One dish that you will encounter when you come to Puerto Rico is our famous “Arroz con Gandules” (rice with pigeon peas). This dish is a typical Christmas dish, but it is so delicious that Puerto Ricans make it all year long.

The dish consists of pigeon peas (Gandules), rice, some herbs, and vegetables. Mix all the ingredients in a “caldero” and you will end up with Arroz con Gandules. But, this is where it gets interesting because my grandmother’s Arroz con Gandules, for example, is not the same as any other Arroz con Gandules and vice versa. Every household has developed its own styles and recipes creating their own extra flavors and colors.

Expect to see Arroz con Gandules in many menus throughout the island served with different side dishes like pasteles and Lechon Asado (roasted pork).

Ingredients

Some ingredients used to make Arroz con Gandules are pigeons peas, rice, sofrito, onions, bacon, cilantro, pimientos, olives, sazon, olive oil.