Top 10 Delicious Puerto Rican Fruits And Vegetables
Puerto Rican fruits and vegetables are delicious and nutritious. Puerto Rico is known for its rich, natural vegetation and agricultural activity. Puerto Rican agricultural products are exported to the United States and other countries. The island has a well-developed system of roads and highways for trucks to transport crops from their farms until they reach the ports in Mayagüez, Fajardo, and Aguadilla.
In this article, we will explore ten different types of delicious fruits and vegetables from Puerto Rico.
Top 10 Delicious Puerto Rican Fruits And Vegetables
1. Pina (Pineapple)
Pineapple is the first delicious fruit on our list of top ten Puerto Rican fruits and vegetables. It’s an exotic food that originated in South America. Puerto Rico was one of the early locales to cultivate this succulent plant for commercial purposes, exporting its products to the United States and Europe. Today, wild or family-raised pineapples are still grown across the island.
The spiky skin of this fruit contains clusters of “eyes” when peeled away. The sweet, golden flesh is made up of round, individual cells that contain delectable juice. Pineapple is a source of bromelain, an enzyme that aids in digestion.
Pineapples are popular in fruit salads, salad dressings, smoothies, and drinks. The juicy flesh can be baked, boiled, or grilled.
2. Plátano (Plantain)
Plantains are second on our list of top ten Puerto Rican fruits and vegetables. They are large, green bananas, related to the common variety of supermarket bananas known as cooking bananas. Plantains are larger in size than regular bananas with thicker skins that turn black when ripe.
Although rich in starch, plantains are lower in sugar content than yellow or green plantains. They are known as “el plátano macho” because they contain more starch than sugar.
Plantains can be eaten raw, but are commonly fried twice to make “Fritos mofongo.” This is a popular dish served at Puerto Rican restaurants. The plantains are sliced into wedges, fried once, mashed into a bowl with broth, and refried. They are then topped with meat or seafood.
3. Yautía (Taro)
The taro plant is the source of our third Puerto Rican fruit and vegetable on our list of top ten fruits and vegetables from Puerto Rico. It’s a starchy plant that bears fruits with a rough, brown exterior. Taro is indigenous to Asia and Africa but has been cultivated in the West Indies since early colonial times.
In Puerto Rico, taro is used as a staple ingredient in soups and stews such as “sopón de yuca” (yucca soup), “sancocho de yautía” (taro stew), and “Arroz con dulce” (sweet rice pudding). The root of the plant contains calcium, phosphorus, vitamin C, and iron.
4. Manzana (Apple)
Apples are fourth on our list of top ten Puerto Rican fruits and vegetables. The fruit is a pomaceous plant that bears white or red fruits, depending on the cultivar. Apples are low in calories and rich in soluble fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants such as quercetin and gallic acid.
In Puerto Rico, there are many varieties of apples including Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji, Braeburn, Jonagold, Rome Beauty. These are enjoyed raw or spiced with cinnamon to make apple pies and other desserts.
5. Guanabana (Soursop)
The soursop is our fifth Puerto Rican fruit and vegetable on our list. It’s a large, spiny fruit that weighs about one or two pounds when ripe. Soursops are native to tropical America and the Caribbean.
In English, the plant is known as “bullock’s heart” because of its spiky exterior. The pulp inside, however, is white and tastes like a blend between cucumber, strawberry, pineapple, and coconut flavors.
Soursop can be eaten raw or used to make refreshing fruit shakes. It can also be combined with other fruits to make fruit salads. In addition, the seeds are a good source of protein and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.
6. Carambola (Starfruit)
They are tropical plants with yellow, orange, or red fruits with five to seven “rays” projecting from the center. These star-shaped slices are visible in fruit salads, smoothies, and drinks.
Carambola is low in saturated fat and sodium, but rich in vitamin C and fiber. The crispy flesh tastes sweet and sour at the same time, which makes it a good addition to fruit salads or as a garnish on desserts such as ice cream and cakes.
7. Guayaba (Guava)
The guava fruit is known in English as “guava” or “guava paste.” It is tart and slightly sweet with a juicy flesh that tastes like a combination of strawberry, pear, and pineapple. Guavas can be eaten raw or added to smoothies, jam, jelly, preserves, juices, salads, desserts, and marinades. In addition, the wood of the tree is excellent for making furniture and utensils because it’s hard and resistant to humidity.
8. Mamey
The mamey fruit resembles a pumpkin but has a bright-orange color inside. It tastes like a combination of sweet potato with vanilla, peaches, and strawberries.
Mameys are often served in fruit salads or used to make refreshing drinks. They can also be cooked with other fruits to create exotic desserts. In addition, dried mamey rinds are an excellent source of calcium and potassium.
9. Yuca (Cassava)
It’s a perennial shrub with cylindrical roots that contain a poisonous compound called “linamarin.” In order to make this root edible, both the poisonous compounds and fibers must be removed by mechanical and chemical processes. The result is starchy flesh that’s used to make fufu and other dishes in Africa and Latin America.
As we said earlier, yuca is often used as a substitute for potatoes. However, the root contains fewer calories and less fat than potatoes and can be boiled or fried like French fries. Yuca is also used to make tapioca pudding. In addition, the leaves are rich in protein and iron, which makes them good for making traditional dishes such as “Guinataan” (taro leaves stew) in Puerto Rico.
10. Níspero
They are medium-sized evergreen trees with dense crowns and reddish bark. Nísperos produce sweet fruits that have heavy, pulpy flesh with a delicate aroma.
In English, it’s known as the “Chinese date” because of its astringent taste similar to dates. When ripe, nísperos can be eaten raw or used to make fruit salads, preserves, smoothies, cakes, pies, bread, ice cream. Other uses include infusions to make refreshing drinks and wines.
Conclusion
Puerto Rican fruits and vegetables come in all shapes, colors, and flavors. They are an important part of our diet because they give us the vitamins and minerals we need to be healthy. In addition, fruit is almost always included when preparing dinner in Puerto Rico.
We hope you enjoyed this article about our delicious Puerto Rican fruits and vegetables.
