The beauty of this city is that it has the feel of a foreign country, but as it is a US territory, no passport is required, the US dollar is the primary currency, and your phone needs no special international plan. Visit the San Juan Historical site, which encompasses the Castillo San Felipe del Morro, an impressive 16th century fort with breathtaking ocean views and the Castillo de San Cristobal. Condado Beach and El Escambron Beach are lovely stretches of sandy areas for families and watersports enthusiasts. Walking through the El Yunque National Forest you encounter paths that wind through the treetops to a beautiful waterfall and a high altitude dwarf forest. In the Old San Juan neighborhood visit Barrachina (the supposed birthplace of the pina colada) for traditional Puerto Rican dishes like shrimp mofongo and red bean soup. The market area at la Placita de Sarnturce is the place for authentic street food like chicharrones, lechon and tostones.
Signature Drink of San Juan – Pina Colada
Ingredients:
- 3 oz white rum
- 3 oz cream of coconut
- 3 oz fresh pineapple juice
- ¼ c frozen pineapple chunks
- 2 c ice
- 2 oz golden rum (optional)
Instructions:
- Place all ingredients except golden rum in blender and blend until frothy and most of the ice and pineapple chunks have been liquified
- Pour into a tall chilled glass and garnish with a chunk of pineapple
- If desired, carefully pour a “floater” of golden rum over the drink
Signature Dish of San Juan – Mofongo with Shrimp
Ingredients:
- 3 green plantains
- 4 c water with 1T salt added
- 1T olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1t salt
- ½ lb pork rind cracklings (chicharrones), chopped
- 2c olive oil for frying
- ½ lb fresh shrimp, chopped
Instructions:
- Peel plantains and cut on the diagonal into 1 inch slices
- Soak plantain pieces in salty water for 15 minutes. Drain well.
- Heat olive oil in large frying pan, add the plantains and fry over low heat until golden (about 3 minutes per side) and place on paper towels to absorb the oil.
- In a small bowl crush the garlic cloves and add in the 1T oil and salt. Mix thoroughly until it forms a paste and remove.
- In the same bowl crush 3-4 slices of the fried plantains, add 1T chicharrones and about 1t of the garlic paste. Mix thoroughly. Spoon out about ½ c of the mixture and form a ball. Repeat until all of the plantains, chicharrones and garlic paste have been used.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- In each mofongo ball, hollow out a pocket and stuff with 2-3T chopped shrimp (you can substitute chicken or pork if desired).
- Bake the mofongo balls for 15 minutes and serve with a simple broth or salad.
