Mofongo
The signature dish of Puerto Rican cooking, made from fried green plantain mashed in a wooden mortar with garlic, oil and often pork cracklings. It arrives as a dense dome, plain or stuffed with shrimp, chicken, fried meat or skirt steak. A stuffed mofongo usually runs 15 to 25 dollars and is a full meal for one hungry person.
Example
If you only eat one dish on the island, make it a shrimp mofongo at a neighborhood spot rather than at a hotel bar.
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Related terms
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Trifongo
A mofongo variant that mashes three bases in the same mortar, normally green plantain, ripe plantain and cassava. It...
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Pilón (mortero de madera)
The wooden mortar and pestle used to mash plantain, garlic and pork cracklings. It is the tool that defines mofongo,...
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Tostones
Green plantain slices fried once, flattened and fried again until crisp. They are the default side with almost any...
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Lechón asado
A whole pig marinated and roasted for hours over charcoal on a turning spit until the skin turns to crackling. It is...
Frequently asked questions
How is mofongo different from Dominican mangu?
Mofongo uses fried plantain mashed with garlic and fat, so it comes out dry and crusty. Mangu uses boiled plantain and comes out creamy.
Is one mofongo enough for two people?
Usually not as a shared main, but a stuffed one plus a side is plenty for two light eaters. It is denser than it looks.
