Puerto Rican Traditional Christmas Food (2023)

FAQs

What is traditional food for Puerto Rico for Christmas? ›

If you spend the Holiday Season in Puerto Rico, you'll notice that the menu is pretty similar across the Island: arroz con gandules and pernil with a variety of side dishes and desserts. It is such a staple during Christmas that even songs have become popular with the lyrics belting out the menú de Navidad.

Some of the favorites are mofongo, tostones, pasteles, arroz con gandules, tembleque, and coquito.

Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo! – Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Another popular expression that you can use during these holidays is Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo which means 'Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

The Christmas meal in Puerto Rico is typically served on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) before families attend midnight mass. Traditional Christmas dishes include lechón (roast suckling pig) and pasteles, which are made of plantains or cassava and stuffed with meat, capers and potatoes.

1. MOFONGO. Mofongo is one of those staples that you can find just about anywhere in Puerto Rico. It's made with mashed fried plantains, lots of garlicky goodness, and chicharrones, which is fried pork skin.

The most popular Puerto Rican dishes include arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), pasteles (plantain cakes), tostones (twice fried plantain slices), cuchifritos (fried appetizers), and flan de queso (cream cheese dessert). Criollo foods are traditionally paired with beer or rum with cola or fruit juice.

Food in Puerto Rico is distinguished by its abundance of flavorful salty, meaty and crunchy dishes, as well as a regular repertoire of herbs and spices. Many Puerto Rican dishes start with sofrito, a thick, herbed and peppery vegetable sauce used as the base for a variety of recipes, from soups to chicken and rice.

Travelers spending the holiday in the United States, Canada, France, Ireland and the United Kingdom can expect turkey on the table this Christmas, according to the map. Those headed to parts of South America can too — the map shows turkey is a top Christmas food in Brazil, Chile and Peru.

A traditional Christmas dinner is very similar to Thanksgiving and consists of roast turkey, turkey stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce and pies such as apple or pumpkin. Other non-traditional main dish favorites are ham, roast beef or lasagna.

What is a traditional Christmas Eve meal? ›

Turkey is classic, of course, as is ham, but you could also serve a roast chicken, roast beef, or pork tenderloin. Fill out your meal with some Christmas-y side dishes, and you'll be all set for the perfect holiday dinner.

It may sound strange for some that in Puerto Rico, like so many other countries in Latin America and Europe, it is not Santa Claus, but the Three Kings –a.k.a. the Magi, or the Wise Men– who bear the gifts in Christmas, but the explanation for that is rooted in these countries' deeply Catholic history.

When I was in Puerto Rico people would say "buen brovecho" before every meal. It roughly translates to "enjoy your meal", and it became one of my favorite parts of the trip.

The two most famous festivals are Fiesta de Reyes Juanadina, in the town of Juana Díaz, and Fiesta de Reyes Isabelinos, in Isabela.

Crackers, mince pies, a kiss under the mistletoe, Father Christmas, how and where did they all begin?

A Puerto Rican Christmas Tradition

Parrandas are the Puerto Rican version of caroling. It is marked by singing traditional Puerto Rican music called aguinaldos (Christmas Songs) and using traditional instruments, including guitars and cuatros, tambourines, maracas, palitos, and guiros.

Puerto Rico is the world's leading rum producer; 80% of the rum consumed in the United States hails from the island. There is a counted number bioluminescent bays in the entire world. Puerto Rico is home three bioluminescent bays.

Two of the most famous desserts from Puerto Rico are Tembleque and Arroz con Dulce. These two come from the European Culture that abounded in the Island during the times of colonization due to the great traffic that existed between Puerto Rico and what at one time was called the Motherland Spain.

People in Puerto Rico typically eat pastries, porridge, and egg dishes for breakfast. Popular breakfast pastries in Puerto Rico are called pan de mallorca, a sweet bread sprinkled with powdered sugar, and quesito, which is filled with cream cheese.

What is the Puerto Rican pork dish called? ›

What is Pernil? Pernil is a slow cooked pork roast, usually a shoulder, butt or leg, that is very typically enjoyed during the holidays. It is a classic Puerto Rican dish, and also a classic dish in the Dominican Republic, though unsurprisingly there are small differences that mean a lot.

1. Mofongo. Mofongo is a staple for me when it comes to Puerto Rican dishes. It's the meal of meals as its pairing with any protein is amazing — and even if you enjoy it on its own, it is something that will satisfy the hungriest person.

Puerto Rico's rich and unique culinary heritage links back to three main influences: Spanish, native tribes to the island and Western Africans.

Pasteles are a traditional dish popular in several Latin American countries like Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Panama and in Trinidad and Tobago. It closely resembles to that of Central American's tamale. A Christmas favorite, this wrapped dish is most often served with Pernil and Arroz con Gandules.