Any trip to Puerto Rico is incomplete without trying the native dish, mafongo.

Mafongo is mashed and fried green plantains pressed into the shape of a bowl leaving a well in the center. Either left as is or filled with chicken, beef, shrimp, or pork, the bowl-shaped mafongo is turned out onto a plate and resembles a dome. The top is lightly splashed with a tomato, peppers and onion “Creole” sauce, and a shredded lettuce salad is typically served alongside.

Mafongo is a good dish to share because it tends to be large, dense and filling. Flavor varies widely as every cook has their own take on the basic recipe; one small cafeteria in Isla Verde adds garlic to the plantain mash while most other places leave it plain, relying on the slightly starchy, banana/potato flavor to shine.

Mafongo is a great example of the simple, yet excellent food flavors Puerto Rico has to offer. When in Old San Juan, try Mafongo at Manolin, La Tasca or even the slightly touristy Mafongo’s - you’ll go bananas…or in this case plantain-crazy.

Filed Under: Food Finds