World Cuisines: Cuban Cuisine

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Cuban cuisine is usually expressed by very simple dishes that contain ingredients typical of the Caribbean and are based on the culinary traditions of many peoples.

Cuban cuisine is influenced by Spanish, French, African, Arabic, Chinese and Portuguese cultures. Traditional Cuban cuisine is primarily rural cuisine. Most dishes are fried or stewed. They are based on several basic spices such as garlic, cumin, oregano and bay leaf.

Many dishes are based on Sofrito, which is a mixture of onions, green peppers, garlic and oregano, quickly fried in olive oil. Sofrito - gives the dish a special taste. It is used to make black beans, stews, various meat dishes and tomato sauce.

Meat and poultry are usually marinated in citrus juices, mostly lemons, and then stewed until the meat softens and literally leaves the bone.

Another important one element of Cuban cuisine are root vegetables such as yucca, taro and sweet potatoes (yams), which can be found in most of Latin America. These vegetables are fried in combination with a marinade called mojo, which consists of olive oil, lemon juice, pieces of onion, garlic, cumin and a little water.

Chicharon - Cuban breakfast

Chicharron or fried pork skins is favorite Cuban breakfast. This is a rather unusual dish. Dried banana slices in spices and yucca chips rank next on the snack list.

Sweet and spicy pastels are eaten in the morning. These are puff pastry cookies filled with sweet or salty filling. Cubans also eat tamale, a type of cornmeal tortilla filled with various fillings and wrapped in corn leaves. They are not as sharp as their Mexican cousins. Less chili is added to them, but more garlic and onions.

Flan - Cuban dessert

Cuba is a country whose main crop is sugar cane. Therefore traditional Cuban cuisine can't do without desserts. They have three flavors: sweet, sweet and sweet. Cubans never save sugar, and their desserts are undoubtedly one of the sweetest in the world.

One of the most popular desserts is flan (pudding). It is also one of the easiest desserts in the world. The delicate and creamy texture literally melts in your mouth. The flan can be served hot or cold, but it is important to pour a lot of syrup on top.

Flan can be found on the menus of most Cuban restaurants and can even be bought in the bakery.

Turrons are another Cuban rarity. These almonds are traditional Cuban Christmas cookies. They are available in different flavors, with chocolate, nougat, honey and fruit.

Every Cuban bakery also has Capuchins, which are small cookies in an interesting conical shape. The dough contains a lot of yolks, hence their color, and each cookie is filled with sweet sugar syrup.

Moros y Cristianos - a classic of Cuban cuisine

That is a lot a popular Cuban dishconsisting mainly of black beans and white rice. The name of this dish is a fascinating reference to medieval Spain, when the Moors of North Africa fought with the Christians for control of Spain.

This national dish is prepared on the occasion of important family celebrations. Black beans also appear in the famous Cuban soup, which is enriched with oregano, peppers, onions and garlic. Another classic dish is fat-cooked bananas.

Meals with signature

The most famous, of course, is the Cuban sandwich. Crispy bread, similar to a French baguette, but with a lighter texture, stuffed with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese and pickles. It is worth noting that Cubans love fried pork, always seasoned with garlic.

Lechon Asado is the absolute star of Cuban cuisine. This is a roast piglet seasoned with garlic and pickled orange. It is prepared on a grill covered with banana leaves.