Puerto Rico has caught the attention of many stateside shows for different reasons, but food seems to be the main attraction lately. This month, the Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern brought his show “Bizarre Foods” to the island and had a banquete with some of the strangest items from Boricua cuisine.

Zimmern’s culinary trek on the island began with local chef María Isabel at centenary bakery La Bombonera in Old San Juan, where he delighted his palate with the fresh made mallorcas, café con leche and cocas (something like a pizza, made with vegetables and sardines but no cheese). María Isabel later takes Zimmern to the Plaza del Mercado in Río Piedras and later on, down the “Pork Highway” to visit Cayey’s Guavate region. The pair then stops at El Rancho Original to enjoy a good plate of lechón. And nothing went to waste. Zimmern enjoyed everything, including the pork’s tails and ears.

After that, there was a hike up to the Toro Negro National Forest, where Zimmern visited a local family that cooked a feast for him. Lechón asado, gandinga and morcilla were among the menu staples. Viewers even got to watch how the women prepared these dishes. Needless to say Zimmern was impressed.

Zimmern also made stops in Arecibo’s El Nuevo Guayabo, where he savored dishes prepared with a tiny fish called ceti, and Lares, where he discovers an ice cream shop that scoops up flavors such as sesame seeds, corn, garlic and codfish. Coming down from the mountains, he stops in Piñones for a good mofongo and back to Old San Juan for a tour of the old city on Segways with Boricua master chef Wilo Benet. The chef later takes Zimmern to his restaurant, Pikayo, at the Puerto Rico Museum of Art.

Aside the wonderful culinary tour, this “Bizarre Foods” episode really captures the true nature of Puerto Rico, while still portraying the island and its people in a good light. Not only is it very entertaining, it’s also very informative, presenting great hidden places that even lots of locals may have not even heard about. Plus, Zimmern himself couldn’t have been more likable.

Zimmern’s Travel Channel colleague, Anthony Bourdain, should have taken a page from Zimmern when he brought his show “No Reservations,” to Puerto Rico in 2006. That episode portrayed the island poorly and it even had some inaccuracies. At one point, for example, Bourdain uses sofrito, a paste that is really used for cooking, as a topping for mofongo. Lots of Boricuas were scratching their heads over that one. It’s not just that Bourdain didn’t do his homework, I don’t think that he was interested in going beyond what his own gringo vision of the island was. Unlike that episode of “No Reservations,” there are no cringeworthy moments in this “Bizarre Foods” show. In fact, I hope Mr. Zimmern comes back to Puerto Rico for seconds. Mr. Bourdain, as far as I’m concerned,  can stay home.

Check out “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern,” now on its third season on the Travel Channel. The Puerto Rico episode airs throughout June. For air times, visit the show’s page at the Travel Channel’s website www.travelchannel.com.

–Valerie López