Elaboration and Evaluation of Typical Puerto Rican Dishes Prepared with Mixtures of Plantain, Cassava and Tanier Flours

Abstract

Mixtures of flours from plantain (Musa acuminata x balbisiana AAB), cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and tanier (Xanthosoma spp) were prepared for the elaboration of typical Puerto Rican dishes. The proportion of flours blended were the following- 50:25:25, 60:20:20, 75:15:10 and 75:10:15 of plantain, cassava, and tanier, respectively. Plantain flour was always used as the main flour because of the commercial importance of this crop on the Island. The blends were prepared with 454 g of combined flours mixed with 1250 g boiling water, 11.5 g of salt and 36.0 g of annatto seed in oil (achiote). "Pasteles" and "alcapurrias" (a boiled meat pie and turnovers, respectively), were prepared and found acceptable by a trained taste panel. No significant difference in general acceptability was observed among the samples prepared with the mixtures of flours when fresh and after 3 months frozen storage.