Cuchifritos

Cuchifritos (Spanish pronunciation: [kutʃiˈfɾitos]) or cochifritos refers to various fried foods prepared principally of pork in Spanish and Puerto Rican cuisine. In Spain, cuchifritos are a typical dish from Segovia in Castile. The dish consists of pork meat fried in olive oil and garlic and served hot. In Puerto Rico they include a variety of dishes including morcilla (blood sausage), rellenos de papa (fried potato balls stuffed with meat), and chicharron (fried pork skin), and other parts of the pig prepared in different ways. Some cuchifritos dishes are prepared using cooking plantain as a primary ingredient. Cuchifritos vendors also typically serve juices and drinks such as passionfruit, pineapple, and coconut juice, as well as ajonjolí, a drink made from sesame seeds.

The etymology of the word comes from the participle of verbs cocer -to cook or boil- (latín coctum > cocho, from which derives the element cochi-) y freír -to fry-(-frito).

In New York, vendors advertising cuchifritos are particularly notable because they tend to make use of colorful external lighting and big, flashy signs that quickly catch the eyes of passersby. These establishments dot Puerto Rican and Dominican areas of New York City, particularly Spanish Harlem, Bushwick, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, South Bronx, Brooklyn, and other primarily Puerto Rican and Dominican neighborhoods.

Cuchifrito vendors also sell rice with stewed beans, arroz junto, and arroz con gandules. Originally these dishes would have been fried in lard. Today they use frying oil because it is cheaper and very available. Some Dominican dishes have been adopted, notably morir soñando and mangú. Jamaican patty and Cuban masitas de puerco (fried pork shoulder) are popular in cuchifritos as well.