Aunt Clara’s Dominican Cookbook concedes that mofongo, a dish with a special place in the hearts and stomachs of Dominicans, actually originates in the neighboring island of Puerto Rico. Not surprisingly, I know some Dominicans who would take serious issue with that claim. Mofongo is the flagship dish in many typical Dominican restaurants like Adrian Tropical, which offers a number of variations on the theme, so Dominicans would consider it heresy to label it as a foreign import.

Mofongo is an extremely tasty and filling dish made with plantains: fried, mashed with garlic, shaped into a ball and served in a pilón (the mortar bit of the pestle and mortar), another unmistakable symbol of Dominican cooking. Classic mofongo is made with chicharrón (fried pork rind) and Adrian Tropical also does a chicken version and – my choice – a garlic prawn alternative – all served with a garlicky broth to moisten the plantain and bring out the flavor. It can be eaten for lunch or supper, and is also a popular snack for late-night revelers.



Go to Puerto Rico and you’ll find the same thing – mofongo is all over the place there too. In fact, so much of Puerto Rican cuisine is similar to Dominican, that it’s difficult to say who invented what. There are some differences, like in the spelling: what we know as guandules (pigeon peas) in the DR is spelled gandules in Puerto Rico. Similar or identical dishes sometimes have different names.

I had the pleasure of visiting Puerto Rico last month, and my seven-year old son gave a special vote of approval for ‘pinchos’ – that universal treat of barbecued chicken, fish or meat on a skewer also known as brochettes, kebabs or pinchitos elsewhere. Bearing in mind my less than carnivorous tendencies, I enjoyed a simple but delicious plate of garbanzos (chickpeas).

Mofongo – never, ever to be confused with mondongo – is a sensitive subject. I always have to think twice before saying the word, especially when ordering in a restaurant, because I don’t know what I’d do if a steaming plate of innards was put in front of me, instead of mofongo. I’m also going to re-read this article very carefully to make sure I haven’t put my foot in it, so to speak.

Both nations, as I said, claim mofongo as their own. But before the battle heats up, I’m going to suggest a truce, in the interest of maintaining the cordial relationship between the two neighbors.

How’s this for a compromise? Puerto Rican and Dominican cuisine share the exact same roots: Taíno, African and Spanish. Both countries have Middle Eastern and Chinese immigrants, as well as European influences apart from the Spanish, the only striking difference being the Corsican influx to Puerto Rico. Later influences may have varied – for obvious reasons Puerto Rico has a much stronger US influence than the Dominican Republic, for example, while the DR has closer contact with its Haitian neighbors. Mofongo, however, comes from the African side of the family so that’s where we shall say its origins really lie.

Dominicans and Puerto Ricans are the grateful heirs.

First off it all started in Cuba with Fufu de platano yellow plantains smashed with lime and served with meat brought over by slaves. It later turned in to Dominican mangu boiled smash green plantains. Mofongo and most people not only in Puerto Rico but all over agree that it originated in Puerto Rico even some Dominican there selfs say its a Puerto Rican dish. "As popular as it is in The Dominican Republic, Dominicans borrowed it from Puerto Ricans and adjusted it to the dish slightly to their liking, said Ramona Hernandez, director of Dominican Studies Institute of the New York University." Puerto Rico and Dominicans share a lot in common in food and have traded off recipes and adjusted dished. Puerto Rico is the Caribbean land mark for food and rum. Plantain dish such as tostones, pastelon de platano, pasteles and alcaplurrias all came from Puerto Rico and have been a favorite of a Dominican table.

Frst off, let me add that you are just an oversealous puertorican that is oviously bigoted to his own food culture.

Being that your name also says NYC on it, im sure you have a hatred for Dominicans. Growing up outside of NYC I could never undestand why PR and DR people have beef. Instead of uniting all they do is talk stupid stuff towards one another. Let me tell you the facts and you can either accept them and go on with your life or you can whine and complain living in your own ignorance.

1) Rum originated in India/China. It's been documented that early explorers were offered fermented drinks from sugarcane. In the western world, Rum first began in Barbados. It was NOT invented in Puerto Rico or the Domincan Republic. When Columbus mved between the islands, the rum making trade was brought to the DR and PR.

2) And in case you didn't know, Bacardi is CUBAN. The only reason PR gets all of the rep is becasue the business was moved to the Bacardi PR offices once Castro began to privatse all businesses. That's the only reason why Puerto Rico gets Rum credit through Bacardi. The distilleries in the Dominican are by far much older than their PR counterparts. (Brugal, Barcelo Etc.) Bacardi ws the first major distillery and it's founding comes from Cuban times, not PR times. The PR offices opened in the early 1910's.

3) Mangu is and always was 100% Dominican. for you to say that Mangu was "borrowed" from Puerto Rican Mofongo and then adjusted to taste is really uneducated on your part. Mofongo was always a PR dish and for any DR person to say mofongo was Domincan is also retarded. Tostones also have no traceable historical origin.

And ofr the record, I'm a Filipino that lived in both Santo Domingo DR and Ponce PR for many years.