Mofongo in Puerto Rico

When I first heard the word mofongo, I asssumed it was yet another weird Puerto Rican slang term. It turns out, it’s a traditional food.

There a few different kinds of mofongo, but the only thing that really changes is the base ingredient. The most common version is made with green plantains. Other versions are made with yuca.

Mountain of Mofongo with a “side” of chicken (basically half a chicken)

How to make mofongo

To make mofongo, you take green plantains (or yuca) and fry them in oil. Then you take a pilón (a wooden mortar and pestle) and mash them up really well. This is also a good time to toss in some garlic or even bits of bacon or pork. That’s pretty much it. It’s delightfully simple and incredibly filling. Mofongo is a beloved dish in Puerto Rico, and is almost always served in a massive mound.

Mofongo variations

There are some variations to the traditional mofongo, including mofongo mixto, trifongo, and mofongo relleno.

Mofongo mixto is simply green plantain and yuca mofongo mixed together. Trifongo takes it one step further and adds sweet plantains to the mix. Perfect for a hungry yet indecisive girl like me!

Mofongo relleno is stuffed with some sort of stewed meat such as beef, crab, chicken or pork. As if mofongo wasn’t already heavy enough! This dish is so intense that it’s often topped with a thin sauce and treated as the main entree.

From what I understand, you either love or hate mofongo. Personally, I loved it. If you aren’t sure, you should definitely try a bite of someone else’s before ordering, because there doesn’t seem to be a such a thing as a small order of mofongo.