Mofongo

Mofongo(Spanish pronunciation:[moˈfoŋɡo]) is a dish from Puerto Rico 
withplantainsas its mainingredient.Plantains are picked green, cut into pieces and typically fried in more modern versions but can be boiled in broth or roasted, then mashed with salt, garlic, pork, broth, andcooking oil(olive oil,butter, andlardis typically used) in a wooden pilón (mortar and pestle). Cassava and sweet potato are boiled then roasted or flash-fried, plantains can also be made in this method or roasted before flash-frying.The goal is to produce a tight ball of mashed plantains that will absorb the attending condiments and have eitherpork cracklings(chicharrón) or bits ofbaconinside. It is traditionally served with friedmeatandchicken brothsoup.Particular flavors result from variations that includevegetables,chicken,shrimp,beef, oroctopuspacked inside or around the plantain orb.
Mofongo is a traditional Puerto Rico dish combining influences from the cultures of theGreater AntillesIsland descending fromSpain,West Africa, andTaíno, where Puerto Rico gets most of its culture and roots. These cultural influences also resulted in the creation of mofongo's distantly-related but notably different West African dishfufu, but Mofongo's unique flavor comes from a combination of West African flavors and the Taíno Indian culinary tradition of mashing root vegetables, mixed with major Spanish culinary influences. Fufu, a sticky dough pulled and eaten by hand, is made from variousstarchyvegetables. Fufu was bought to theCaribbeanbyAfricans in the Spanish New World colonies. Each country developed their own unique dish borne from their cultural origins and influences that were very different from original native dish such asTrinidad and Tobago(pong plantain also known as tum-tum),Cuba(fufu de plátanoandmachuquillo), Dominican Republic(mangú), Haiti(tomtom)and Puerto Rico(mofongoandfunche criollo); this also most likely includesColombia(cayeye),Ecuador(bolón),Costa Rica(angú),Amazon region, andPeru(tacacho).
The earliest known written recipes for mofongo appeared in Puerto Rico's first cookbook,El Cocinero Puerto-Riqueño o Formulario, in 1859.The title of the recipe ismofongo criollo. Green plantains are cleaned with lemon, boiled with veal and hen, then mashed with garlic, oregano,ají dulce, bacon or lard, and ham. It is then formed into a ball and eaten with the broth in which it was cooked.
TheEl Cocinero Puerto-Riqueño o Formulariohas similar recipes.Funche criollois made from green or yellow plantains boiled withtarooryams, mashed and eaten with sesame broth soup or a sauce made from garlic, lard, tomato sauce, onions, andají dulce(sofrito). The similarfunche criollodoes not include pork, however, one of the a key ingredients in traditionalmofongo.
Another well-known recipe was written by Elizabeth B.K. Dooley in herPuerto Rican cookbook(1948). The recipe calls for yellow plantains fried in lard, mashed with garlic, olive oil, and chicharrón, and then formed into a ball.
A 1980 booklet from the U.S. government promoting tourism in Puerto Rico wrote of mofongo as being "jocularly described as a Puerto Ricanmatzoh ball" and described mofongo as being a "mashed, roasted plantain, combine with bacon, spices and goes well with chicken soup".El Cocinero Puerto-Riqueño o Formularioalso has an example of green plantains roasted over coal and eaten with fat and garlic calledplátanos asado.
The recipe has many variants throughout Puerto Rico, but most have maintained the key ingredients of traditionalmofongo, such as pork, cooking oil, spices, broth, and starch, as well as the use of a pilón for mashing. The contemporary interpretation of classicmofongoinvolves frying the starch in lard or oil, and that method makes the dish distinctively Puerto Rican, giving it a crusty, dense, andumamiflavor.
Central African ethnic groups that populated Puerto Rico used the technique of a mallet to mash large amounts of starchy foods. The mash was then softened with liquids. The word "mofongo" stems from theKikongotermmfwenge-mfwenge, which means "a great amount of anything at all".
Mofongo evolved from three cultural influences: Spanish, Taino, and African within the Puerto Rican populace. Mofongo is different fromfufubut uses the same African method with vegetables available in the Caribbean. Plantains are most often used, but other starchy roots native to the island used by Taínos can also be used. Puerto Ricans have an obsession with fried food known collectively ascuchifritoin New York City.Spanish ingredients such as pork, garlic, broth, and olive oil are commonly used together inPuerto Rican cuisineand are found in staple dishes such asarroz con gandules,alcapurria,pasteles, habichuelas,recaíto, andarroz junto, among others. Broth is often made with chicken andsofrito. Sofrito is made with Spanish and Taíno fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
Pork is a major component for most traditional offerings and the preparations of Puerto Rican cuisine. The only other Caribbean Island where pork is a major component is Cuba.The use of lard, pork scraps and inner parts has its influence from the harsh diet and treatment of African people in Puerto Rico. This led to dish on the island such as mofongo, gandinga, andmondongo. Mofongo combines the African tradition of fufu with limited ingredients given to slaves: plantains, lard, and pork scraps.
Food trucksaround Puerto Rico, Florida, New York, and other parts of the USA serve mofongo. A popular version in Puerto Rico ispapas locas, crazy fries. Mofongo is placed flat in a takeaway container layered with French fries or yam fries, shredded meat or meats, chopped onions, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, lettuces, corn, melted cheese, and mayoketchup (fry sauce).
The namemofongorefers to cooked plantains mashed with fat (olive oil, lard, or butter), spices, and pork in a woodenmortar and pestlecalled apilón(made withmahoganyorguaiacum, both native hardwoods) and shaped more or less into a ball and in or alongside broth. The mofongo is then able to absorb any juice or broth from the seared meat that is placed on top or inside of the dish. The consistency of mofongo is much more dense and stiff than fufu.
It is also common in Puerto Rico to make mofongo withcassava(mofongo de yuca),breadfruit(mofongo de pana), and ripe plantain mofongo (mofongo de amarillo).
Thebifongois any combination of two starches fried and mashed together. 
Ripe and green plantains together is the most popular choice.
Thetrifongois any combination of three starches fried and mashed together. Most popular is cassava with green and ripe plantains, butbatataand breadfruit may be used.
Mofongo stuffed with shrimp (camarón in Spanish) is calledcamarofongo.
Thanksgivingis an American holiday that has been adopted by Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans outside thecommonwealth.Turkeyis the main focus on every Thanksgiving table and is traditionally stuffed with bread. The breadstuffingcan be mixed with mofongo or replaced entirely with mofongo. The dish is calledpavochon.
Frito-LayproducesMoFongo Snax, combining plantain chips, cassava chips and pork rinds into one bag.
Mofongo rellenois a stuffed variation of mofongo, which, according to Yvonne Ortiz, was first made in "Tino's Restaurant on the west coast of Puerto Rico" when seafood, abundant in the region, was placed inside the plantain ball withbraisedmeat or more seafood poured over it.Today,mofongo rellenois commonly stuffed with either seafood, poultry, or another meat.
Mofonguitoare bite-size mofongo usually served as an appetizer. Not to be confused with Dominicanmofonguito, which aretostonesrelleno.
Moca, Dominican Republic, is known for making a mofongo with cheddar cheese shredded on top. It has been calledmofongo Dominicanoandmofongo el Mocano.
Dominicans who feared the dictatorship ofRafael Trujillofled to Puerto Rico and New York City. Fried mofongo caught on quickly withDominicans living in Puerto RicoandNew York City. After Trujillo's death many Dominicans returned to the Dominican Republic, bringing the recipe for mofongo, which has remained popular ever since.The first Dominican cookbook with a recipe for mofongo isCocina Criolla, second edition by Amanda Ornes, in 1962. The recipe is calledmafongousing roasted green plantains mashed with just chicarrón and oil.Ramona Hernández, director of theDominican Studies Instituteof theCity University of New York, has said, "mofongo is a dish borrowed from Puerto Rico that has much success with Dominicans". Dominican chef Clara Gonzalez, also known as Aunt Clara, says in her cookbook, "mofongo has a special place in the Dominicans' hearts and stomachs but can be traced back to Puerto Rico". Some food scholars claim roasted mofongo was brought over to the Dominican Republic during Dominican Republics sugar industry from 1916-1924 were Puerto Ricans migrated to work.
Mofongo has become popular among Colombians, Cubans and Dominicans living in theUnited Statesand anywhere large numbers of Puerto Ricans or Dominicans reside.
Food Networkchef and hostGuy Fierifeatured mofongo from Benny's Seafood (inMiami, Florida) and from El Bohio (inSan Antonio, Texas) on two separate episodes of his showDiners, Drive-Ins and Dives. He liked the dish so much that he called it the "best fried thing I ever ate" on an episode of the showThe Best Thing I Ever Ate.
An episode of theTravel Channel'sMan v. Food Nation, set inHarlem, showed the hostAdam Richmanvisiting aSpanish Harlemrestaurant called La Fonda Boricua, where they make a giant 12-plantain mofongo called theMofongaso.
Mofongo is so important in the Puerto Rican culture that it is sung and mentioned in numerous songs.Mofongo pelaobyIsmael Rivera, mofongo by Simon Montserrat & Djeli,pun pun catalúbyCelia Cruz, mofongo byLamborginny,y no hago mas naandel menubyEl Gran Combo de Puerto Rico,mangú y mofongobyUnción TropicalandIsabel Valdeza song about a Dominican bringing mangú and a Puerto Rican bringing mofongo. Perhaps the oldest song mentioning mofongo is called "Puertorriqueño" byJoe ValleandCésar Concepción.
OnSaturday Night Live,David Ortiz(a recurring impression played byKenan Thompson) frequently refers to the dish when describing his "big lunch".
Mofongo was mentioned numerous times on the 1970s U.S. NBC situation comedySanford & Sonwhen characters Fred and Lamont (Redd FoxxandDemond Wilson) interact with their Puerto Rican neighbor Julio (Gregory Sierra).
The 2021 animated PBS showAlma's Way, about a Puerto Rican girl growing up in the Bronx with her family, frequently mentions mofongo as a favorite family dish.