Fried Cheese for Dessert Anyone?

My friend Cathy and I recently ate at a new Puerto Rican place called My Old San Juan.  I had never been to a Puerto Rican restaurant and was very excited to try out some new things.  We had no idea what to expect but Cathy is adventurous just like me when it comes to trying new foods.  

As we were looking over the menu I honed in on something called queso frido (fried cheese) with guava paste.  I decided I was going to order that for my meal.  We continued looking over the menu and picking out things that looked good but I had made my decision-I was ordering the queso frido.  Cathy then pointed out that it was actually a dessert.   No wonder it had been calling my name!  Since this was Cathy’s “moving away” lunch, we decided to go all out and try an appetizer, entrees and of course the queso frido.

We split something similar to an empanada.  It was a beef filled dough that was made with yucca plant instead of the normal pastry used for empanada.  Greasy, crispy, yummy!  For my meal I had a wonderful, juicy piece of chicken with fried plantains and she had a delicious pork dish with rice and beans. 

Then the piece de resistance-the queso frido!  The plate came out with strips of lightly browned fried cheese sticks.  Situated on top were thick strips of guava paste and a couple squirts of whipped topping with sprinkles.  We dug right in without hesitation.  First we tried the cheese alone.  It was crispy, creamy, buttery and salty and just a little nutty.  Next we tried the guava paste.  It was like a very thick jelly and sweet.  Then the marriage of the two.  There was something magical about the way the wonderful buttery cheese combined with the sweet goodness of the guava.  It was a myriad of flavors all rolled in one and it was muy delicioso!  We asked about the dish and learned it was a traditional Puerto Rican dessert.  So to whoever first thought of pairing these two, I say mucho gracias!