Encanto Boricua factory, which produces traditional pastries, cookies and other sweets, has opened in Mayagüez, creating a dozen jobs.
Encanto Boricua’s owners, Rebecca Irizarry and Edward Laracuente, want to highlight Puerto Rican culture and maintain the production of traditional sweets in Puerto Rico.
The local factory was officially reborn on Jan. 31, 2020, after Irizarry reopened the facility that her father had closed a few years ago.
In 2011, Edwin Irizarry decided to close the sweets factory and enjoy his retirement, but his daughter decided to resume operations of Dulces Puerto Rico under a new brand, Encanto Boricua. The factory had originally been operating since the 1990s.
Encanto Boricua produces the original “bombotó,” a doughy sweet bun; the cinnamon and ginger “cucas,” a kind of cracker; the “besitos de coco,” the Puerto Rican version of coconut macaroons; the “mantecaditos”, a tender, crisp and buttery cracker, and the guava puffy pastries, among others.
In Puerto Rico, sweet treats are ready to tempt you around every corner, and these sweets melt in your mouth.
In March, Encanto Boricua will launch a new traditional sweet to add to its list of creations: a new kind of cracker in different flavors.
Their goal is to distribute and export Encanto Boricua’s products throughout the island and the mainland U.S. To date, the factory produces hundreds of sweets daily and the owners are already selling the products in 18 municipalities.
“We are grateful for the support that merchants have given us. Although Puerto Rico is going through difficult times, it’s incredible to see the support and reception our products have had in such a short time,” said Edward Laracuente to the press.
“We wanted to bring something different to the market, launching typical products so that people can be proud of our island and what we represent as Puerto Ricans,” he added.
The young entrepreneurs went on to say that Encanto Boricua is currently looking for sales representatives around the island.
•Encanto Boricua is located at 344 Ramón Emeterio Betances St. in Mayagüez. For more information, call them at (787) 832-7070.
Some of Encanto Boricua’s sweets:
“Pastelillos de Guayaba”
Layers of light, buttery phyllo dough stuffed with sticky guava sauce and topped with powdered sugar. These fruit-filled squares make for a wonderful sweet treat after any meal or as a snack with a cup of coffee.
“Mantecaditos”
The especially popular “mantecaditos” or “polvorones” are the Puerto Rican version of shortbread cookies. This delicacy is rooted in Spanish culinary traditions that are very much alive on the island. The little sweets are sometimes topped with sprinkles, guava sauce or eaten plain. Believe me, once you bite into the crisp-but-crumbly, buttery cookie, you won’t be able to stop.
“Besitos de Coco”
These coconut kisses don’t have a standard shape — sometimes they come in spheres, squares or rich mounds of sweetness — but regardless of the form, “besitos de coco” are crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside with a subtle coconut flavor throughout. Wash these golden treats down with a glass of milk or coffee for a delightful experience.
