Cookbook:Cuisine of Cuba

Cookbook | Ingredients | Cuisines

Cuban food, unlike the cuisine of other tropical countries of Latin America, is not spicy. It is, however, excellent and can be very healthy.

Basic Ingredients

Rice and beans

White rice and black beans are the staple of every Cuban meal, and exist separately (Arroz con Frijoles Negros) or mixed together (Moros y Cristianos). Moros y Cristianos literally means "Moors and Christians" named because the beans are black (Moors) and the rice is white (Christians).

Pork

Pork is a very common meat consumed in Cuban Cuisine, typically prepared as "Lechon", or suckling pig.

Cuban-American Food

A typical way to cook Cuban meat is to begin with a "sofrito." A sofrito consists of garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, an onion, and perhaps a red bell pepper chopped and sauteed in a frying pan. After this base is prepared, the meat- whether chicken, beef, or fish- is added and cooked with the flavors. Because so many Cubans fled to Miami during the 1960s after Fidel Castro came to power, a lot of authentic Cuban food can be found in Miami. Some may claim that the Cuban food in Miami is better than that in Cuba, because of the greater variety and quality of spices, meats and vegetables available.

Key Recipes

See also: Category:Cuban recipes