Introduction to Puerto Rican Arroz Con Gandules

Series Summary

Arroz Con Gandules is the national dish of Puerto Rico. It is a rice-and-pigeon-pea dish which is seasoned with sofrito and smoked ham. Puerto Rican cuisine has been influenced by the foods of many cultures, including Spanish, African, Central and South American, and even North American cuisines. There are also many roots and beans used in Puerto Rican cooking that were a part of the diet of the Taíno Indians, the island's original inhabitants.

In this series of free instructional cooking videos, you'll learn how to cook Puerto Rico's national dish, Arroz Con Gandules. Chef Kenny Marrero takes you through the recipe step-by-step, showing you all the ingredients you'll need to make this classic dish. You'll learn how to prepare the meat and vegetables, how to make Sofrito, and how to combine these ingredients together with rice and sauce for a delicious meal you'll never forget.

Video Transcript

"Hey everybody in Expert Village. I'm Kenny Morrero with Expert Village. I'm here just to kind of share a little bit about my culture, a little bit about my background. My family's from Puerto Rico. We're all from the islands, although I'm a New York Rican. It's alright though. It's still in the heart. My father was a chef in Puerto Rico. I’m a graduate from college by the way. Good thing for all you college people out there. Good going. Also as a college survivor, what I've learned is to eat in your save a little bit more money. That's why I've inherited some of my father and my mother's skills for purposes of survival. So here we go. The dish that I'm going to be preparing for you is actually one of my personal favorites. It's arroz con gandules mezclado con picantes y chuletas picadito bien chiquitito. For anyone that doesn't understand Spanish out there. There really is no proper way to say arroz con gandules in English, so you're just going to have to figure it out. Arroz con gandules picado con tanito de chuletas."