Cultures, food, and good feelings. What do all three of these things have in common? They were all things we got to share with others in Puerto Rico. August 8 began with visiting the Parque Ceremonial Caguana on the Taino cultural land. We were able to learn about the Taino culture and were given the opportunity to participate in one of there religious ceremonies. The beautiful ceremony consisted of thanking the earth for the splendor of the land, praying over the food and the people, and pushing good blessings into the food and drink. We were instructed to remove our shoes and hats out of respect and to ground us to the earth for the ceremony. The Taino family who hosted us was incredibly kind and inviting; it felt like a true connection of cultures in that small interaction.
After our time with the Taino people, we were off to visit Ponce. Once arrived, we set out to our first, and only cooking class of the trip. Our lovely chefs taught us how to make mofongo, while providing us delicious plantain snacks. Once settled, and full of tostones, we were able to make our mofongo creations. We mashed our plantains in with our acetite, ajo, pieles de cerdo, and sal, into a thick paste, we shaped it into the sides of the mortar and pestle. After the art of crafting the bowl, our chefs asked for two volunteers, and what do you know, Grace and I volunteered. Our objective was to make the best mofongo creation by topping it with rice, beans, chicken or pork, and a side of salad. Turns out Grace is a lot better at making mofongo than me because mine collapsed as soon as I places my rice in. Nonetheless, we tied as the head chef (pity votes for me), and we were all able to enjoy the fruits of our labor together.
0 Comments