Website design By BotEap.comCuban cuisine is a blend of Spanish, African, and Caribbean (Taino Indian) cuisines and includes recipes, spices, and cuisine derived from all three cultures. The result is an interesting mix that tends to be simple, with fresh vegetables, fruits, cassava, beans, meat and grilled fish. In Cuba, rice and beans are a staple, along with chicken, pork, and beef, as in more traditional Spanish and Mexican meals, but combinations and cooking methods vary.

Website design By BotEap.comLegendary author Ernest Hemingway spent years in Cuba, writing and enjoying the local cuisine, before dictator Fidel Castro overthrew the country’s government in 1959, shutting down one of America’s favorite vacation spots. But Cuban cuisine thrives in South Florida, and venturing into a Cuban restaurant for fish tacos, chicken enchiladas, or shrimp burritos is an exercise in futility. You won’t find them, unless you are heavily Americanized. What you will find is authentic Cuban food, mixed with spices, a base of rice and black beans and some wonderful dishes with plantains and other tropical fruits. Whatever Fidel Castro has flown in from the United States for his private dinners, here is a sampling of what tops the native hit list:

Website design By BotEap.comCuba’s national dish: Ropa Vieja (shredded flank steak in a tomato sauce base), black beans, yellow rice, yuca, and fried plantains, washed down with cold local beer;

Website design By BotEap.comSecond place is definitely Arroz Con Pollo (rice with chicken), as basic as possible;

Website design By BotEap.comMoors and Christians: black beans and rice;

Website design By BotEap.comFried plantains: a frequent side dish; (ripe plantains have nearly black skins, so don’t let that put you off);

Website design By BotEap.comTuna in spicy tomato sauce; tuna (bonito) abounds in Cuba;

Website design By BotEap.comCassava plant: (Yuca) a starchy substitute for potatoes;

Website design By BotEap.comSofrito: basic tomato sauce that is added to meat or rice dishes;

Website design By BotEap.comFlan: (baked flan) a popular dessert, as in Mexico;

Website design By BotEap.comMango Ice Cream: tropical mango sorbet;

Website design By BotEap.comMarinated Olives: marinated olives;

Website design By BotEap.comEnsalada Cubana Tipica: (Cuban Salad) Your basic raw lettuce and tomato;

Website design By BotEap.comIts most popular and staple spices are available almost everywhere in the United States and include bay leaf, oregano, coriander, cumin, and pepper. Many sauces have a tomato base.

Website design By BotEap.comIn Cuba, plantains and bananas comprise 47% and 24%, respectively, of local production and are grown solely for internal consumption. Other tropical fruits that are produced in Cuba are mango, papaya, pineapple, avocado and guava. Plantains have never caught on in the US, as we prefer our plantains, and plantains have a sweeter taste, they are usually used in cooking rather than eaten raw. They are certainly an acquired taste, one that most Americans have never acquired.

Website design By BotEap.comCuban cuisine may be suitable for vegetarians, due to its liberal use of beans, rice, vegetables, and fruit, but don’t expect to order tofu or any other protein substitute. Most Cubans are poor, so native food can be quite limited without the addition of any kind of meat, fish, or poultry. Of course, that does not prevent you from enjoying some of its spicy sauces, salads and rice dishes. Yuca is a popular starch as is corn, but not in the typical tortilla form as in Mexican food. (And I guarantee you won’t find buttered cornbread or hush puppies, also made with corn.)

Website design By BotEap.comAlthough many countries may speak the same Spanish language, that does not in any way guarantee that they will eat similar foods. So venture out and expand your repertoire by exploring Cuban cuisine if the opportunity arises, and don’t compare it to our Mexican favorites. Havana does not have fast food restaurants, but if it did, you can be sure that Taco Bell would not be among them.