What's Popular in Puerto Rico: Cuisine, Music, Dance, Sports, and Culture

Cuisine

• Mofongo: Mashed plantains with garlic, olive oil, and pork rinds.
• Arroz con pollo: Rice and chicken cooked with spices and vegetables.
• Alcapurrias: Fried fritters from green bananas, yautia, and meat or seafood.
• Pasteles: Meat pies with dough of mashed green bananas.
• Pernil: Roasted pork shoulder marinated in spices.

Music

• Salsa: Latin dance music originating in Puerto Rico.
• Reggaeton: Blend of hip hop, reggae, and Latin American music.
• Bomba: Traditional genre using drums, claves, maracas.
• Plena: Traditional genre with guitars, cuatro, güiro.
• Merengue: Dominican-origin dance music popular in Puerto Rico.

Dance

• Salsa, Reggaeton, Bomba, Plena, Merengue (styles mirror music genres).

Sports

• Baseball: National sport; produced MLB stars like Roberto Clemente.
• Boxing: World champions include Felix Trinidad, Miguel Cotto.
• Basketball: NBA players such as José Juan Barea, Carlos Arroyo.
• Volleyball: Women's national team among world's best.
• Soccer: Growing presence with professional players.

Culture

• Religion: Majority Roman Catholic; Protestant and Jewish minorities.
• Language: Spanish and English official; Spanish predominant.
• Education: High literacy rate, well-developed system with universities.
• Art: Rich tradition with artists like José Campeche, Francisco Oller.
• Literature: Notable writers include José de Diego, Julia de Burgos.