The authors point to pasteles as an example of how Puerto Rican Christmas food was different than that of the Spanish. The origins of pasteles, however, can be traced back several centuries to ...

Dining in Puerto Rico reflects the island's mixture of Caribbean ... meat or vegetables atop mashed plantains; pasteles are made of mashed banana (or yucca) and stuffed with pork, chicken or ...

Made from meat and guineo and wrapped in banana leaves, pasteles are typically eaten during the holidays. For three generations, Tere Foods in Isabela, Puerto Rico has specialized in making pasteles.