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Chinchorros or food kiosks in Puerto Rico are known for serving all sorts of delicacies
Picture this: You’re finally taking a trip again. You find yourself in the misty air of a beach town. You can smell the most incredible aroma of food — from spicy proteins to hearty beans. You hear distinct sounds of sizzle over the cacophony of noises around you. You look up and see a row of food stalls. The aroma, the energy, and of course the sight of the food is all delectable. You, turns out, are all the way in Puerto Rico and these are chinchorros. And that dish, perhaps, is a pincho, a famous snack from the region.
Chinchorros are food kiosks or restaurants that are known for serving all sorts of fritters and huge plates of Puerto Rican delicacies. And for the best experience, all you have to do is chinchorrear – hop between multiple chinchorros to eat, drink, and dance.
But chinchorros are about so much more than great food and an amazing party. They usually source from local farmers and help keep the traditional recipes relevant, even for tourists. “Over the years the food scene has evolved with many outside influences of ingredients and techniques, but we want to bring back that old world flavour by going back to the roots, and making people fall in love with the true essence of Puerto Rican cuisine,” Jan Daniel Diaz, one of the owners, told Conde Nast.
Sometimes, we travel because the place speaks to us, other times, it’s the culture. But while Puerto Rico has plenty of those reasons for us already, we may want to leave right away to get our hands on some street-style food.