Most people haven’t tasted elegant Cuban cuisine. Cuba has been in a state of transformation, and Cuban cuisine is also caught in that revolution, so it might surprise you to find out about its very well made, rich and delicious cuisine. When Cuban cuisine is prepared, sometimes so much pepper is used that you flirt with the possibility of suffering gastrointestinal problems. Some of Cuban’s cultural dishes might be spicy, but it would be wrong to generally conclude that when Cuban food is cooked it is all spiced. It is however important to note that Cuba seems to be heading to a state of blossoming restaurants and more fresh produce, which allows the introduction of a more diverse cuisine. Allow me to introduce you to what you have been missing when it comes to Cuban food. There is more to it than meat dishes served with salsita, fried plantains and sumptuous servings of black beans and rice.
Afro-Cuban Cuisine
One common thing with Cuban cuisine is the sofrito. Sofrito is a part of almost every traditional dish. This is where you take onions, green pepper, bay leaves, garlic and oregano and saute them all together. Cuban cooking is inspired by African, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese cultures. According to The Latin Pig, “Foods like Comida Criolla or Creole food get their influence from Spanish as a well as African cultures. The Cubans do not concern themselves with measuring; they do it just like the Tainos and the afro-Cubans who were born knowing just how much salt, water or cumin to add to food.” As for the timing, there are no timers or clocks involved. Cubans just have this natural way of timing the cooked food. The aroma on the other hand is something else. The dishes smell so exquisite, you will want to dig right in the minute the dishes are served to you. A lot of oil or fat is called for in many of the recipes, but there are healthy alternatives like cooking with coconut oil or using olive oil instead.
Cuban Tuber Vegetables
This is something you are definitely missing if you never eat Cuban food. The recipes go beyond your typical tomato, potato and vegetable dishes. Cubans live for the root vegetables in each and every meal that they take. Their vegetables include boniato, yucca and malanga. They also have a popular holiday dish, yucca con mojo, which every Cuban loves. It is a dish that is made from mojito. Mojito is a combination of olive oil, lemon juice, onions and garlic. If the yucca is allowed to marinate for a while in this before it is served, it becomes an exquisite dish.
Well, you now know what you have been missing, but it is not over until you have had a Cuban beverage. The Malta and leche condensada is made using condensed milk, and it is an everyday Cuban beverage. If you want to go the Cuban cuisine way, be ready for tostada con cafe con leche for breakfast and Cuban sandwiches for lunch when there is no time to cook. The common merienda consists of slices of ham, cheese, pickles, mustard and globs of mayonnaise on sweet egg bread. Dinner is usually a dish stocked with meat, fish or chicken. This is accompanied by black beans, rice and sweet fried plantains. A typical dessert is flan with a cafecito.
