Cuisine of Cuba

Cuisine of Cuba is not just a specialty of the island but a blend of culinary specialties of Spain, Africa and Caribbean. Cuban recipes have become richer in taste with the use of African spices, Spanish cooking and Caribbean flavor. It is remarkable to find little yet noticeable Chinese influence eating habits of Cubans especially in Havana. It is interesting to note that Cuban cuisine is far from having similarity with Mexican cuisine, other Latin American fares.

Culinary Style of Eastern Cuba
The food style of eastern Cuba is heavily influenced by African and Caribbean cuisines. Perhaps the biggest influence can be found in the Congrí Oriental - cooked red beans and rice. This is probably due to the close proximity to the other Spanish-speaking islands where red beans are more prevalent than black beans. Black beans are mainly synonymous with Cuban cuisine because of the specific African tribe brought it. Many recipes from Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico can be found in eastern Cuba but with their own flavor. The example of this influence is the Mofongo called Fou-fou in Cuba - mashed plantains stuffed with pork, chicken or seafood.

The source of Eastern Cuban cuisine is criollo cooking style that shares common recipes with other Caribbean cuisines. The most distinctive difference between the two culinary styles is that Cubans does not make use of peppers, however using other spices such as garlic, cumin, onion, Cuban oregano and bay leaves. Rice and beans are the primary culinary elements throughout Cuba.

A typical Cuban meal would consist of Moros y Cristianos - rice and beans usually cooked together, although they are sometimes served separately with the beans in a dark, rich soup known as Frijoles Colorado on the side, a main course mainly pork or beef, some sort of vianda - several types of tubers, such as yuca, malanga, and potato, as well as plantains, unripe bananas and even corn and salad - normally comprises of tomato, lettuce and avocado, though cucumber, carrots, cabbage and radish. A normal criollo meal does not include fruit except ripe plantains, which are usually consumed together with the rice and beans. Generally, all dishes are brought together to the table at once, except the desserts and fruit.

Meat is usually served in light sauces. The most popular sauce is Mojo or Mojito made with oil, garlic, onion, spices such as oregano and bitter orange or lime juice. Boliche is a beef roast, stuffed with chorizo sausage. Ropa Vieja is shredded beef, usually shank, simmered in tomato-based criollo sauce until it falls apart.

Tamales are also very popular in Cuba. Made with corn flour, shortening and pieces of pork meat, tamales are wrapped in corn leaves and tied, boiled in salted water and served in a number of different ways. Tamales as well as Black Bean soup are among the few indigenous foods that have remained part of the modern Cuban cuisine.

Stews and soups are common, especially made from black and red beans. These are usually consumed along with white rice or Gofio - a type of corn flour or eaten alone. Corn Stew, Guiso - corn soup and Caldosa - a soup made with a variety of tubers and meats are other popular dishes. Other common stews are the white bean Spanish stews, such as Caldo Gallego - Galician Stew, Fabada Asturiana - Asturian Stew and Cocido de Garbanzos - Chickpea Stew.

Culinary Style of Western Cuba
Western Cuba's cuisine is different from typical criollo food particularly in Havana. The eating style of Havana is closer to the European cuisine as well as has Chinese influence in dishes such as Sopa China - an egg and onion soup and Arroz Salteado - sautéed rice. Rice is eaten separately from beans and flour is much more commonly used. Some Havana dishes make frequent use of Alcaparrado - a mix of olives, raisins and caper. Alcaparrado is used as an ingredient in several recipes, usually as part of sauces to accompany meats. It is also cooked together with ground beef to provide the meat stuffing for a variety of Cuban pastries or finger food.

Other common finger foods and dishes of Havana are Croquetas - small cylinders of paste made with a heavy béchamel sauce and ground beef, ham, chicken, fish or cheese, covered with breadcrumbs and deep fried; Papas Rellenas - fried potato balls filled with ground beef; Picadillo a la Habanera - ground beef with alcaparrado, served with white rice, black beans and fried plantains and Niños Envueltos - beef filled with alcaparrado and served in pepper sauce.

Western cuisine also uses lots of eggs particularly omelets such as Tortilla de Papa and fried eggs like in Huevos a la Habanera - fried eggs served over white rice and fried plantains. Fish dishes are commonly eaten especially in coastal areas. However, lobster is sparingly used in spite of a well-developed lobster fishing industry. Popular fish recipes are Enchilado - shrimp, fish, crab or lobster in a sauce and A la Vizcaína - a tomato-based sauce of Basque origin used to cook bacalao.

Other popular Spanish dishes in Cuba are the Paella, Arroz con Pollo - chicken cooked with yellow rice and Empanada Gallega.

Popular Snacks in Cuba
Sandwiches are a popular contribution of USA to Cuba. A Cuban sandwich is a simple pressed sandwich traditionally made with sliced roast pork (cold), thinly sliced serrano ham (cold), thinly sliced Swiss cheese, sweet pickles and yellow mustard on buttered Cuban bread, pressed in a panini-type grill called La Plancha and cut in half diagonally.

A Medianoche Sandwich got its name due to its popularity as a midnight snack as medianoche means midnight in Cuba. It is made like the traditional Cuban sandwich, though the Cuban bread is replaced by an egg loaf. Pan con Lechón is a traditional pressed sandwich made with Cuban bread, roasted pork, onions, and mojito. Pan con Bistec is made similarly with a thin flank steak.

Other traditional sandwiches include Pan con Timba - bread with guayaba paste and cream cheese, Elena Ruth - roasted turkey, cream cheese, and fruit preserves or marmalade) and Pan con Chorizo - Cuban bread with thin cut Spanish chorizo sausage.

Frita Sandwich became popular in Cuba in 1930's. It is prepared into small patties of ground beef spiced with paprika and onion. The patties fried on a griddle is served in a small Cuban bread hamburger bun, topped with mojo sauce and freshly prepared shoestring French fries.

By: Shuchita Bist
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