Puerto Rico Arroz con Gandules

Ed: Puerto Rican cuisine is rich and vibrant, just like the people that live there.

Journey with me, Ed Kenney; and Tiara Hernandez as we dance through the streets of old San Juan to learn about the origins of her favorite dish, gandule rice.

There are so many reasons why I became a chef.

Every dish has a story.

Food brings people together and has the power to conjure up cherished memories.

I was born and raised in the Hawaiian Islands, one of the most diverse communities in the world.

In this show, we'’’ll meet a guest from Hawaii, learn about their favorite dish, trace it back to its origins, and have some fun along the way.

Man: ♪ Higher so we can chase the moon ♪ Announcer: Major funding for "Family Ingredients" Ed : Tiara Hernandez was born into one of Hawaii'’’s many talented families.

Her father was a second- generation percussionist.

Her mother was a hula dancer.

Tiara is one of 6 children.

In 2013, Tiara teamed up with her sisters and pursued a career in music.

Through the ups and downs of the entertainment industry, family has always been a big part of Tiara'’’s life.

Ed: Hey.

How are you?

Really good.

Nice to see you again.

Awesome.

It'’’s been a while.

It has been a while.

You were my 14-year-old son'’’s teacher... 14?

He'’’s 14 now.

I was 12 then, so... Yeah.

I was going to say, how old are you?

No.

But, yeah...

But that was like 10 or 11 years ago.

Yeah, at Unity Preschool.

Right.

Teacher Tiara.

You'’’ll always be teacher Tiara.

Teacher Tiara, that'’’s right.

So what we do in this-- in this show is we identify a dish that is extremely meaningful to you, something that you grew up with and tugs at your heartstrings, and then we trace it back to its origins.

What dish, growing up in Hawaii, really brings you back?

Definitely gandule rice.

It was something my mom would make just a vat of, and we would eat it all week.

It was the dish.

That was it.

It was that dish.

Yeah, it was breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

If she made it, she made a lot of it, and that'’’s what you'’’re eating.

My dad is Puerto Rican-Jewish, and my mother was Filipino-Spanish, so she learned how to make Puerto Rican food for my dad.

I see.

And is your dad first-generation Puerto Rican to Hawaii?

Oh, no, he'’’s from Brooklyn.

Oh.

[Laughs] Nice!

And he came here to be a drummer.

Oh, OK. And they--He met my mom at the Al Harrington show.

He was the drummer, and she was a hula dancer, and my big brother is a drummer, and my little brother is Bruno Mars.

Mm-hmm.

Kind of a big deal.

Just runs--Yeah, runs in the family.

Yeah.

Oh, nice.

Entertainment is everywhere in your family.

So your Filipino mom learned how to cook Puerto Rican food... Puerto Rican gandule rice for your... For your dad.

for my dad.

Great.

Yeah.

And every time she would make it, she would tell me to come sit with her and watch-- watch her cook it so that I would learn how to do it, and I was--I was always like, "No.

"Like, you'’’re always going to be here.

"You'’’re always-- you'’’re always going to make it," and she had passed away two years ago, and I never ever got the chance to learn how to make it from her, and it'’’s something I'’’m just going to regret always.

Ed, voice-over: Gandule rice, which is more commonly known as "arroz con gandules," is a combination of rice, pigeon peas, and pork cooked in the same pot with Puerto Rican-style sofrito.

When Puerto Rican laborers migrated to Hawaii, they shared this favorite holiday dish, and it has become a popular recipe throughout the islands.

I'’’m looking forward to traveling with Tiara to taste the flavors of Puerto Rico.

Hopefully we can find the inspiration for her mother'’’s recipe.

After 11 years, of all places to meet up, it was in Waipahu.

There is a large population of immigrants that came here during the plantation era, and what a lot of people don'’’t realize is that in the early 1900s, there was a wave of immigrants from Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States after the Spanish-American War in 1898.

This was the same time Hawaii became a U.S. territory.

In 1899, two hurricanes devastated Puerto Rico'’’s sugar industry, and Hawaii'’’s sugar plantation owners began recruiting the experienced laborers from Puerto Rico.

56 Puerto Rican men took the long journey and traveled to Hawaii as laborers.

By 1901, 5,000 Puerto Rican men, women, and children made their homes in the Hawaiian Islands.

No better place than in Waipahu to find one of the few Puerto Rican restaurants on the island.

The chef, Koti Ramirez, he brings kind of a Spanish, classically-trained finesse to what I think of as street food in Hawaii.

So exciting.

What can I do for you kids?

I want the biggest ultimate patele plate, as long as it has gandule rice.

So gandule rice, patele plate.

Do you want me to make yours into an ultimate?

No, that'’’s OK. You sure?

What are you going to eat?

[Laughs] Two for you.

And one for the big boy.

One for me.

Thank you.

This looks so good.

Our recipe is quite old, quite basic.

Pretty.

All the way from plantation times.

Ed: Who taught you?

I learned from a Portuguese woman who learned from a Puerto Rican woman from Kalihi from around 1976 or so.

She taught it to me by just watching, because in the old days, they didn'’’t tell you to, "We'’’re going to make this."

You'’’re just going to either watch and get whacked a couple of times and then learn how to make it.

That'’’s exactly what my mom would do.

She would have me just watch her, but I never paid attention.

She didn'’’t whack me hard enough.

Yeah, I had to.

I had to.

Obviously.

Yes.

Where does the color come from?

The color comes from the achiote, so the achiote, the lipstick tree.

So we bleed the lipstick tree or the achiote seed into the oil and add that.

Ed: It'’’s also anna-- Annato is the seed.

Annato seed, yes.

Annato seed.

Should I be writing this all down?

[Giggles] Got it all right here.

Well, you know, if you go to Puerto Rico, you'’’re going to find a close cousin, but not a brother or sister.

Over 100 years, this recipe has evolved and kind of made its own flavor among the local people.

That'’’s what we found with all-- a lot of these local Hawaiian cuisines.

They made their way here, but then they changed slightly.

So how does it compare to Mama'’’s old rice?

It'’’s--it'’’s so similar... Mm-hmm.

There'’’s--there'’’s little differences, but, like, I-- Just, like, looking at it just reminds me of hers so much.

Just the olives and the peas and the pork and... Was it the same texture?

It was a little darker.

A little darker.

The same texture, a little darker orange.

Maybe a little more lipstick.

Ha ha ha!

Ed, voice-over: The gandule rice at Wat Get Kitchen was similar to the recipe that Tiara'’’s mother made, but as Chef Koti mentioned, the Hawaiian version has evolved from the original in Puerto Rico.

Like humans adapting to a new environment, our cuisines adapt, as well.

I'’’m curious to see how this dish was originally made.

Puerto Rico is almost 6,000 miles from Hawaii.

That'’’s nearly 12 hours by plane.

I could just see in her face she got this feeling about how old this place was and--and where her ancestors came from.

Aah!

My dad definitely told me to come and visit Santurce when I came out to Puerto Rico, because that'’’s where his family is from.

Everything'’’s, like, so magical here.

The colors and the music and the artwork and the murals everywhere.

It'’’s beautiful.

Ed, voice-over: Today we went to Zest restaurant.

It'’’s run by Raúl Correa.

He'’’s done the most to elevate humble Puerto Rican food to an artistic level, but at the same time, he pays so much respect and honors the food tradition.

He'’’s not throwing together these wild combinations just for the sake of being wild.

Her grandfather was from Puerto Rico.

Oh, really?

Yeah.

And then her father was born in New York?

Born in Brooklyn.

And then came to Hawaii.

So now we'’’re tracing her family roots through food.

That'’’s awesome.

Raul: Yeah, we'’’re going to do a version of arroz con gandules.

Of course, we'’’ve been eating arroz con gandules our whole life... Tiara: Me, too.

And it'’’s very simple.

It'’’s sofrito, which is similar to any sofrito from any part of the country.

Ed: A mirepoix.

A mirepoix.

The holy trinity, you might call it, but our sofrito has a lot more herbs, you know, a lot of cilantro, a lot of recao, and, you know, those little ajis that probably you have seen around.

I don'’’t serve arroz con gandules on the menu, and what I try to do is an amuse-bouche that I give to everybody, so I think it'’’s even better because they have to try a little bit of the island.

These are dehydrated crackers with pigeon pea salad, so it'’’s almost the same flavor in different temperature and different texture.

d OK. Great.

I was wondering.

I saw the crackers, so you dehydrate it.

Raul: We dehydrate it, yeah.

It'’’s rice.

And then when we deep fry it, the temperature will start puffing.

OK, beautiful.

But you got--you got the same flavor, but a different texture that you would never expect in the arroz con gandules.

Oh, man, look at that.

Oh, wow!

That'’’s beautiful.

Raul: This is some gandules snack.

We also dehydrate the pigeon peas after we boil them.

Really?

And for me, it tastes awesome.

Some of the good stuff that is happening with the food right now is playing with the texture, temperature, and unexpected things.

You know, who would have thought it'’’d be the same flavor of arroz con gandules but in--in a little amuse-bouche, or snack?

I'’’m going to dive in first before Ed does.

I want to--I like to watch your face.

Does this--does this take you back to, uh, your childhood?

Probably not.

Well... Heh heh heh!

That?

It did just now.

I think you have to do like a sushi roll and try to, like, do it all, everything, you know.

In the whole-- in your whole mouth?

At one time?

Yeah.

Yeah.

I can see starting the meal with that sets the tone for the whole dinner.

Yeah.

Arroz con gandules is a holiday thing.

I mean, we celebrate holidays, I believe, like, bigger than anybody else.

We--we love holidays.

I believe one of the best ways to know where you'’’re going is to know where you come from.

Ed: Where you came from, right.

And how--how are you going to change something if you don'’’t know how even it started?

That'’’s why we'’’re here.

Tiara: It'’’s so beautiful.

And, you know, I believe the best way to know a culture is through the food and through the music.

Tiara: How important is music to my family?

It'’’s everything.

Taking Ed out to go salsa dancing was quite the experience.

Ha ha!

He was not lying when he said he had two left feet.

But we had so much fun!

And being, like, around all that music and--it was just-- it felt so familiar.

Being around my dad and being kids, and that'’’s just the music that we grew up with.

It was fun.

It doesn'’’t get any more Puerto Rican than that.

Ed, voice-over: We met Chef María Mercedes Grubb.

Chef María took us to Plaza del Mercado Rio Piedras.

This was the same market that she used to go to as a little kid.

We went there to source out fresh gandule beans, or pigeon peas.

I love markets because it'’’s usually the first place we stop when we come to a new destination.

María: This is called canepa.

Tiara: I haven'’’t had this since I was a kid.

Yes, they are so much fun, actually.

Oh, my gosh.

And then you just... Mmm.

It reminds me almost like a rambutan, fun.

So it'’’s the same with the hard pit in the middle that, well, you have to spit it out after, It'’’s so good!

but it'’’s really fun.

Tiara: Hola.

Tienen gandules?

María: This is the gandules.

Ohh.

Ed: One time I had a farmer drop off like this much... María: Yeah.

It took me two hours, and I--you end up with, like, this much.

Oh, yeah, it'’’s-- it'’’s a labor of love.

Tiara: Shelling it?

OK, so there is not a fast way to do it.

No, there isn'’’t, unfortunately.

When I was little, like, for Christmas time, my mom would buy these, and then we would all sit in the balcony and just, like, do this for hours, and then at the end of the day, then we finally get to eat it.

Do most people use canned?

Or does no one ever use canned here?

Um, when they'’’re in season, you snatch it.

You know, like, yes... OK, yeah.

Ed, voice-over: They were $2.00 a pound unholed, but $7.00 a pound holed.

So if that'’’s any indication, it takes a lot of work to sit there and hole gandule beans.

Tiara, voice-over: Well, that was my favorite part about going to the marketplace, was actually sitting down and shelling the gandules myself, because that'’’s something we never did.

You know, in Hawaii, we got it from a can.

The dish itself brought my family together, but it goes way further than that.

It'’’s actually the beans that bring you together, and you would sit down with your whole family and just shell it out.

Like, my mom never measured anything.

She didn'’’t write anything down, which was something that, you know, I was looking for when she did pass away.

I was looking for a recipe that maybe she had written down somewhere.

Ed, voice-over: We got to cook with Guillermo González, who was generous enough to share his family recipe of arroz con gandules, which is gandule rice, as we know it in Hawaii.

We'’’re going to be making the sofrito.

OK.

Right?

We'’’re going to use the onions, the garlic, the pepper, and the recao, and you guys are going to help me do this, OK?

OK. You'’’re going to do the chopping... [Laughs] You'’’re going to do the peeling, and I'’’ll do the talking.

No, wait, don'’’t-- don'’’t trust me with a knife.

You know, you can have two types of sofrito, as I call it.

You can have the sofrito that same ingredients, and then you blend everything, kind of like make a puree, or you can make it chopped.

At the end of the day, same flavors.

I see.

Oh, here it is.

Open your mouth, because you'’’re going to start crying.

This just makes me so happy.

[Laughs] Oh, no!

See, this is why I don'’’t cook.

Ed: So I heard sofrito, you can make a whole bunch, put it in the refrigerator, and just use it when-- Absolutely.

when you make it again.

Yeah, that'’’s... My grandmother used to make-- put it in ice cubes.

Oh, yeah, freeze it.

Nice.

[Indistinct] That'’’s a good idea.

And then take a few and-- because that'’’s an-- that'’’s an everyday item in Puerto Rico.

There you go.

You just mix it, and then, you know, you have your sofrito there.

Ed: Mmm.

Looks so good.

There you go.

You can take that back home if you want to.

We'’’re going to start with a little bit of oil.

Just go with the bacon.

So what we'’’re doing here, we'’’re just pretty much rendering the bacon.

Tiara: You know, I'’’ve never had it with bacon before.

Usually you can do it with pernil.

That'’’s the pork shoulder.

You can use tocino, but in this case, like I said, kind of like my recipe, it'’’s traditional but not that traditional.

Right.

I'’’m--I'’’m using bacon.

Well, she--her mom was Filipino-Spanish and was taught to cook gandule rice by her Puerto Rican dad, so I don'’’t think your version was traditional.

No, it wasn'’’t, but everything'’’s better with bacon, so... Now what we'’’ll do, we'’’re going to do the sofrito.

There you go.

With my measures, just a little bit, right?

[Laughter] Now, this is where the magic comes from.

Can you smell that already?

Smells so good, yeah.

Oh, my god.

Smells great, right?

Yeah.

We'’’re going to throw the gandules, right?

Can you help me with that?

Yeah, sure.

Oh, see, look at that, helping.

So throw--throw a little bit.

There you go.

Ed: 3 spoonfuls.

Exactly, so... 3 spoonfuls.

We want all the gandules to grab the flavors of the sofrito and the fat from the bacon.

Mm-hmm.

You know, this has got to be medium, medium-low.

You just sweat it all down and get the flavor to it.

Exactly, all the flavors come together.

Beautiful.

All the goodness of Earth.

So now we'’’re going to throw the rice.

We'’’re going to use the same amount of rice as in stock.

Mix it?

Mix it.

I'’’m going to throw the salt.

Actually, you can do it.

I heard you cook, too.

[Giggles] So a hefty pinch?

Well, you know, pretty much.

Now we'’’re going to throw the paprika.

It'’’s basically to find out the color that we'’’re looking for.

What do you think, guys?

More.

More?

More darker, yeah.

There you go.

[Indistinct] Don'’’t be afraid!

Pour in the stock.

Basically, just like any other rice.

Let it boil.

That'’’s a good thing.

There you go.

Good?

Oh, yeah.

Hey, you should be a chef.

Watch, this is going to be way too salty now.

You know, there should be no liquid pretty much on the top.

Wait 20 minutes, and then we'’’ll sit down and eat.

Ed, voice-over: He dished it up, and as a true chef, he couldn'’’t just have a bowl of rice.

He garnished it with really, really fresh avocado.

It was these really creamy, sweet avocados, but I think really played off the rice really well.

There you go.

Thank you.

Tiara: This looks so good.

You use paprika.

Some of the other people we'’’ve talked to use achiote.

Achiote.

They can make achiote oil that they use to color that, or you can use a tomato, tomato paste with it.

At the end of the day, it'’’s basically the ingredients of especially the sofrito.

The paste, the color, pretty much it'’’s up to you.

The sofrito, if you don'’’t use the sofrito, it will never be arroz con gandules.

OK.

It will be another thing.

Pretty good, huh?

Mm-hmm.

Ed, voice-over: I love San Juan, culturally, the energy, the color, the vibe, the food, but being from Hawaii, wanted to go someplace with some open, green space.

So we traveled about an hour and a half out of the city to a small two-acre organic farm called Siembra Tres Vidas.

At the farm, it was run by Daniella, her husband Danny, and they have this really, really cute mountain kid named Cyán.

First impulse when I first saw the place was, this is the future of food in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico'’’s very similar to Hawaii in that there is a history of industrialized plantation agriculture.

As a result, they become very dependent on imported food.

There'’’s this young generation of chefs and farmers that are now trying to return to the land and grow food, and these are like-- I have no other word but-- nouveau bohemians.

They were kind of like hipster, hippie, young, artistic... September and October are usually their awesome months, but we trimmed it all back.

Daniella: We do a lot of association planting or companion planting, because, you know, we'’’re going through a really bad dry spell here in Puerto Rico, actually one of the worst in history, so we'’’ve kind of had to try all sorts of old, but new adapted methods to survive and thrive.

So we'’’re experimenting everything from permaculture to biodynamics and a little bit of everything.

Is this culantro?

Daniella: It is.

It'’’s everywhere.

[Indistinct] Yeah.

I love this stuff.

Arugula here behind you and...

This looks like it'’’s spicy.

It is.

It'’’s very.

But, yeah, so we were basically the only person to be producing arugula.

So it'’’s that kind of a little horse manure that you'’’re tasting.

Mmm.

Orgánico.

Ecológico.

[Indistinct] Tiara: Pretty sunflowers.

Daniella: Thank you.

Oh, wow, look at all the bees up there.

Ed: Are they to attract bees?

That'’’s so pretty.

They are.

They'’’re to attract bees, to lift in your soul, and...you know.

Right.

It'’’s working.

They'’’re just happy.

I feel lifted already.

Ed, voice-over: Our host was Tara Rodriguez and her chef at her restaurant, Paxx.

With Paxx and Daniella, we walked around the farm and harvested everything Paxx was going to use for dinner that night.

They knew we were here to learn about arroz con gandules, so within the guidelines of rice and gandules, they made the most incredible asopao, which is a rice soup.

We all took an active role harvesting at the farm.

So do you know how to use that?

Nope.

We'’’re going to find out.

Just stay clear of me.

There you go.

Ed, voice-over: Tiara was given a pickax, and you got to love it.

She just went to it.

There you go.

I did it!

Ed: Ha ha ha!

[Indistinct] One in the back...

Yet another similarity between Puerto Rico and Hawaii.

This ones, like-- like [indistinct] just pull it right out of the ground.

Yeah, that'’’s what I thought.

That'’’s how they do it in the cartoons.

Heh heh heh!

Puerto Rico'’’s in the middle of this drought, so the carrots aren'’’t huge, the tomatoes aren'’’t huge, but they'’’re so concentrated in flavor, and maybe that'’’s attributed because there'’’s not a whole lot of water in the system to water down the flavors.

Yay!

You get a good one?

A baby.

Tiara, voice-over: To actually pick the carrots out and to pull the lemongrass and to pluck all your own vegetables to make your own dish is just, like--it'’’s such a beautiful way of living.

You can have as many as you want.

I didn'’’t know what to expect when I came out here.

I have always wanted to visit Puerto Rico.

I would have never visited it like this before.

And I probably would have come here and laid on the beach and had piña coladas.

I would have never ever experienced it like this.

If I'’’ve learned anything from this trip, is that family and food, if that'’’s not everything, it'’’s the only thing.

Ed: Can we salud?

[Indistinct chatter] Salud.

Muchas gracias.

Tiara: Thank you.

Thank you, guys.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Muy caliente.

[Laughter] Tiara, voice-over: There'’’s so much that I was missing out on by not paying attention when my mom was around.

I'’’m sorry.

And I really wish that I got to do that with her.

[Laughter] I have 6 nephews and one niece, and I don'’’t have any kids of my own, and I hope to, like, be for them what my mom was for me.

Ed, voice-over: There are many reasons why a family moves away from their home.

Sometimes it'’’s in search of opportunities or adventure.

Other times it'’’s to start anew.

Whatever the reasons are, it is hard not to get homesick.

We miss the smells from the kitchen on Christmas day.

We miss the laughter echoing through the house.

We cook our favorite dishes to not only remind us of those cherished memories, but to create new ones.

Woman: Nice!

High-five.

Ed, voice-over: A connection to the culture of our ancestors ensures that traditions live on for generations to come.