When I think about Puerto Rican food, bacalaitos (cod fish fritters), always comes to my mind. Bacalaitos are made of cod fish, red peppers, garlic, adobo, cilantro, and flour.  Bacalaitos have been my favorite Puerto Rican food ever since I was a baby.  I got to experience my grandmother's and my mother's birthplace last  summer. All of my family (on my mom's side) lives in Las Piedras. All my family (on my dad's side) lives in Ponce. Every weekend in Puerto Rico there is a festival/celebration. People throughout all of Puerto Rico make their national foods to eat while they celebrate. Puerto Ricans throughout all of Puerto Rico make bacalaitos and many other foods to go with it. This food is very important to our culture because it represents what our people ate back then and what we eat now. Since, I finally traveled to visit Puerto Rico, I now understand my culture including it's food, celebrations, people, their way of life, and the island. Puerto Rican islanders make the best bacalaitos. Some restaurants are along the ocean. There was this one quaint restaurant that catches fresh cod fish to order. Once they catch a cod fish they bring it to the kitchen and then make bacalaitos fresh for you to eat with the most beautiful view. That was the best one of all! Here in Chicago they make bacalaitos but they will never be as wonderful as the ones in Puerto Rico.

– Ava Acevedo

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant