The aroma that wafts from kitchens throughout Puerto Rico comes from adobo and sofrito, blends of herb's and spices that give many native foods their distinctive taste and color. Adobo, made from crushing together peppercorns, oregano, garlic, salt, olive oil, and lime juice or vinegar, is rubbed into meats before they are roasted.

Sofrito is an aromatic and well seasoned sauce made from pureed tomatoes, onions, garlic, sweet red chili peppers, cilantro, and colored with achiote (annato seeds), which imparts the bright yellow color to the islands rice, soups, and stews.

Native Caribbean flavors are evident in the majority of Puerto Rican recipes. The most popular dinner dishes are stewed meats, rice and beans, and an enormous selection of fritters, and desserts made from local fruits and vegetables.

Desserts usually include some form of flan (custard). Equally traditional would be a portion of guava jelly or paste with white cheese. Chefs take the bountiful harvest of Puerto Rican fruits and create any number of desserts. The pumpkin, which grows in abundance on Puerto Rico, is used not only to flavor soups and as a side vegetable, but also to make the succulent base for a traditional Puerto Rican cake. Coconut is probably the most common dessert ingredient. Many delectable desserts are made with its milk, along with a classic preparation of coconut bread pudding.