What Puerto Rican dish of rice, pigeon peas, sofrito, and often pork is a traditional holiday staple?

Arroz con gandules is a Puerto Rican rice dish made with pigeon peas, sofrito, and often pork, and it is a traditional holiday staple.

The rice is cooked with gandules, the Spanish name for pigeon peas, along with sofrito, spices, and broth. Pork products such as salted pork or ham may add depth, although recipes differ by household and occasion.

In Puerto Rico, the dish is especially associated with Christmas, weddings, birthdays, and other large gatherings. Its broad appeal comes from combining inexpensive pantry staples with the aromatic base of sofrito, which commonly includes onions, peppers, garlic, and herbs.

Arroz con gandules is sometimes called Puerto Rico’s national dish, although national-dish labels are cultural descriptions rather than official legal designations. It is distinct from plain white rice served alongside beans.