Our beautiful island of Puerto Rico boasts exquisite beaches and is home to a vibrant culture that includes upbeat music, people, and most importantly, exquisite cuisine. When visiting the island, prepare to fuel up on some of the most delicious dishes of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican cuisine is extremely diverse and is influenced by West African, Spanish, and Indigenous Taino ingredients and cooking styles. Popular ingredients in Puerto Rican cuisine include plantains, yucca, rice (Arroz), papaya, tropical fruits and vegetables, and more. Here are some of the best foods to try in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rican Foods to Try
There are some traditional and popular foods that are loved by Puerto Ricans and visitors alike.
Some of the most authentic foods to try in Puerto Rico are as follows:
Mofongo
The plantain is chopped into pieces and fried, they are then crushed and molded into a bowl with a hollow inside where the meat is placed.
Mofongo can be found at various food trucks and restaurants and is considered one of the most popular Puerto Rican dishes.
Tostones
This dish, which is often served as an appetizer, is made with thinly sliced plantains coated in batter.
Tostones are deep-fried and flattened using a tostonera, which is a wooden press.
They are often served with a condiment made from ketchup, mayonnaise, garlic, and other spices, also known as mayo ketchup.
Tembleque
Tembleque is a dessert pudding made from coconut milk, sugar, salt, and cornstarch.
It has a smooth consistency and is often topped with cinnamon.
This dessert is enjoyed all year round but is a staple for the Christmas season.
Pasteles
Pasteles are a combination of vegetable dough and meat filling and can be made with either yucca or green plantain.
They are stuffed with meat, usually pork, but can also include vegetables and pumpkin.
They are wrapped in banana leaves and boiled until the leaves fall off. Once ready, they are seasoned with achiote and sofrito.
Ensalada de Pulpo
In English, this dish translates to octopus salad, and that’s exactly what it is.
Ensalada de Pulpo is made from chewy octopus and tart vinegar.
This dish is usually served with another Puerto Rican favorite, Tostones.
Rellenos de Papa
Rellenos de papa is a popular island appetizer best described as a savory mashed potato croquette stuffed with ground meat or picadillo and seasoned with sofrito.
Other ingredients, such as cheese, onions, and other vegetables can also be found in Rellenos de Papa.
Arroz con Gandules
This is probably one of the most popular foods to try in Puerto Rico.
This holy grail dish centers around rice and Gandules, or pigeon peas.
Gandules are used often in Caribbean cuisine and manifest as small, green, oval beans that contain a nutty flavor.
Arroz con Gandules or Puerto Rican rice is the island’s national dish along with roasted pork, or Pernil.
Pernil
Pernil is a slow-roasted pork leg or shoulder marinated with adobo mojado, which is a mixture of olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
Pernil is most often served with Arroz con Gandules or sweet plantains and is usually enjoyed during the holidays.
Advertising in Puerto Rico
The marketing opportunities are endless in Puerto Rico; however, a unique and localized communication strategy is needed because of the island’s uniqueness.
Puerto Rico is a unique market because we see U.S influence mixed with Hispanic culture and the Spanish language.
The island is usually thought of as a middle ground between North America and South America, which is why businesses see lucrative opportunities on the island. However, it helps to know who your audience is – including what they eat.
Food Advertising
Food advertising, especially with the use of billboards, is aimed to reach a wide range of people and demographics.
In 2016, approximately $13.5 billion was spent on advertising by food companies.
In Puerto Rico, restaurants held 2.69% of the total spending on digital advertising in 2021.
Advertising can easily influence an individual’s food choices, so this is a great way to advertise your company’s new food product or to highlight your restaurant’s new menu item.
Billboards and OOH Advertising
Gone are the days of static billboards, today we see digital and smart billboards that are transforming the advertising market. If you’re looking for foods to try in Puerto Rico or you’re looking to influence certain foods to try, chances are that advertising will play a part.
Effective advertising can help you get ahead and stand out from the competition, and billboards are the easiest way to do that.
Here are some reasons why:
- Outdoor advertising is more noticeable than mobile or television ads.
- Online advertising can be ineffective due to ad-blockers. Additionally, due to the increasingly high number of mobile and television ads we see each day, it can be challenging to make your advertisement stand out on these platforms.
- Billboards are more accepted by consumers.
- Billboards have been around for a long time, and are generally accepted as a form of advertising. The ethical issues surrounding social media and online ads have made people wary.
- Billboards help with brand building.
- OOH advertising can build brand awareness as people are most perceptive of their surroundings when outside of the home.
- Billboards are cost-effective.
- Billboards are generally cheaper than print or online advertising. Additionally, they are more long-term than other forms of advertisement that often require businesses to make repeated payments.
bMedia and Your Business
BMedia is the leader in OOH advertising in Puerto Rico. We work with people from all types of industries, including the food industry, to help them reach their target audience and increase their return on investment.
With decades of experience erecting high-performing and eye-catching billboards, we aim to maximize your businesses using strategic locations and advanced analytics to optimize billboard engagement.
The billboard real estate in Puerto Rico is thriving, and we’re here to help you find the perfect spot for your advertisement.
Through best practices, we aim to help your business reach its maximum value.
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