Culture on a Stick

By: Kathryn Collins

It is the first thing on my mind when I wake up in the morning. It brings zest to life and constantly provides comfort. It gives you energy and it puts you to sleep. It brings people together and fills people up. I’m sure you can guess what I am talking about by now. Yes, it is food. The cuisines of Puerto Rico fulfill all of these descriptions.

Picture the State Fair. The walkways are filled with anxious people and guilty temptations. As you walk through the crowds of people, the fried fumes flow straight to your nose and you feel your stomach grumble a begging to be filled. The Three King’s Festival resembles this with more meaning and culture. The streets of Juana Diaz are packed as you push through the people and follow your nose’s desire to the stands of festive food. The vendors are busy stacking juicy chicken on top of Puerto Rico’s classic plantains. The three-dollar trade for this stick of Pinchos de Pollo is a deal!

I sat on the curb site with a view of all the celebratory Puerto Ricans strutting by, some dressed in swaddling biblical clothing to represent Three Kings Day and others flashing bright colors. Women in towering wedges swayed their Latina hips to the music that filled the streets. With one hand gripped on each side of the stick and my nose close enough to smell the still cooking meat in the hot Juana Diaz sun, I could not help but take a bite. My teeth played tug of war with the stick as they ripped off the first bite of chicken. The zesty barbeque sauce that covered the chicken did its job in completing this shish kabob-like meal. With a blink of an eye, the stick was empty with some of the barbeque sauce still smeared on my face. The State Fair now has some stiff competition with the food stands at the Three Kings Festival.

As I ate the Pinchos de Pollo, my life encountered zest. It gave me comfort and connected me with the people of Puerto Rico. And I guarantee that it will be the first thing on my mind when I wake up tomorrow morning.