Native Caribbean flavors are evident in the majority of Puerto Rican recipes. The most popular dinner dishes are stewed meats, rice and beans, and an enormous selection of fritters, and desserts made from local fruits and vegetables. Plantains are a variety of banana that cannot be eaten raw. They are harvested while green and then baked, fried, or boiled. Equally traditional would be a portion of guava jelly or paste with white cheese.
Chefs take the bountiful harvest of Puerto Rican fruits and create any number of desserts.
The pumpkin, which grows in abundance on Puerto Rico, is used not only to flavor soups and as a side vegetable, but also to make the succulent base for a traditional Puerto Rican cake. Coconut is probably the most common dessert ingredient. Many delectable desserts are made with its milk, along with a classic preparation of coconut bread pudding. Each bartender worthy of the profession in Puerto Rico likes to concoct his or her favorite Rum libation.