What is Sofrito? First, you must understand that Puerto Rican food came from it mix of its Spaniard conquistadors, African slaves, and native TaÃno roots. And while it’s quite similar to other Hispanic cuisines, Puerto Rican food still has unique flavors, aromas and blends.
Sofrito is a blend of vegetables and Latin herbs used to season. What is sofrito used for? It’s used in a lot of things. Beans, stews, rices, etc. No Puerto Rican dish is complete without the infamous sofrito. A concoction of fresh roasted garlic, onions, sweet aji, onions, recao, cilantro, red bell pepper and spices. Sofrito is used as the base of any and just about every Puerto Rican dish.
Now, Fun Facts…
There is a BIG misconception about sofrito. Traditionally, there is NO TOMATOES IN SOFRITO. I don’t care where you saw it, what PR based site you got the recipe from or who’s mothers used it, there is NO TOMATOES USED IN SOFRITO, PERIOD! Same goes for green bell peppers. Don’t use it, ever! Wonder why your sofrito doesn’t smell like your grandmothers? It’s because you used tomato’s and green bell peppers and you probably didn’t roast the vegetables either.