Rice is the cereal that cannot be absent from the Puerto Rican diet; just cook it, and you can mix it with legumes, meat, and vegetables to turn it into a special and sought-after dish for everyone.
Before the time of conquest, our ancestors did not know rice, so it was not part of their diet. When the Spaniards arrived, they brought rice, that’s true, but on one hand, the natives had no idea about its cultivation, and on the other, the Spaniards showed no interest in agriculture; they were more focused on searching for gold in the rivers. Therefore, the Spaniards themselves prioritized corn cultivation to avoid starvation.
It was only when African slaves, coming from West Africa, arrived in the Caribbean that rice cultivation truly began, as they had experience growing this cereal and had brought with them the resilient species globerrima, which is more resistant to environmental conditions. By the late 18th century, year-round rice production was established.
Two centuries after rice was introduced to Puerto Rico, it became part of the Puerto Ricans' diet; when they cooked it, they started to combine it with legumes and, as they became more familiar with it, enriched the dish until today, when we can enjoy the delicious mamposteao, based on rice and beans with a flavorful sofrito.
