Cuba is a popular tourist destination for its beaches, architecture, and vibrant culture. But we can’t talk about Cuba without mentioning its delicious cuisine. If you’re planning a tour of Havana, be sure to try these five authentic Cuban foods to experience the local flavors that make Cuban cuisine unique.
Ropa Vieja
Ropa Vieja is a popular dish throughout Cuba. It consists of shredded beef cooked in tomato sauce, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. It’s usually served with rice, beans, and ripe plantains. The name “Ropa Vieja” refers to the appearance of the shredded meat, which looks like old clothes.
According to history, its origin comes from the Sephardic cuisine of Spanish Jews, in which leftover meat was used to make the most of it. That’s how the idea of shredding beef, pork or chicken arose, to make it go further. This way of cooking spread throughout Spain, and with it a mythological version of the dish:
A very poor old man searched his cupboards for all the old rags he could find, unraveled them, and made a stew with them because he had nothing to offer his family to eat. A divine spirit appeared and granted him the miracle of turning the rags into meat. And that is why the dish is known as “ropa vieja”. In Latin America, the dish would take a little longer to arrive until the immigrants from the Canary Islands arrived in the countries of the Caribbean Sea, and especially in Cuba, where the original name is still used.
Moros y Cristianos
The dish Moros y Cristianos is a mixture of rice and black beans cooked with onion, bell pepper, and garlic. It is a traditional Cuban dish that is typically served as a side dish alongside other dishes.
The name of the dish comes from the symbolism of white rice representing Christians and black beans representing Moors, which reflects the historical battles between these two groups in Spain. However, it is not entirely clear whether the dish originated in peninsular Spain or in the Spanish Creoles of the Caribbean.
Moros y Cristianos is sometimes confused with a similar dish called arroz congrí, but they are not the same. Arroz congrí is also a mixture of rice and black beans, but it is cooked together with other ingredients such as pork, bacon, or sausage, and has a slightly different flavor profile.
Lechón Asado
Cubans typically serve roasted pork on special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and Christmas. They slow roast a whole pig for several hours, seasoning it with garlic, salt, and lemon to give it flavor. They then serve the delicious roasted pork with rice, beans, and ripe plantains.
In the Iberian kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, the custom of roasting suckling pigs in clay pots placed over coals became popular, influenced by the ancient Romans. When Spain conquered America, the colonizers brought that dish to Cuba, where they found a new method: barbecue-roasting.
They learned this method from the Taino aborigines, who dug a hole in the ground to concentrate the heat of the wood towards the animal, laid on a grill or pierced by a stick that they suspended in the air using two stakes. That’s the origin of one of the traditional cooking methods still used in Cuba.
Tostones
To make tostones, you start by peeling green plantains and slicing them into thick rounds. Then, you fry the plantain rounds in hot oil until they become golden and crispy. Next, you remove them from the oil and use a tostonera, which is a wooden press, to flatten them into discs. After that, you fry them again until they become even crispier and slightly browned.
Tostones are a popular snack in Cuba and are often eaten as a side dish with other meals. To give them extra flavor, they are typically served with a garlic and lemon sauce.
The origins of tostones can be traced back to African cuisine. The idea of frying green plantains was brought to the Americas by African slaves who were brought over during the slave trade. Cubans have taken this idea and turned it into a culinary delight that is enjoyed both in Cuba and around the world.
Flan
Flan is a dessert of European origin that became popular in the Spanish-speaking world. People believe that flan originated in Roman times, where they prepared a similar dessert called “flado”. Later, during the Middle Ages, flan became a very popular dessert in Europe, especially in Spain.
With the arrival of the Spanish in America, flan spread throughout the continent, including Cuba. In Cuba, flan became a very popular dessert thanks to its delicious taste and easy preparation.
Cuban flan has gained worldwide recognition today and people make it using ingredients like eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, sugar, and vanilla. They bake it in a water bath until it sets and serve it cold, often embellished with liquid caramel.
FAQS
- What is the national dish of Cuba? Cubans consider rice and beans as their national dish.
- What is mojo? In Cuban cuisine, people commonly use mojo as a sauce for meat, fish, and vegetables. Mojo is a spicy sauce that people make using garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.
- What other Cuban dishes should I try? In addition to the dishes mentioned above, you should also try congri, arroz con pollo, and black beans. These dishes are equally delicious and representative of authentic Cuban foods.
- What drink is popular in Cuba? In Cuba, people make the popular drink called mojito using rum, lime, mint, sugar, and soda.
- What is congri? Congri is a dish of rice and beans cooked with onion, pepper, and garlic. Sometimes, people serve it with meat or chicken. It is a very popular dish throughout Cuba.
In conclusion, if you want to experience the authentic Cuban foods, make sure to try these five dishes when you visit Havana. From main dishes to appetizers and desserts, each of these dishes offers a unique culinary experience that you won’t want to miss. To enhance your experience, you can book a classic car tour with VC Tours, which will allow them to explore the city and its culinary delights in style. Enjoy your meal!