with seasonings such garlic and tomato-based sauce.

Being nestled in the abundant waters of the Caribbean, Puerto Rico certainly cannot do without seafood cuisines. The tastiest seafood dishes can be found in the coastal cities. The Caribbean lobster is one of the premier catches in restaurants although the dolphinfish and red snapper are popular as well. The most well-known seafood specialty however would probably be the conch stuffed with tomato for a fritter or served with a ceviche salad.

To further promote criolla cuisine to travelers, the government has created the Mesones Gastronomicos program. In this project, the 30 participating restaurants throughout the island will all serve traditional Puerto Rican fare. It doesn't mean though that you can only taste authentic criolla cooking in these dining places. Smaller restaurants that offer native cuisines abound in San Juan and the rest of Puerto Rico.

Other upscale restaurants specialize in what is called the Nuevo Latino cuisine, a culinary style similar to criolla but predominantly uses fruits, fish, and tubers as main ingredients with tropical marinades and dark rum sauces as primary flavors. Most ingredients in Nuevo Latino cooking are locally sourced so as to maximize the fresh flavors of the produce. Restaurants serving this cuisine are mostly found in San Juan and other bigger cities of Puerto Rico. Tourists who crave for international cuisines won't be disappointed as well. There are a lot of dining areas in San Juan that serve Italian, French, Arabian, Mexican, American, German, and Latin American dishes.

Along with the sumptuous food, another major part of Puerto Rican food is the beverage. This Caribbean island is also known for its strong drinks, its national beverage being the rum. There are about 20 different varieties of rum here. Puerto Rican coffee also packs a strong punch. It can be served as espresso, sweetened or with milk which is known as cafe con leche. If you're looking for a milder drink, you can try coco frio which is served on a chilled coconut and a selection of fresh fruit juices.

Budget meals in Puerto Rico usually range from $5 to $15 while higher end dining can go up to $35. Upscale restaurants often require a dress code such as collared shirts for men and stylish apparel for women while the most expensive dining venues are usually black tie. Making a reservation is recommended especially from mid-November to April when tourists are usually flocking to Puerto Rico.

Kristien Wilkinson is an online writer and contributor to http://www.sanjuan.com