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Cuban Cuisine
Cuban Cuisine Has Been Influenced By Spanish,
French, African, Arabic, Chinese, and Portuguese cultures.
Traditional
Cuban cooking is primarily Peasant Cuisine that has little concern with
measurements, order and timing. Most of the food is sauteed or slow-cooked
over a low flame. Very little is deep-fried and there are no heavy or
Creamy Sauces. Most Cuban cooking relies on a few basic Spices, such as
Garlic, Cumin, Oregano, and Bay Laurel Leaves. Many dishes use a Sofrito
as their basis. The sofrito consists of Onion, Green Pepper, Garlic, Oregano,
and Ground Pepper quick-fried in Olive Oil. The Sofrito is what gives
the food its Flavor. It is used when cooking Black Beans, Stews, many
meat dishes, and tomato-based sauces. Meats and poultry are usually marinated
in citrus juices, such as Lime or Sour Orange Juices, and then roasted
over low heat until the meat is tender and literally falling off the bone.
Another common staple to the Cuban diet are root vegetables such as Yuca,
Malanga, and Boniato, which are found in most Latin markets. These vegetables
are flavored with a marinade, called Mojo, which includes hot Olive Oil,
Lemon Juice, Sliced Raw Onions, Garlic, Cumin, and little water. Cuban
Cuisine has revolutionised over the past Century with the influence of
Tropical Fruits now being used more that ever.
A
Typical Cuban breakfast consists of a tostada and Cafe Con Leche. The
tostada is a portion of Cuban bread which is buttered then toasted on
an electric grill. The cafe con leche is a combination of strong, espresso
coffee with warm milk. Cubans break the tostada into pieces, then dunk
them into the cafe con leche, as Americans would dunk their doughnuts
into their coffee. Additionally, some may eat ham croquetas, smoky creamed
ham shaped in finger rolls, lightly breaded, and then fried. For those
on the run, with no time or desire to eat, a shot of cafe cubano, Cuban
coffee, will revive the dead.
Lunch
consists of Empanadas, Chicken or Meat turnovers, or Cuban sandwiches.
The sandwich could be a media Noche (midnight sandwich), consisting of
a slice of Pork, Ham, and Swiss cheese and then topped with pickles and
Mustard on Sweetened Egg Bread. The Pan con Bistec is a thin slice of
Palomilla steak on Cuban bread garnished with Lettuce, Tomatoes, and Fried
Potato Sticks. One may also order a side of Mariquitas, thinly sliced
plantain chips, to accompany their hearty sandwich.
For snack time, Cuban bakeries are famous for their finger foods, such
as Pastelitos, Croquetas, Bocaditos, and empanadas. Pastelitos are small
flaky turnovers in various shapes filled with either Meat, Cheese, Guava,
or a combination of Guava and Cream cheese. Bocaditos are small bite size
sandwiches layered with a Ham spread. Dinner will usually consist of a
Meat, Chicken, or Fish dish as the entree accompanied by White Rice, Black
Beans, and Maduros, Sweet Fried Plantains. At times, a small salad of
sliced Tomatoes and Onions or Avocados might be added to the meal. The
meal is followed by Dessert, such as the typical Flan, a Cuban caramel
- flavoured Custard, and another shot of cafe Cubano. Other equally popular
alternatives for Dessert are bread or rice puddings. For Holidays or Special
Occasions, the one dish that typifies Cuban cuisine would be a Small Pig,
marinated with Salt, Garlic, and Sour Orange Juice, and then roasted over
an open fire, and slowly cooked for several hours. The accompaniments
for such a dish could consist of Congri, a white rice and black bean mixture
also known as Moors and Christians, Boniato in a Garlic dressing, and
Maduros. For refreshments, the most typical drinks are the Daiquiri and
the Mojito. Both are made with lime juice and pure cane rum.
1659
Washington Ave Miami Beach, Fl 33139.>> Bella Cuba Restaurant
<<11 Ballsbridge Terrace, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. 