Search Our Inventory

Ia's Kitchen Puerto Rican Cuisine in Junction City, KS

If there’s one universal truth, it’s that everyone has to eat at some point. If you’ve just left our lot at D.E.L. Motors, or you’re planning on stopping for a meal before your visit, we can’t recommend Ia’s Kitchen Puerto Rican Cuisine enough. If you’ve never had the chance to try Puerto Rican food, you won’t want to miss this golden opportunity.

What Is Puerto Rican Food?

If you were asked this question, you might immediately respond with “food from Puerto Rico,” but it’s a bit more complex than that. Puerto Rican food has been shaped and molded by multiple different cultures, with the main culprits being the native Taínos, the Spanish, and the Africans. This led to a unique blending of food, starting with the Taínos. They were known for their love of root vegetables, which is why many dishes start with a root vegetable as the base. The Spaniards offered their own unique additions to the culture, as they brought both Flan and Arroz Con Dulce to the area. Finally, you can see the African influence through the introduction of coffee, coconuts, okra, and even sesame seeds. This is why there’s so much variety when it comes to Puerto Rican food. They’ve had centuries to mix and match diverse ingredients that other areas simply didn’t have access to. Thankfully, we’re able to enjoy the fruits of their labor today.

Learning the Puerto Rican Dishes

There’s a chance that you’ve never actually had Puerto Rican food before. If this is the case, it might help to familiarize yourself with some of the most popular dishes. This includes:

  • Mofongo: Plantains are the star of the show here, as they’re cut into pieces and either fried, boiled, or roasted. After this, they’re tossed with a mix of broth, oil, and spices so that it becomes a tight ball.
  • Sancocho: This cozy stew will have you feeling warm in the winter. It’s a rustic dish, so it changes a lot depending on where you go, but it almost always features corn on the cob, squash, and meat.
  • Arroz Con Gandules: This dish translates to rice with peas, and it’s pretty straightforward. The real flavor comes from the various herbs and spices that go into it.
  • Pernil: This is the perfect dish for newcomers to start with, as it’s essentially slow-roasted pork. This might either be from a shoulder, a roast, or even a pork leg.

Need a Way to Get There?

You could spend a whole day jumping from one restaurant to the next, but you’re probably going to need a way to get around. You can view our used inventory today at D.E.L. Motors. If you find yourself near Abilene, Junction City, or Solomon, you can always stop by our lot so that you can browse through our various models, and if you feel like one is calling out to you, you can always ask for a complimentary test drive. We’ll be happy to work with you throughout your trip, and if you do decide to move forward with financing, we have the professionals needed to make it happen.

Are you in the mood for Puerto Rican food? If you need a new way to get there, you can apply to finance your next vehicle today at D.E.L. Motors.