If you’re hungry for some tasty Boricua flavor, consider a trip to the Isla del Encanto for Saborea Puerto Rico: A Culinary Extravaganza, a food festival that takes place April 9-12 in San Juan (and even if you can’t make it to the festival, you can still enjoy a couple Puerto Rican recipes; scroll to the bottom of this article for some samples from the Condado Plaza Hilton hotel).
Escambrón Beach in Puerto Rico takes center stage during this flavorful weekend, with tastings from 30 restaurants per day — as well as rums, wine, beer, distilled spirits, and 50 international and local culinary personalities. Saborea Puerto Rico: A Culinary Extravaganza officially takes place on April 11 and 12, but there are activities starting on April 9.
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Each day, guests visiting the Saborea Puerto Rico Village will enjoy samples from some of Puerto Rico’s best restaurants. Daily demo kitchens provide visitors the opportunity to learn the techniques and ingredients to prepare recipes the way the experts do. A one-day pass allows guests to access all areas for tastings and demonstrations.
This year Saborea Puerto Rico will offer two additional events. The festivities begin on Thursday April 9 with the Bubbles & Bites Event, Saborea Puerto Rico’s kick-off party, during which local chefs will serve attendees a mix of Puerto Rican food and champagne.
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The Privileged Taste of Saborea Opening Reception will take place on Friday, April 10. At this event, about 20 of Puerto Rico’s distinguished chefs will showcase their culinary creations during an intimate, sit-down dinner. Each chef will host a 10-person table.
Saborea Puerto Rico is a Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association (PRHTA) event benefiting its Educational Fund, which provides training and certifications in a variety of specialties for people in the hospitality industry, as well as other programs geared toward the local tourism industry’s development. It aims to promote Puerto Rico as a culinary destination and provide a platform for the island’s gastronomic industry.
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Puerto Rican Recipes You Can Savor Right Now
This spring, the exquisite tastes of Puerto Rico’s top restaurants and chefs are coming together for the annual Saborea Food Festival. But even if you can’t make it to the island’s premier culinary event, you can still sample some of its great flavors. In honor of the fun-filled weekend, Executive Chef Maria Germania Diaz from The Condado Plaza Hilton, located only two miles from the festival’s headquarters, offers up two of her favorite recipes for foodies to enjoy a taste of the Caribbean at home:
Tequila Grilled Shrimp Shooter
Ingredients:
1/4 lbs Shrimp 16/20
½ oz Tequila
Pinch Oregano
Salt + Pepper to taste
Directions: Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Grill at a medium-high temperature until cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes. Let cool and serve with cocktail sauce in a shot glass.
Caribe Mojito Frozen
Ingredients:
1 oz Coco Rum
1 oz Mint
2 tsp lemon juice
½ oz Passoã Rum for garnish
8 oz ice
Directions: Mix the Coco Rum, mint, lemon juice and ice in a blender. Serve in a margarita glass and top with Passoã Rum.