Puerto Rico Dietary Concerns

Vegetarians will not find it easy to survive on Puerto Rican food. Traditional island food centers around meat, beans cooked with lard, and sandwiches filled with chicken, beef, or pork. In San Juan the tourist-oriented restaurants will usually have at least one vegetarian option; unfortunately, there’s not much variety and these restaurants tend to be more expensive. Outside of San Juan, some options include mofongo without meat inside, pizza empanadillas, and cheese sandwiches. Most major cities have at least one vegetarian cafetería, but these are typically only open for lunch. Those who abstain from meat but eat fish are in luck—a variety of seafood options are available in many restaurants. Memorizing the phrases “sin carne” (without meat) and “soy vegetariano(a)” (I am a vegetarian) or “No como carne” (I do not eat meat) may also be helpful.

The travel section of the The Vegetarian Resource Group’s website, at www.vrg.org/travel, has a comprehensive list of organizations and websites that are geared toward helping vegetarians and vegans traveling abroad. They also provide an online restaurant guide. For more information, visit your local bookstore or health food store, and consult The Vegetarian Traveler: Where to Stay if You’re Vegetarian, Vegan, Environmentally Sensitive, by Jed and Susan Civic (Larson Publications; US$16). Vegetarians will also find numerous resources on the web; try www.vegdining.com, www.happycow.net, and www.vegetariansabroad.com, for starters.

Travelers who keep kosher should contact synagogues in larger cities for information on kosher restaurants. Your own synagogue or college Hillel should have access to lists of Jewish institutions across the nation. If you are strict in your observance, you may have to prepare your own food on the road. A good resource is the Jewish Travel Guide, edited by Michael Zaidner (Vallentine Mitchell; US$18). Travelers looking for halal restaurants may find www.zabihah.com a useful resource.