Cuban cuisine is largely based on

Spanish cuisine Spanish cuisine () consists of the traditions and practices of Spanish cooking. It features considerable regional diversity, with significant differences among the traditions of each of Spain's regional cuisines. Olive oil (of which Spain is ...

with influence from India, African and other

Caribbean cuisine Caribbean cuisine is a fusion of West African cuisine, West African,"Cuisine."
(Caribbean.
Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

was an important port for trade, and the Spanish ancestors of Cubans brought with them the culinary traditions of different parts of Spain.Rodriguez, H. ''Cuban Food Profile: Cuban Food History''

Overview

As a result of the

colonization 475px, Map of the year each country achieved List of sovereign states by date of formation, independence. Colonization (British English: colonisation) is a process of establishing occupation of or control over foreign territories or peoples f ...

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, one of the main influences on the cuisine is from Spain. Other culinary influences include the

Taíno The Taíno are the Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, Indigenous peoples of the Greater Antilles and surrounding islands. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the principal inhabitants of most of what is now The ...

, the indigenous people of Cuba, Africa, from the Africans who were brought to Cuba as

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

, and French, from the French colonists who came to Cuba from

Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

.Rodriguez, H. "Cuban Food Profile: Cuban Food History" Another factor is that Cuba is an island, making seafood something that greatly influences Cuban cuisine. Another contributing factor to Cuban cuisine is that Cuba is in a

tropical climate Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of or higher in the coolest month, featuring hot te ...

, which produces fruits and root vegetables that are used in Cuban dishes and meals.Murray, J. ''Cuban Cuisine, Cuba History and Their Food'' A typical meal consists of

rice and beans Rice and beans, or beans and rice, is a category of dishes from many cultures around the world, whereby the staple foods of rice and beans are combined in some manner. The grain and legume combination provides several important nutrients and many ...

, cooked together or apart. When cooked together the recipe is called "congri" or "Moros" or " Moros y Cristianos" (black beans and rice). If cooked separately it is called "arroz con frijoles" (rice with beans) or "arroz y frijoles" (rice and beans).

Cuban sandwich

Cuban sandwich A Cuban sandwich () is a variation of a ham and cheese sandwich that likely originated before the turn of the 20th century in cafes catering to Cuban workers in Tampa or Key West, two early Cuban immigrant communities in Florida centered on the ...

(sometimes called a ''mixto'', especially in Cuba) is a popular lunch item that grew out of the once-open flow of cigar workers between Cuba and Florida (specifically

Key West Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it con ...

and the

Ybor City Ybor City ( ) is a historic neighborhood just northeast of downtown Tampa, downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It was founded in the 1880s by Vicente Martinez Ybor and other cigar manufacturers and populated by thousands of immigrants, mai ...

neighborhood of

Tampa Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

) in the late 19th century and has since spread to other

Cuban American Cuban Americans ( or ) are Americans who immigrated from or are descended from immigrants from Cuba. As of 2023, Cuban Americans were the fourth largest Hispanic and Latino American group in the United States after Mexican Americans, Stateside ...

communities. The sandwich is built on a base of lightly buttered Cuban bread and contains sliced roast

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...

, thinly sliced

Serrano ham Serrano may refer to: People * Serrano people, a Native American tribe of Southern California * Serrano language, the language spoken by the Serrano people * Serrano (surname), people with the surname Serrano Places * Serrano, Lecce, an Italian t ...

, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and yellow mustard. In Tampa, Genoa salami is traditionally layered in with the other meats, probably due to the influence of

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

who lived side by side with Cubans and Spaniards in Ybor City.

Tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

es and

lettuce Lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'') is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae mostly grown as a leaf vegetable. The leaves are most often used raw in Green salad, green salads, although lettuce is also seen in other kinds of food, such as sandwiche ...

are available additions in many restaurants, but these are considered by traditionalists as an unacceptable Americanization of the sandwich. After assembly, the Cuban sandwich may be pressed in a grooveless panini-type grill called a ''plancha'', which both heats and compresses the contents.

List of Cuban dishes and foods

* Arroz Imperial * Arroz con leche * Arroz con maiz *

Arroz con pollo ''Arroz con pollo'' ( Spanish for ''rice with chicken'') is a traditional dish of Latin America. It typically consists of chicken cooked with rice, onions, saffron, and a potential plethora of other grains or vegetables. In the Dominican Republi ...

Bistec de palomilla Bistec de palomilla (meaning "butterflying, butterflied beefsteak") is a Cuban cuisine, Cuban dish consisting of beef round steak, round or Cube steak, cubed steak marinated in garlic, lime juice, Edible salt, salt and black pepper, pepper then ...

Boliche Boliche (pronounced o'litʃe also called ''boliche mechado'') is a pot roast dish from Cuban cuisine consisting of eye round beef roast stuffed with ham. The stuffed roast is browned in olive oil simmered in water with onions until the meat is ...

* Brazo gitano *

Buñuelo A ''buñuelo'' (, alternatively called ''boñuelo'', ''bimuelo'', ''birmuelo'', ''bermuelo'', ''bumuelo'', ''burmuelo'', or ''bonuelo'', is a fried dough fritter found in Spain, Latin America, and other regions with a historical connection to Spa ...

Butifarra ''Botifarra'' (; ) is a type of sausage and one of the most important dishes of the Catalan cuisine. ''Botifarra'' is based on ancient recipes, either the Ancient Rome, Roman sausage ''botulu'' or the ''lucanica'', made of raw pork and spic ...

* Camarones * Casabe * Carne con papas *

Chicharrón (, plural ; ; ; ) is a dish generally consisting of fried pork belly or fried pork rinds. may also be made from chicken, mutton, or beef. Name , as a dish with sauces, or as finger-food snacks, are popular in Andalusia and Canarias in ...

* Chiviricos * Churros * Croqueta * Cucurucho *

Dulce de leche ''Dulce de leche'' (), caramelized milk, milk candy, or milk jam is a confection commonly consumed after slowly heating sugar and milk over several hours. The substance takes on a spreadable, sauce-like consistency and derives its rich flavour ...

* Elena Ruz *

Empanada An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover (food), turnover consisting of pastry and stuffing, filling, common in Culture of Spain, Spain, other Southern European countries, North African countries, South Asian countries, Latin American c ...

* Flan de calabaza * Flan de coco * Flan de guayaba * Flan de huevos *

Frijoles negros ''Frijoles negros'' ( in Spanish) is a Latin American dish made with black beans, prepared in Guatemala, Cuba, Venezuela (where it is called ''caraotas negras''), Puerto Rico, Mexico, and other nations in Latin America. The black bean, a legu ...

* Frita * Fufú de plátano * Guayaba * Lechón * Majarete *

Medianoche Medianoche (; Spanish for "midnight") is a type of sandwich which originated in Cuba. It is served in many Cuban communities in the United States. It is so named because of the sandwich's popularity as a staple served in Havana's night clubs r ...

* Mermelada * Mojo criollo *

Morcilla A blood sausage is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used. In Europe and the ...

* Moros y Cristianos * Natilla * Papa rellena * Papitas fritas *

Pasteles ''Pasteles'' (; singular ''pastel''), also pastelles in the English-speaking Caribbean, are a traditional dish in several Latin American and Caribbean countries. In Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, ...

* Pernil *

Picadillo Picadillo (, "mince") is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries including Mexico and Cuba, as well as the Philippines. It is made with ground meat (most commonly beef), tomatoes (tomato sauce may be used as a substitute), and also ra ...

* Platano maduro frito * Pudín de pan * Pulpeta * Rabo Encendido *

Ropa vieja Ropa vieja (, ; ) is a dish with regional variations in Spain, Latin America and the Philippines. It normally includes some form of stewed beef and tomatoes with a sofrito base.

* Sandwich Cubano * Sopa de pollo *

Tamal A tamale, in Spanish , is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of ''masa'', a dough made from nixtamalized corn, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaves. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Ta ...

* Tortilla de patatas *

Tasajo Tasajo is a cut of dried beef, normally cooked over a wood fire. Tasajo in Spain In Spain, specifically in Toledo, it consists of marinated deer loin that is smoked over a slow fire of holm oak wood, typical of hunting regions. íaz Sánchez, Lo ...

* Torrejas * Tostada *

Tostones Tostones (, from the Spanish verb ''tostar'' which means "to toast") are twice-fried plantain slices commonly found in Latin American cuisine and Caribbean cuisine. Most commonly known as ''tostones'' in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Nicaragua, Cuba, ...

Tres leches cake A tres leches cake (; , or ), ''dulce de tres leches'', also known as ''pan tres leches'' () or simply ''tres leches'', is a sponge cake originating in North, Central, and South America soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed ...

* Turrones * Vaca frita * Yuca con mojo * Yuca frita

List of Cuban drinks

* Batido – Milkshake coming in flavors such as guanabana and trigo (

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

) * Carajillo – Cuban Espresso, Liquor 43 * Cortadito – Cuban espresso and steamed evaporated milk *

Cuba Libre Rum and Coke, or the Cuba libre ( , ; literally "Free Cuba"), is a highball cocktail consisting of cola, rum, and in many recipes lime juice on ice. Traditionally, the cola ingredient is Coca-Cola ("Coke") and the alcohol is a light rum suc ...

– Rum,

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...

, and lime * Cafe Cubano – Cuban espresso * Cuban

Piña colada The piña colada (; , "pineapple", and , "strained") is a cocktail made with rum, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice. It may be garnished with either a pineapple wedge, maraschino cherry, o ...

– Aged rum, lime, pineapple, and sugar *

Daiquiri The daiquiri (; ) is a cocktail whose main ingredients are rum, citrus juice (typically lime juice), and sugar or other sweetener. The daiquiri is one of the six basic drinks listed in David A. Embury's classic ''The Fine Art of Mixing Dri ...

– Rum, Lime, syrup (variations with fruit) * El Presidente * Guarapo – juice made from pressed sugar cane * Hatuey beer * Ironbeer * Jupiña – pineapple soda *

Malta (soft drink) Malta is a lightly carbonated, non-alcoholic malt beverage brewed from barley, hops, and water. Corn and caramel color may also be added. Maltín Polar Maltín Polar is a popular non-alcoholic drink manufactured initially in Venezuela. It ...

– malt beverage * Materva *

Mojito Mojito (; ) is a traditional Cuba, Cuban punch. The cocktail often consists of five ingredients: Light rum, white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime juice, Carbonated water, soda water, and Mentha, mint. Its combination of sweetn ...

– Rum, mint, sugar, lime, and club soda

References

Bibliography

* Aróstegui, Gonzalo, et al.: ''Manual del Cocinero Criollo'', Cuba, 19th century. * Buchmann, Christine. "Cuban Home Gardens and Their Role in Social–Ecological Resilience." Human Ecology: An Interdisciplinary Journal 37.6 (2009): 705–721. 16 Jan. 2010. * Cancio-Bello, Carla. "The Growing Popularity of Cuban Cuisine." (2012): http://www.cubancuisine.co.uk * Carris Alonso, Cynthia. "A Taste of Cuba: A Journey Through Cuba and its Savory Cuisine." Apollo Publishers, 2018 *Folch, Christine. "Fine Dining: Race in Prerevolution Cookbooks." Latin American Research Review 43.2 (2008): 205–223. 3 Feb. 2010. * Hunt, Nigel. "The Agriculture History in Cuba." Cuba Agriculture. 2008. Web. 11 Feb 2010. * Murray, James. "Cuban Cuisine, Cuba History and Their Food." 2009. Articlesbase. Web. 16 January 2010. * Reyes Gavilán y Maen, Maria Antonieta: ''Delicias de la mesa. Manual de Cocina y Reposteria'', 12ed., Ediciones Cultural S.A., La Habana, 1952. * Rodriguez, Hector. "Cuban Food Profile: Cuban Food History." 2010. Latinfood.about.com. Web 16 January 2010. * Villapol, Nitza: ''Cocina Cubana'', 3ed., , Editorial Cientifico-Técnica, Habana, 1992. * Warwick, Hugh. "Cuba's Organic Revolution." Forum for Applied Research & Public Policy 16:2(2001): 54–58. 27 Feb. 2010. ;Historical aspects of Cuban cuisine * Brenner, Philip, Jimenez, Marguerite, Kirk, John, and Leo Grunde, William. A Contemporary Cuba Reader: Reinventing the Revolution. Rowman and Littlefield Publication. 2008. * Harpers Weekly. Starvation in Cuba. The New York Times: May 30, 1897. * Hernandez, Rafael. Looking at Cuba: Essays on Culture and Civil Society. University of Florida Press, 2003. P. 101 * Houston, Lynn Marie. Food Culture Around the World: Food Culture in the Caribbean. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2005. Pg. 115–116. * Maria Josefa Lluria de O’Higgins. A Taste of Old Cuba: More Than 150 Recipes for Delicious, Authentic, and Traditional Dishes Highlighted with Reflections and Reminiscences. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. 1994. * Pieroni, Andrea and Price, Lisa L. Eating and Healing: Traditional Food as Medicine. New York, 2006. Haworth Press Inc. * Randelman, Mary U. and Schwartz, Joan, Memories of a Cuban Kitchen: More than 200 classic recipes. New York: Macmillan. 1992.

External links

{{Authority control Caribbean cuisine Latin American cuisine