The
Essence of..... Cuba
An exploration of the world through food and drink
Essence -ial Information
|
UK Tourist Office |
154 Shaftesbury Ave, London WC2 |
|
Currency |
Peso |
|
Capital |
Havana |
|
Language |
Spanish |
|
Main Airlines |
Cubana, Virgin |
|
Flying Time from UK |
9 hrs 40 mins |
|
Visa |
Yes |
PROFILE
Traditional Cuban food is not as spicy as other cuisines in the region, such as Jamaican or Mexican food. This is because of the Spanish influence in which food is flavoured with garlic, onions, sweet peppers, and cumin. You may find this Creole food quite high in fat.
Rice or rice and beans accompany the main meat dish, a green salad and fried banana chips together with the Cuban delicacies like Yuca con Mojo; boiled cassava root soaked in hot garlic oil and Tamal; ground maize sometimes with pork meat boiled in a packet made from the leaf. Cerdo Asado; roasted pork, especially spit roasted is famous in the countryside. Congris; rice cooked with black beans and seasoning Tostones; platano (banana) in chips, must be served hot! And for dessert do not forget the delicious Helado (Ice cream) or Mermelada con Queso; guava marmalade with cheese!
Cuban cuisine is the result of the mixing of Spanish, aboriginal, African and Caribbean cuisines.
The aboriginal cuisine still remains among Cubans. Columbus and his sailors, for the first time tasted corn, cassava, peanuts, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, peppers, "yautía" (a kind of wild malanga) and other gifts of the flora, in Cuba. Here they ate hutia (a kind of rodent) and knew of new fruits such as custard apples, soursops, pineapples, star apples, mammees, anonas, icaco plums, guavas, cashews, etc. Part of the aboriginal people's legacy is the cassava bread and the "ajiaco".
The Cuban Indians fished and hunted. There was a variety of fish and seafood in the lagoons and rivers and a climate where people didn't need to store food. Even if they had wanted to, the humidity and the heat worked against it for the stored grain was quickly spoiled. The Spaniards, when they arrived, on top of using the sources of proteins they found locally, brought and reared poultry, cattle, pigs and horses, all of which developed colossally well. Cuba became a livestock producing giant and, in a few years, pork was the meat of choice for the Cuban landlords who also obtained fat from it. To feed the Africans, yams, malangas, several kinds of bananas and plantains and the okra were acclimatized. Guinea fowls were also brought.
From Africa they got the yam, the malanga, the banana and plantain, the okra, the guinea fowl and dishes such as fufú (mashed plantains) and tostones (green plantains smashed and twice-fried). From the African culture they also received a preference for white rice eaten with all the other foods, the fritters and the sauces.
The Spaniards from the south of the peninsula, that came to the island during the first centuries of the colony, also liked fried food. Andalusia is an area where fried stuff is pervasive. The massive arrival of Spaniards of Catalonian culture reinforced the intake of rice.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the heavy Spanish immigration, now made up mostly of northern Spaniards, made the Cuban gastronomy and cuisine even more markedly Spanish. Spaniards took up posts as cooks in restaurants and family homes. In the cuisine they introduced chick-pea stew, bean stew, and sausages. The Cubans on their part began to take fat, chorizo sausages, bacon and cabbages out of the bean stew and the Galician bouillon. The Cuban bean soups ended up just being made with brisket, potatoes and a sauce.top
Black Beans - Frijoles Negros
Ingredients:
14oz dried black beans
3 green peppers
1 medium sweet onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp ham-based bouillon
1 oz white vinegar
1 oz dry sherry
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup olive oil
Method:
Soak the beans overnight with two green peppers that have been cored and quartered. The water should amply cover the beans.
Chop the onion, green pepper and add to a frying pan along with the olive oil, bay leaves and finely chopped garlic. This is the sofrito. Sauté for about ten minutes over medium heat.
Pour the beans into a large pan and add the sofrito, along with 1 teaspoon ham base bouillon and the vinegar, sherry, salt and pepper. cook gently for two hours.
Finally, put the green peppers in a blender with 1 cup of beans and 1/2 cup of bean sauce. Blend, add this back to the pot, stir and put back on hob on low for 20 minutes.
Croquetas - Ham Croquettes
Ingredients:
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup finely diced onions
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
Salt and black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp dry sherry
12 oz ground smoked ham
2 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1 cup breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for frying
Method:
Preheat the fryer. In a large pan, melt the butter, add the onions and sauté until translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in flour to make a roux. Gradually whisk in the milk to form a smooth sauce. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens. Whisk in nutmeg, sherry, parsley, salt and pepper. Add ground ham. Let simmer for five minutes on low heat. Pour the mixture into a baking pan and refrigerate until well chilled.
In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with water until frothy. Combine the bread crumbs and flour in a second bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Shape the ham mixture into a log about 3/4-inch thick. Dip the logs in the egg wash and roll the logs in the seasoned bread crumbs. Cover logs with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two to three hours. Sauté the croquetas in the hot oil, a few at a time, three to four minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Salt and pepper to taste before serving.