Roots
& Recipes Draft
Just getting home from
school, I set my bag down and stumble to the couch; trying to get my mind off
of all the homework I was just assigned. I take a deep breath, and there it
was.. The scent of Mami’s arros con gandules had suddenly come rushing to my
nose. I feel a slight sense of relief and excitement, because when there is
Arros con Gandules, there is always a reason to celebrate.
Arros con Gandules has
been a part of my family tradition for many generations and generations to
come. Every time I visit Puerto Rico, my distant family always comes together
and prepares Arros con Gandules, along with many other food items, to welcome
me. I really couldn’t imagine a better welcoming than that. Simply explaining Arros
con Gandules makes my eyes go wide, and my stomach grumble. Back in Puerto
Rico, food would always bring us together. It was something in which we could
all find common ground, and arros con gandules plays a big role in that. There
are countless reasons why this delicious dish is so loved, and prepared for so
many occasions. When I asked Mami why Arros con Gandules is so appreciated by
our culture she replied with, “It represents who we are. I has ties from the African
and Spaniard ancestry and shows how mix our culture is.”
“It reminds me of home.
The smell of the ingredients and all of them put together reminds me of back
home. It reminds me of being with my grandparents back in the countryside of
the island”, my mom reminisced. She told me stories of how she would watch Abuelita
Carmen pick the Gandules of the Gandule tree, “… One by one she would put them
in the bucket.”
Aside from Gandules,
Arros con Gandules consisted of: sofrito (garlic, onion, green peppers, olive
oil, salt and cilantro), rice, ham, salt, adobo, pork chop, 1 packet of sazon,
olive oil, olives, red roasted peppers, and banana leaves. All these ingredients
come together to be slowly cooked to reach a level of perfection that is mouthwatering.
Mami would first heat the olive oil and sauté the pork chop already seasoned
with adobo. Once the pork chop is fully cooked, add the sofrito and ham. Stir
all that up for a little bit, and then add the gandules, let that simmer for a
few minutes. Now add the rice, and stir up. After that, add the olives and red
roasted peppers. Stir everything together, Mami put a lot of emphasis on the
mixing and stirring, “… the most important thing is that you mix well the ingredients.”
She explained to me. After you have mixed everything well, you cover the pot
with banana leaves and put the lid of the pot over the banana leaves.
Arros con Gandules is
more than just food. It’s a part of who I am as a Puerto Rican. It helps
reassure me that no matter where the military sends me, I will always be Puerto
Rican at heart.
