Food & Drink

Local Cuisine

Cuban, or criolla, cuisine is a mix of European (predominantly Spanish) and Afro-Caribbean influences. The staples of the cuisine include roasted and fried pork, beef, and chicken, usually accompanied by rice, beans, plantains, and yucca. Oddly, Cubans do not eat large amounts of seafood, although fish and lobster dishes are on the menu at most tourist restaurants. In general, Cubans do not use aggressive amounts of spice or hot peppers, although onions, garlic, and, to a much lesser extent, cumin are used fairly liberally.

With the exception of breakfast, most meals come accompanied with some combination of white rice and beans. Arroz moro, or moros y cristianos (Moors and Christians), is the common name for black beans mixed with white rice. Congrí is a similar dish of red beans and white rice already mixed. Sometimes the rice and beans are served separately.

The national dish -- which unfortunately you won't often find on restaurant menus, but it's worth sampling if you do -- is ajiaco, a chunky meat and vegetable stew. Ajiaco comes from the Taíno word "aji" for chile pepper, although the dish is seldom prepared very spicy. You're much more likely to find ropa vieja (literally, "old clothes"), a sauté of shredded beef, onions, and peppers; or picadillo, a similar concoction made with ground beef and sometimes featuring olives and raisins in the mix.

If you're looking for a light bite, try a bocadito, literally a "little bite," which is what they call a simple sandwich, usually made of ham and/or cheese.

Aside from the excellent Coppelia ice creams, you'll generally find rather slim pickings for dessert. Flan is popular, but seldom outstanding. I feel similarly about natilla, a simple sweet pudding that usually comes in either chocolate or coconut flavors. Many dessert menus will feature some sort of sweet marmalade, usually guayaba, papaya, or coconut, accompanied by cheese. Unfortunately, the cheeses used are generally bland and nondescript.

La Bomba -- If you want to order papaya, remember to call it fruta bomba. In Cuba, the word "papaya" is almost always used as pejorative slang referring to a woman's most private part.

Wetting Your Whistle

Most Cubans simply drink water or any number of popular soft drinks, including Sprite and Coca-Cola, whose locally produced equivalents are called Cachito and Tu Cola, respectively. While many hotels and restaurants serve freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast, you'll have a harder time finding other fresh fruit juices than you'd expect in the Caribbean tropics. One of the more interesting nonalcoholic drinks you're likely to run across is guarapo, the sweet juice of freshly pressed sugar cane.

Cubans also drink plenty of coffee, and they like to brew it strong. Order café espresso for a straight shot, or café con leche if you'd like it mixed with warm milk. Ask for café americano if you want a milder brew.

Cuba produces a small handful of pretty good lager beers. Cristal, Bucanero, and Mayabe are the most popular. If you want something slightly darker and stronger, try a Bucanero dark. Cuba has recently begun to produce a few wines, under the Sorao label. If you're a wine drinker, you'll want to avoid these and hope there are some Chilean, Italian, or Spanish bottles on the wine list.

Cuba does produce excellent rums. Most visitors soon have their fill of mojitos (light rum with lime juice, fresh mint, sugar, and club soda) and daiquiris (light rum, sugar, lemon juice, and shaved ice). Another popular cocktail is the cuba libre ("Free Cuba"), which is simply a rum and Coke with a squeeze of lime. If you want something beyond the endless mojitos and daiquiris, you might enjoy a well-aged añejo rum, either neat or on the rocks. Try a Havana Club or Santiago brand 7-year añejo reserva, and you may even give up single malt scotch!

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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				Frommer's Cuba, 4th Edition Author: Claire Boobbyer Pub Date: January 09, 2009 Price: $21.99				Related Titles: Bahamas For Dummies, 4th Edition Caribbean For Dummies, 4th Edition Frommer's Bahamas 2009