Hispanic History Month and Foodways Series: Pork Culture in the Caribbean

Mafongo, recipes below

When the Spanish started establishing settlements in the Caribbean, they imported large numbers of domesticated pigs and hens. Because the islands had no predators and there were many root crops to graze, the pigs thrived. Europeans quickly learned from locals how to smoke and barbecue the pig. In 1555, one traveler described the residents of Santo Domingo as having great amounts of pork and poultry. The pork, he writes, is “very sweet and savoury [sic]; and so wholesome that they give it to sick folks to eat, instead of . . . poultry . . . .” Mofongo is a dish that illustrates the centrality of pork in the cuisine of the Spanish speaking Caribbean. West African eating customs played an important role in the formation of dishes like mafongo which calls for using pounded green plantains in a parallel way to West African foo foo. Hispanic Caribbean cooks most often make mofongo from fried green plantains mashed together with garlic, olive oil, a broth, and some kind of fried pork. Below find traditional and vegan mofongo recipes.

Traditional Mofongo Recipe
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/01/dining/011mrex.html

Vegan Mofongo Video Recipe
http://veganricans.blogspot.com/2008/11/vegan-mofongo-w-fried-tempeh.html