Cuisine
************************* Cuban Cocktails Cuba’s cocktails are legendary . . . its specialty, rum. There are three types of rum: clear which is aged for three years, golden which is aged for five years, and anejo which is aged for seven years and considered the premier choice. The three most famous Cuban cocktails, quite refreshing and simple to make, are the cuba libre, the daiquiri, and the mojito. The cuba libre is basically rum and coke. It got its name more than a century ago after the war cry of the independence army, “Free Cuba!” The Cuban-American community in Miami think of it as their official drink of choice. The daiquiri is named for a Cuban village outside Santiago de Cuba near a copper mine where the mining firm’s head engineer created the now world-famous cocktail which Hemingway immortalized in his novels. Jennings S. Cox’s creation was soon duplicated, and quickly traveled westward to every trendy watering hole in Havana. The mojito began as a drink favored by slaves. Today, it is considered the classic Cuban drink favored by tourists. In the 1940’s, Angel Martinez, then owner of La Bodequita del Medio, bestowed tribute to writers who frequently stopped in for supper thus creating a bohemian scene which promoted the bar and the mojito.
The best way to experience a Cuban cocktail is in the immortal words of Ernest Hemingway: “Mi mojito en La Bodequita, mi daiquiri en El Floridita.” *************************
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A Taste of Cuba
Cuban cuisine has been influenced by Indigenous, Spanish, French, African, Arabic, Chinese, and Portuguese cultures. Most people who haven’t tasted the cuisine think it to be characteristically spicy. The Cuban culture might be quite spicy, but not the cooking.
Many restaurants throughout the island are owned by the government and run by underpaid staff, thus serving infamously bland and overpriced food. Other restaurants (Paladares) are privately owned, and serve much better food. The finest food is created in casas particular where breakfast is generally offered to their guests, something not found in most restaurants. Some casas are also licensed to serve dinners.
Classic servings are black beans and rice, fried sliced banana, garlic marinades, rice dishes, and boiled Yucca plant. Pork and chicken, which is most feasted upon, are marinated in citrus juices such as lime or orange juice, then roasted until the meat is so tender it falls off the bone. Black beans are a main staple in Cuban households. Root vegetables (yucca, malanga, boniato) smothered in a mojo sauce of olive oil, lime juice, raw onion, and garlic are consumed with many meals. The most important ingredient to all traditional dishes is “sofrito,” a sauté of onions, green peppers, garlic, oregano, and bay leaves. Cubans have a gift for preparing meals with ease of instinct and without worry about measuring. The art of cooking seems to be born to Cubans.
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Paladares are private restaurants run inside the home of their owner. The employees are family members who serve up some of the most memorable dining experiences.
Hundreds of these private home restaurants opened up after they were legalized by Fidel Castro’s government in the mid 1990s, in the midst of economic crisis. A significant few have endured the strict rules they operate under, including high taxes and a prohibition on beef & premium seafood . . . lobster and shrimp are set aside for export and state-run restaurants catering to foreigners. While the menus offer ordinary cuisine such as filleted fish, pork, and chicken, the paladares offer a surplus of atmosphere.
Paladares are not officially listed, but some are mentioned in travel books or can be found by web search. Once in Cuba, hotel concierges, taxi drivers, and even will often recommend private restaurants, especially if they are operated by a relative or a friend.
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Caribbean Culinary Festival
The first Caribbean’s International Cuisine Festival will be held in Cuba from September 21 – 25, 2009. According to Eddy Fernandez, president of the Cuban Federation of Culinary Associations, the festival will be an occasion to present different cuisines as symbols of cultural identity and points of contact between peoples, part of their heritage, customs, and traditions. Approximately 300 delegates from 25 countries will be present at the gathering in Cuba’s eastern province of Santiago de Cuba. The festival, to be held in Santiago’s Heredia Theatre, will also see the participation of 100 Cuban culinary connoisseurs, who will work with foreign counterparts to offer workshops on traditional Cuban and Caribbean food, wines, and other subjects.
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*Menu of Spanish Phrases*
Breakfast . . . Desayuno
Lunch . . . Almuerzo
Dinner . . . Comida
Can you recommend a good restaurant . . . Puede recomendarme un buen restaurante
I'd like to reserve a table for two people . . . Quisiera reservar una mesa para dos personas
May I see the menu, please . . . El menu/la carta, por favor
May I see the wine list, please . . . La lista de vinos, por favor
Do you serve local dishes . . . Tiene algun plato regional
What is your dish of the day . . . Cual es el plato del dia
We are ready to order . . . Queremos pedir
The check, please . . . La cuenta, por favor