The Puerto Rican dish of mashed plantains commonly mixed with garlic and pork cracklings is called mofongo.
Mofongo is made by frying green plantain pieces and pounding them in a pilón, a wooden mortar and pestle. Garlic, salt, and chicharrón, or fried pork skin, are traditionally added during the pounding. The mixture is shaped into a mound or cylinder and often served with broth, meat, seafood, or sauce.
The pilón is important because it creates mofongo’s coarse, dense texture. Modern versions may use bacon, vegetables, chicken, shrimp, or other ingredients, but green plantain remains the defining base.
Mofongo is not the same as mangú. Mangú uses boiled plantains and is associated with the Dominican Republic, while mofongo traditionally uses fried plantains and is especially associated with Puerto Rico.