Desserts of Cuba

Cuba, one of the major producers of sugar in the world, has a rich and tempting menu of desserts. The desserts of Cuba range from simplest, Raspadura - pure solidified sugar cane molasses, to more elaborate like Panetela Borracha or Drunken Cake - small funnel shaped cakes soaked in liquor.

Criollo cooking usually has very simple desserts made mainly using fruit and sugar such as Dulce de Coco - ground coconut flesh boiled with sugar and Casquitos de Guayaba - guava flesh boiled with sugar. Dulce de Guayaba, Barra de Guayaba or Membrillo are names of the Cuba's most common dessert Guava Paste - guava, sugar and gelatin.

Criollo style desserts from are tremendously sweet as fruits and sugar are used in equal quantities. This has led to establishment of another custom of eating these desserts along with salted cheese or cream cheese. Other common ingredients in criollo desserts are cinnamon, lime and vanilla.

Churro - a sweet, fried-dough pastry-based snack is also imported from Spain. Cuban churros are small, curved and covered in sugar as opposed to straight, thicker and longer Mexican churros covered in cinnamon. They are enjoyed with Spanish style hot chocolate made with a small amount of corn meal for a slight thickness.

Marmalade is very common dish in Cuba made with guava, mango or other tropical fruits. Marmalades are used as a filling for other desserts, such as Pasteles, Masareal and Empanadas - different types of marmalade-filled pastries. Plantain-based desserts are also eaten in Cuba like Platanos en Tentación - sweet plantains cooked with cinnamon, sugar, lime juice, white wine or rum.

Desserts from Western Cuba are more elaborate with their origin from Spain especially puddings, pastries and cakes. Flan - Crème Caramel, Tocino del Cielo (Angel's Bacon) - egg yolk custard, Brazo Gitano (Gypsy Arm) rolled cake base with several toppings, Panetela Borracha – (Drunken Cake) - small funnel shaped cakes soaked in liquor and Turrones - Cuban nougats made with peanuts.

Cubans also enjoy having ice creams as there is a wide variety in ice creams as well. Ice creams are prepared with local fruit such as mamey, guanabana, anon, guayaba and mantecado - ice cream like French Vanilla but with its own peculiar characteristics. Coconut ice cream packed into half a coconut shell is also popular.

By: Shuchita Bist

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