Must Try Foods and Drinks

 
Puerto Rican cuisine (cocina criolla) blends Taíno, Spanish, and West African influences into dishes like mofongo, lechón asado, and arroz con gandules (plus drinks like coquito and pitorro) worth planning a meal around.

Foods

Mofongo		Mashed fried green plantains with garlic and pork cracklings (chicharrón), typically mounded around or served with meat, seafood, or a savory broth.
Lechón Asado		Whole roasted pig, slow-cooked over charcoal. The town of Guavate, in the mountains south of San Juan, is lined with lechón restaurants (lechoneras) and is a weekend pilgrimage for locals.
Alcapurrias		Fried fritters of grated green banana and yaucía (taro) stuffed with seasoned meat – a classic beachfront kiosko snack, especially in Piñones.
Empanadillas/Pastelillos		Pastry turnovers stuffed with everything from chicken to vegetables or shark, these are also a classic beachfront kiosko snack.
Arroz con Gandules		Rice with pigeon peas and sofrito, the island’s unofficial national dish and a holiday-table staple.
Bacalaítos and Tostones		Crispy salted-cod fritters and twice-fried plantain rounds – both classic beach-kiosko fried food alongside alcapurrias.

Drinks

Medalla Light		Puerto Rico’s local beer is a pale lager, and when chilled icy cold is perfect for quenching your thirst on the beach.
Pitorro		Made from locally distilled sugarcane moonshine, you’ll find pitorro served plain or in fruit-infused flavors like passion fruit or coconut. Take care, as the flavor might hide just how potent this drink is.
Coquito		Puerto Rico’s coconut-rum eggnog, made especially around Christmas – every family has its own recipe and will argue theirs is the best.
Rum Drinks		Puerto Rico produces more than 70% of the rum sold in the U.S. and there are many classic rum-based cocktails to try while on the island, like the Piña Colada, Mojito, or Mai Tai.