What is the national cuisine, traditional dishes and food in Cuba? What do they eat in Cuba? Cuban cuisine.

Cuban cuisine appeared, of course, in Cuba. It arose under the influence of gastronomic principles of other countries. Cuban cuisine contains elements of Creole, African and Spanish cooking.

Festivals are held annually. They bring together gourmets and chefs who are familiar with Cuban cuisine and its recipes.

Regional cuisine

As in many countries, zoning occurs in Cuba. In the western and central parts of the country, chocolate is also often used. They are fried here in coconut oil or milk. In the eastern regions of the country, hot and spicy dishes are often prepared.

Popular dishes

What dishes should those interested in Cuban cuisine try? Of course, the most popular. These are the ones we will look at now:

Orange, pumpkin and coconut pie.
Mahiaco. This is a popular dish in the country. What is this kind of food? This is grilled or stewed meat with vegetables. Not a single meal would be complete without this dish.
Fried (Lechon asado).
Fried pork.
Chicken stew with carrots, onions, potatoes, ham and other ingredients as desired. The dish is called Caldosa.
Tostones (fried bananas).
Salad with avocado and pineapple.
Ground beef with tomato sauce.
Guava Pie.
Cuban sandwich.
Rice with black beans and other Cuban dishes.

Beverages

Popular drinks are:

various cocktails (for example, mojito, daiquiri and others);
coffee (strong);
beer;
guarapo (the base of the drink is;
lemonade with lime.

Sauces

Cuban cuisine is quite interesting, and its recipes are simple. Sauces are popular here. There are a lot of them in Cuban cuisine. They are part of the local cuisine. The Cubans' favorite sauce, made from peppers, garlic and tomatoes, is called Mojo. The second most popular is Salsa criolla. This sauce is made from peppers, oil, onions and tomatoes.

Some dressings even contain fruits, such as mango.

Cuban sandwich

If you are interested in Cuban cuisine, photos of some dishes are presented in the article for clarity. Do you want to cook one of the dishes? Then pay attention to this. It's called

four pieces of Swiss cheese (about one hundred grams) and the same number of long rolls;
salt;
a tablespoon each of red wine vinegar and olive oil;
a jar of pickled peppers and a jar of pickled cucumbers;
one shallot (chopped);
three tablespoons of sour cream or mayonnaise;
half a glass of rum.
¼ cup Creole mustard;
red cabbage (quarter of a head chopped).

To grill pork you will need:

Sandwich making process

Piccadilla

Are you interested in Cuban cuisine? Then, to get to know her better, we offer you one more dish. The name of the dish is very interesting - picadilla.

To prepare you will need:

10 cherry tomatoes (chopped);
1/3 cup each of wine (white), tomato paste, olives stuffed with pimento peppers along with brine (1 tbsp.) and raisins;
two bay leaves;
2 tsp. dried oregano and ground cumin;
450 grams of beef chorizo;
2 tbsp. l. oil (olive);
large chopped onion;
4 cloves garlic (chopped);
salt;
ground black pepper.

Cooking process

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add garlic, bay leaves and onion. Cook until onion is soft, about four minutes. Stir constantly during the process.
Then add minced meat and fry. When the meat is browned, remove from heat and remove excess fat.
Then pour in the wine. Stir. Add tomato paste, stuffed olives (chopped), cherry halves, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper. Simmer over low heat for eight minutes. Stir constantly. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Salad

Continuing to look at Cuban cuisine and describe recipes, we’ll tell you about a delicious pineapple and avocado salad. This dish is a traditional snack that can be quickly and easily prepared.

To prepare you will need:

pineapple (kilogram);
two avocados;
three cloves of garlic;
two bunches of watercress;
one red onion;
a tablespoon of sugar;
a quarter cup of oil (olive);
a pinch of ground cumin;
2 tbsp. l. lemon juice;
a quarter teaspoon of ground black pepper;
salt (one teaspoon).

Preparation

Conclusion

Now you know what Cuban cuisine is. The recipes with photos presented in the article will help you prepare such dishes. You will be able to please your loved ones with the resulting dishes.

Cuban cuisine is very diverse, healthy and rich. The basic set of products from which Cubans mainly cook is simple and without any special frills. In Cuban cuisine, dishes are often prepared on grills or stewed in ceramic pots. As for meat, Cubans consume more chicken and pork, and consume much less beef and lamb. They eat a lot of vegetables, especially for lunch and dinner, and especially black beans, rice and corn, as well as sweet potatoes and yucca. Salted cod is also one of the most popular products in Cuba, for example, it is used to prepare “bacalao la viszcaina-a” - cod cooked according to an old Basque recipe with “sofrito” - spices and vegetables stewed in oil, a mandatory addition to which is fried bread. Ocean fish is consumed here, mostly fried over charcoal. Boiled noodles with cheese or stewed meat and tomatoes, poultry and wild poultry cooked on a spit are also some of the most common dishes.

In general, the range of products is small, so they like to season food with sauces. There are a great variety of sauces here, and they are prepared from a wide variety of products. The most popular sauces in Cuba are salsa criolla, which is made from tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic and oil, and mojo, made from garlic, tomatoes and peppers. And also all sorts of sauces are made from mango, papaya, citrus fruits and other fruits, of which there are many on the island. Thanks to them, even the simplest dishes acquire a certain sophistication. But they don’t make hot sauces in Cuba, and unlike the Russian tradition, they almost never use dairy sauces in Cuba.

Within the country, the cuisine has some differences. For example, in Santiago de Cuba and the eastern part of the island, more spicy, spicy food is prepared. In the central and western part of the country, coconut and chocolate are preferred, and they also use exclusively coconut oil and coconut milk for frying.

The national dish is “ajiaco crioglio” - a thick stew that has various variations; its main ingredients are different vegetables and fruits, which are cooked with different types of meat. The pinnacle of Cuban cuisine is congri (white rice cooked with cauliflower beans) and arroz moro, also called Moors and Christians, rice with black beans. A favorite dish of Cubans and tourists, “La caldosa” is a stew of chicken, onions, garlic, oregano, yam, carrots, sweet potatoes, butter, ham and whatever the hostess has. All ingredients are placed in a clay pot, which is placed on low heat and simmered for a long time. More sophisticated dishes are also prepared from chicken, such as fried chicken with bitter orange sauce. Having visited Cuba, you should also try “Chicharrones al Cimaron” (an original Cuban snack for beer made from thin bacon fried in boiling oil), “Bonyato” (sweet potatoes fried until golden brown), “Santiagera” (pig leg, marinated and baked in the oven, cut into slices, with “mojito” sauce and garnished with platano slices), “African” (black bean soup with fried onions, sweet peppers and herbs), “Medallones-mango” (pork slices stewed with mango cubes, wine and spices, garnished with fresh mango, onion and mint). Salads in Cuba are prepared mainly from avocado, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, and seasoned with oil and vinegar. As a snack or light dinner, they prepare “ensalada de aguacates” - an avocado salad, to which the hostess can add salmon, mango or pineapple at her own discretion.

Cuban restaurants offer a wide range of seafood dishes, for example, the “Old Havana” dish - circles of lobster with mussels and oysters in sauce, decorated with lettuce and slices of tomatoes. Seafood preparation is quite traditional - the same as in Europe. But Cubans can add Cuban rum, which creates a new, very interesting flavor, and offer various unusual sauces to dishes.

In Cuba, many dishes are also prepared from bananas; they are fried, baked, added to many dishes and simply eaten raw. For example, to prepare “platanos a punetazos”, unripe banana fruit is cut into thin diagonal slices and fried, for sauce for pork and couscous it is crushed, seasoned with olive oil, banana is suitable for baking pies and puddings and, finally, for the famous picadillo. - Cuban, for which the fruit is crushed and mixed with cheese. Beef is most often prepared as “picadillo” - a mixture of minced meat and vegetables. On holidays they prepare “lechon asado” - whole roasted suckling pig.

Cuban desserts are generally very sweet, as they are served mainly with cane syrup. These are all kinds of fruits and in different forms, whole, in pieces and in pies. For clarity, imagine a guava pie - “masa real de guayaba” or a pie with coconut, oranges and pumpkin. Coppelia ice cream is very popular in Cuba. In recent years, mousses, puddings, etc. have been made on the island. A completely traditional Cuban dessert is bananas “flambé” - slices of bananas in hot caramel with orange juice, decorated with almonds and mint - they are served burning. Cheese desserts (similar to European cheesecakes) are also interesting, such as guava with cheese, or Barcelona mousse (dark chocolate mousse with sesame seeds and grated white chocolate). Speaking of desserts and sweets, we cannot ignore Cuban coffee, which is very strong and sweet, and Cubans drink it in huge quantities throughout the day. There are many cafes in the cities, as well as casas de infusions, where you can taste various infusions, decoctions and other drinks. Cubans put large amounts of sugar in all their drinks.

Cubans usually serve table wine with lunch and dinner. Dinner often begins with a spice-infused aperitif Canelazos-rum (per bottle of rum - 30 g of cinnamon, 5 g of cloves) and a light snack of quesillo - pieces of cheese fried in butter. The most popular alcoholic drink is rum. The most famous brand of rum is Havana Club. There are three varieties: Carta Oro (gold), Carta Blanca (white), and Anejo (old), which differ in aging. Cubans' favorite rum is Anejo (about $8 per bottle). Rum is drunk neat or with ice and used for cocktails. There is a Rum Museum in Old Havana. Here you can find extensive information about the history of its production.
Each Cuban establishment offers its own signature cocktail. Famous Cuban cocktails are “Mulata”, “Saoco”, “Cuba Libre”, etc. “Daiquiri” is one of the ten main cocktails in the world. Daiquiris were originally made from rum, lime and sugar. Now there are many versions of making this cocktail, one of them is the “frozen daiquiri”. At Casas de infusions, you can taste various infusions, decoctions and other drinks.

Cuba not only has amazing colors, wonderful people, magical beaches, but also the most delicious food in the Caribbean. From croquettes topped with melted cheese and ham to sweet plantains, Cuban cuisine offers rich flavors and stunning aromas.

1. Known as the Cuban burger, a frita is a patty of seasoned ground beef (sometimes mixed with chorizo) topped with crispy potato strips, all sandwiched between two Cuban buns. Some establishments even add scrambled eggs.

2. Corn on a skewer is prepared in a special way in Cuba. First, it is fried, then rolled in cotija cheese, generously sprinkled with chili powder and finally lemon juice is added, which gives this dish a richer and spicy taste.

3. Although the traditional home of paella is Spain, you will find a local version of this dish in Cuba - there it is made from ham, chicken, shellfish, chorizo, shrimp and lobster.

4. There's nothing better than biting into warm churros dusted with powdered sugar, slightly crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside. This is a street food you should definitely try because watching churros being made is half the fun.

5. You may know these balls as croquettes, but in Cuba they are called croquetas - fried balls of melted soft cheese with pieces of ham.

6. Although ropa vieja doesn't sound very appetizing (the name literally means "old clothes" in Spanish), the dish itself is absolutely delicious and consists of minced beef simmered in tomato sauce. Usually served with rice or on tortillas.

7. Plantains (a fruit of the banana family, but starchier and containing less sugar) are a must-have product in Cuban cuisine. Sycamore Maduros are caramelized sycamores that are lightly roasted until brown, sticky and sweet.

8. Huevos habaneros is a well-known Cuban egg dish consisting of eggs cooked in sofrito (a sauce made from tomatoes, garlic, peppers and onions).

9. Chicharrones are crispy fried pork rinds made from either the pork skin or the belly.

10. Meat and potatoes, white rice and black beans in Cuban cuisine are a common dish known in Spanish as "moros y cristianos".

11. Tostones, or chatinos, are fried plantains, a popular savory side dish in Cuba.

12. A relative of ropa vieja, vaca fritta translates to “fried cow” and consists of beef marinated in lime, garlic and salt, then fried until crisp.

13. Flan is one of the traditional desserts in Cuba; a sweet, smooth cake that looks like jelly with frosting. The harder form is made from caramel, eggs and milk.

14. The biggest difference between Cuban and Mexican tamales is that in Cuban tamales, meat (usually pork) is mixed into the tamale dough rather than used as a stuffing. Cubans also use corn to make tamales - it is not as sweet and more crumbly than American corn.

15. Lechon asado is a classic fried pork that is prepared quite simply: the whole pig is fried until crispy, and then the meat is served with mojo sauce, a spicy Cuban marinade.

16. Medianoche (“midnight” in Spanish) is similar to a Cuban sandwich and is commonly served in nightclubs in Havana (hence the name). Unlike the Cuban sandwich, the medianoche has no mayonnaise - just ham, pork, cheese and pickles between layers of egg bread.

17. Pulpeta is the Cuban equivalent of meatloaf, but it's not cooked in the oven. Instead, a mixture of seasoned ground beef and ham is cooked on the stovetop and a hard-boiled egg is added inside.

18. Cuba's favorite chicken dish is arroz con pollo - similar to paella, but without the seafood. The dish features rice and chicken, along with a traditional sofrito base.

19. Costillitas are short ribs with a Cuban twist: they're marinated and served with a sauce made from sour orange juice, lime juice, oregano, garlic and olive oil.

20. Picadillo cua is the Cuban version of scrambled eggs. It is usually served with rice, and the dish also contains chopped beef, eggs and plantains.

Cuban cuisine successfully combines the traditions of different nations. She was particularly influenced by Spanish and African cuisines.

Main ingredients National dishes of Cuba are considered to be meat (pork, chicken, beef, lamb), grains (rice, beans, corn), vegetables and root vegetables (sweet potatoes), fruits (bananas, guanabana, cherimoya, mamay, guava) and seafood (fish, delicacies).

Many dishes in Cuba use sauces. The most famous of the sauces is Creole To prepare it, tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic and oil are used. Mojo sauce prepared with herbs, garlic, lemon juice, pepper and oil. Fruit sauces are no less often made, in particular from papaya and mango.

Popular Cuban dishes:

One of the most famous dishes in Cuba is a thick soup. "Ajiaco crioglio"(ajiaco), prepared from stewed vegetables and root vegetables with various types of meat (pork, beef, poultry).

Among the soups, it should also be noted "la caldoza", which is made with chicken, sweet potatoes, ham, oregano and vegetables. All ingredients are stewed in a clay pot.

"Congri"- a dish of white rice and colored beans, such as red.
A dish of white rice and black beans has an original name "Moors and Christians"(moros y cristianos).

Chicken dishes are often prepared in Cuba, for example, fried chicken. The sauce for this dish is made from bitter orange.

Difficult to prepare dish "Picadillo a la abanera"(picadillo la habanera) is called Havanese ground meat. Tomato sauce is usually used with it.

They love it in Cuba fried banana dishes which are prepared in different ways. As a rule, these are fried slices of bananas, reminiscent of crispy potatoes or small flatbreads.

From Spanish cuisine, Cubans borrowed a recipe for cooking cod called "bacalao a la viscaina".

Residents of Cuba are partial to a variety of sweet dishes. Most common Dessert from fruits, in particular pies with fruit filling, as well as ice cream "Coppelia"

From drinks Coffee is extremely popular in Cuba and is served here quite strong and sweet. Most Cuban drinks are very sweet.

Among alcoholic drinks world famous Cuban rum. The most famous brand of rum is Havana Club. Local rum has 3 varieties: Carta Oro, Carta Blanca and Anejo, they differ in age and components.

Among tourists, popular cocktails"Mojito", "Cuba Libre", "Saoko", "Mulata" and "Daiquiri". In addition, for lunch and dinner, Cubans sometimes serve table wine.

Cuban cuisine is quite simple, but at the same time very healthy. The “Creole” (i.e. Spanish) method of preparing homemade dishes is one of the most famous in Cuba. The main ingredients of these dishes are chicken, beef, pork, eggs, beans, rice and vegetables such as tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, cassava (yucca) and plantain (a starchy fruit similar to banana).

Dishes made from these products can be quite spicy, as the main Cuban spices are always generously added to them: ajo (garlic) and onions.

Modern trends in European cuisine

Of course, Creole dishes today have their own European variations, mainly thanks to tourists from all over the world visiting the capital of Cuba, Havana. It was tourists who helped create the so-called Cuban fusion. Traditional Cuban dishes have been given new flavors by adding ingredients such as flour, raisins, capers and olives.

Asian cuisine has not remained aloof from these gastronomic experiments. She brought her sweet and sour notes to existing dishes, and also added a new ingredient - rice.

Such a seemingly small country as, in fact, cannot but delight with its culinary abundance. An excellent example is the cuisine of Eastern Cuba, which generously borrows from Caribbean and African culinary traditions, using coconut, chocolate, honey, annatto seeds and other spices in its dishes.

Only fresh ingredients for cooking

Cubans use only fresh ingredients to prepare dishes such as stews, soups and sandwiches. The meat is slowly roasted until it is so tender that it flakes off the bone.

In addition to spices such as onion and garlic, which absolutely everyone uses, bay leaves, oregano, coriander, cumin and pepper are also popular in Cuba.

Many sauces are prepared based on tomatoes. For example, sofrito sauce. Imagine Roux made without flour. Instead, this sauce combines flavorful ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, green peppers, chorizo and onions, all simmered with olive oil. Sofrito sauce is often used to add depth of flavor and delicacy to rice, bean dishes, soups, or stews.