AP PHOTO Learn more about Spanish Caribbean food through this article produced by Wealth of Geeks.

The year 1492 and the name Christopher Columbus holds even more significance for the tropical region now known as the Spanish Caribbean. Residents of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico trace much of their culinary history to the time of Columbus, the Conquistadors, and Spanish colonization. European colonizers brought new cooking methods and spices to the islands, but indigenous tribes such as the Caribs, Arawak, and Taino had already cultivated a range of root vegetables and tropical fruits.

An influx of West African slave labor added yet another influence to Spanish Caribbean food culture. Native plantains and cassava became components of European meat dishes seasoned with African spices. An abundance of tropical fruits and sugar cane meshed well with a European approach to desserts. Hearty soups and stews soon became national dishes and affordable comfort foods for workers and their families.

Essential Spanish

Caribbean Dishes

Dominican Braised Chicken (Pollo Guisado)

Pollo guisado is a rustic chicken dish that incorporates almost every part of the chicken, including the organs, giblets, and feet. The meat and trimmings are prepared with onion, garlic, oregano, and other Latin American spices. This dish has become a comfort food in all Spanish Caribbean cultures because of their abundant supply of poultry and its affordability. Pollo guisado is an essential part of the Dominican lunch meal, La Bandera Dominicana, so it often appears on Dominican restaurant menus in the United States.

Tostones and Maduros

Much like American potatoes or Mexican corn, plantains are considered a staple food in Spanish Caribbean culture. Tostones are a savory snack made from unripened green plantains fried in oil, lightly salted, and served with a garlic sauce. Tostones would be favorably compared to French fried potatoes in American cuisine.

Ripe plantains, which closely resemble bananas, are used to create maduros, sweet counterparts to savory tostones. Maduros are lightly fried or grilled, then served as a side dish to balance out salty or spice entrees.

Chivo

Chivo is a rustic stew from the northwestern Dominican Republic that features goat cooked with orange, onion, oregano, and peppers. Goat is considered a delicacy throughout the Spanish Caribbean. Dominican oregano plays a prominent role in the preparation of the dish.

Chivo guisado, a tomato-based stew featuring braised goat, is often served in Spanish Caribbean restaurants in the United States and Europe.

Mofongo

Mofongo has become a signature dish of Puerto Rican cuisine and is one of the Spanish Caribbean dishes most likely to be found on American menus. Fried plantains, crunchy pork skin, and garlic form the base of mofongo, but every region in the Spanish Caribbean offers its own variations on the theme. Often served as a side dish, mofongo can also be offered as a main course by adding grilled chicken or pork and topping the dish with a sauce containing stewed shrimp.

Pernil

Pernil is a slow-roasted pork dish often described as Cuban barbecue. The cooking process begins with marination in oil and citrus fruits, then moves to a low and slow roasting. The pork shoulder, butt, or leg is basted periodically and seasoned with salt, pepper, sofrito, Adobo, oregano, and a Sazon spice blend. The finished dish is fork-tender and flavorful, often served with rice or bread and garnished with crisp pork skin.

Pasteles

Pasteles are commonly served during the Christmas season in Puerto Rico, much like labor-intensive holiday offerings around the world. Pasteles are prepared like masa-based tamales, with a vegetable-forward shell steamed in banana leaves. The dough is a seasoned blend of grated green plantains, green bananas, malanga/yutía (a root vegetable similar to yuca), and potato or pumpkin with milk. Pork is a common ingredient in the filling, along with tropical vegetables and pumpkin.

Mondongo

Mondongo, or Sopa de Mondongo, is a soup made from diced beef tripe washed in lime or lemon juice. Most recipes use a wide variety of ingredients, including bell peppers, onions, carrots, cabbage, celery, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, or root vegetables such as potatoes or cassava. All Spanish Caribbean countries offer a version of mondongo, but the Dominican version is known for its distinctive oregano. Traditional mondongo stock is thin, with a base of fresh tomatoes. Tomato paste creates a thicker, stew-like consistency.

Other Influences on Spanish

Caribbean Food Culture

As slave labor fell out of favor in the region, a new influx of Asian immigrants once again influenced Spanish Caribbean cuisine, although not to the same degree as Spanish or African cultures. New spices, particularly Indian curries and marsalas, became popular ingredients in new fusion dishes. When Puerto Rico became a U.S. possession following the Spanish-American War in 1898, American food trends also left an impression on Spanish Caribbean food culture.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I first sampled Spanish Caribbean dishes at a food festival,” Michael Pollick at Media Decision shares. “I thought the flavors would be strictly Hispanic, but they actually had an Indian or Chinese undertone. I appreciated the use of citrus fruits in many of the sauces and marinades, too. I strongly recommend trying mofongo or tostones if it’s your first experience with Spanish Caribbean food.”