Buen provecho! Puerto Rico food experience, vegetarian edition
Take pictures of your food they said. People will be interested they said. So here we go.
I am actually not so much of a foodie but there is one thing I was really looking forward to when coming to tropical Puerto Rico, namely eating plenty of fresh, ripe, juicy tropical fruits and veggies. Wow, was I wrong.
Vegetarian surprises — Puerto Ricans are known to be meat eaters so I wasn’t too surprised that many restaurants do not have any vegetarian options — besides the common side dish of rice and beans. I still encountered the first food surprise on the menu: When there is a vegetarian variant of a dish it tends to be pricier than the chicken or meat variant of the same dish, even if the veggies are plain carrots and broccoli. The second surprise came on the plate, prevalent, pale and flavorless: tomatoes in sad salads. In my expectations, sunny islands have the ripest and most aromatic tomatoes. Something seems to be wrong here.
Dependence on imports— I checked with the locals about the disappointing quality of produce and the limited value for money. This is when I learnt about the Jones Act, a protectionist law that requires shipments between U.S. ports to go on American-made and American-operated vessels. As unincorporated territory, this law also applies to Puerto Rico and results in increased cost and efforts for imported fruit and vegetables. Unfortunately, Puerto Rico relies heavily on food imports since its own agricultural sector has shrunk to insignificant volume.
Good food and hope — Of course, not all is bad. During my three weeks in Puerto Rico I found places with delicious plant-based, non-fried, healthy food. In the metropolitan area of San Juan there is even a growing vegan scene. I have met a couple of vegetarian Puerto Ricans — going out to eat together with them has been the best source for discovering meatless options irrespective of official menus. From the locals I also learnt a new recipe for a fallback meal: banana avocado sandwich, very tasty!
Let’s be entrepreneurial — Life is not all about tomatoes but the thought of the island missing out on the flavor experience makes me want to do something about it. Maybe it’s the entrepreneurial vibes of the social sabbatical spilling over. I wonder if urban gardening would be a solution. Would Puerto Ricans be motivated to grow their own food? Would the availability of home growing kits for veggies, herbs and fruit encourage people to exploit the Puerto Rican sun in their backyards? Realistically, I am not starting a business in Puerto Rico. Anyone interested grab the idea and go for it.
