The Delicious Cuban Cuisine

For all food lovers, Cuban food is not that spicy as you may think. The Cuban culture holds the spice, whereas the food is simple and delicious to eat. Cuban cuisine has been influenced by French, African, Arabic, and Portuguese cultures. There is also a slight Chinese influence as you travel to the Havana area. 

The traditional Cuban cuisine has very little concern for activities such as measurement, timing, and order while preparing the food. The interesting thing to note is that the food is either sautéed or cooked in a slow manner over a low flame. There is no such presence of creamy sauces and very little portion of the food is deep-fried.  

The main ingredients while preparing the Cuban delicacies include "Sofrito," a sauté of onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, green peppers, and bay laurel leaves. The Sofrito which consists of a mixture of onion, oregano, green pepper, garlic, and ground pepper fried in olive oil provides the necessary flavor to the Cuban cuisine. This ingredient is extremely useful while preparing meat dishes, black beans, and stews.  

Another regular staple to the local diet is the use of root vegetables such as Malanga and Boniato, found in all Cuban markets. These vegetables are popularly known as ‘Mojo’, when flavored with a marinade containing sliced raw onions, garlic, cumin, hot olive oil, and water. 

During holidays or any special occasions, Cubans love to have a dish consisting of a small pig, roasted over an open fire, and cooked in a very slow manner which may take hours to complete. This dish is marinated with salt, sour orange juice, and garlic as the main ingredients to add the required flavor. The other part of this sumptuous meal includes Congri, a rice mix with beans, Boniato and Maduros. The most characteristic Cuban drinks with the meals are Mojito and Daiquiri, prepared by mixing pure cane rum with lime juice. 

Tostada, a part of the Cuban bread, applied with butter and toasted, forms part of the Cuban breakfast. Another important breakfast item is the cafe con leche, a combination of milk and espresso coffee. Cubans also love to eat Croquetas and Cubano, a type of strong local coffee. The lunch can be a combination of Media noche (midnight sandwich), Empanadas, Chicken, Ham or steak, and Mariquitas, a kind of plantain chip. There are a lot of sandwich options available along with different forms of meat to satisfy your stomach.

Cuban bakeries are very popular for making finger foods, such as Bocaditos, Croquetas, Empanadas, and Pastelitos. Bocaditos are small sandwiches having a layer of ham spread, whereas Pastelitos are flaky turnovers, have different shapes, and consist of cheese, guava, and meat as its main ingredients. The Cuban dinner is a combination of meat or fish dishes, black beans, rice, fried plantains, and salad. The dinner is followed by yummy desserts like flan, local caramel-flavored custard, rice puddings, and bread.

Some of the famous Cuban cuisines include Ropa Vieja, meaning old clothes, contain shredded beef. This dish is slow cooked and served with sorfito or tomato sauce. Picadillo or Cuban beef hash is another popular dish made of ground beef, olive, raisins, tomato sauce, oregano, and onions. The dish has a certain kind of stick appearance and is served with rice. Pollo con Quimbobó y Plátanos, another traditional meal of Cuba consists of chicken, olive, garlic, lemon juice, and onions. This dish is stewed and served with rice.

The Cubans also love their sandwiches, soups, and stews. The soups and stews made from red and black beans are consumed with rice or eaten alone. Some Spanish stews like Fabada Asturiana and Cocido de Garbanzos are also extremely popular. Pan con lechón is a traditional Cuban sandwich made of roasted pork, mojito, and onions and is very popular in Cuba.

After your dinner you can go for a dance, dancing in cuba is something special. Do not miss it.