Arroz con pollo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Arroz con pollo

A plate of Arroz con pollo
Course	Lunch, dinner
Region or state	Iberian Peninsula, Latin America
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredients	Rice, chicken, vegetables
Variations	Locrio de pollo, arroz con gandules, arroz con maiz

Arroz con pollo (say "Ah-ROHZ kohn POH-yoh") means "rice with chicken" in Spanish. It is a very popular and traditional dish from Latin America. It is quite similar to paella, another famous rice dish.

In some places, it has different names. For example, in the Dominican Republic, it is often called locrio de pollo. On the island of Saint Martin, people might call it lokri or locreo.

What is Arroz con Pollo?

Arroz con pollo is a tasty meal made mainly with rice and chicken. It usually includes other ingredients like vegetables and special seasonings. This dish is often served hot for lunch or dinner.

Where Did it Come From?

There is a friendly debate about where arroz con pollo first started. Some people think it came from Spain, while others believe it began in Puerto Rico.

• The Puerto Rican View: Many Puerto Ricans say that real arroz con pollo needs two special ingredients: beer and annatto oil. Annatto is a natural coloring that gives the rice a lovely yellow or orange color. They believe saffron, which is used in Spain, is not the same. Beer and annatto are not commonly used in Spanish cooking. However, annatto is very popular in Puerto Rican rice dishes, like arroz con gandules (rice with pork and pigeon peas) and arroz con maiz (rice with corn and sausage). Beer is also used in many other Puerto Rican meals, like pollo guisado (braised chicken stew).

• The Spanish Connection: In Spain, saffron is often used to give rice a yellow color instead of annatto. Even though the ingredients might be a bit different, both versions are delicious!

Special Flavors and Spices

A key part of many Puerto Rican dishes, including arroz con pollo, is a sauce called sofrito. Sofrito is a mix of chopped vegetables like onions, garlic, peppers, and tomatoes. It adds a lot of flavor to the dish.

Food writer Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz has pointed out that arroz con pollo has a long history with influences from many cultures. She notes that the dish is related to Spanish forms of pilaf, which is a way of cooking rice where it is browned in oil before adding liquid.

• Global Ingredients:
  • Chicken first came from India.
  • Rice originally came from Asia.
  • Saffron, used for its yellow color in Spain, was brought by traders from Phoenicia.
  • Tomatoes and peppers, which are key parts of sofrito, came from the Americas.

So, even though it's a traditional dish, arroz con pollo has a history that connects many parts of the world!

Homemade arroz con pollo and papas a la huancaína (bottom), Lima, Peru.

See also

In Spanish: Arroz con pollo para niños