Cuba information - Cuban gastronomy

Cuban cuisine, gastronomy

We can discover African and Spanish flavours in the Cuban cuisine. The basic ingredients are rice, bean, maize, potato, pork, chicken, beef, fish, calamari, crab and sea crayfish. They cook soups from these and usually cooked, roast and grilled meats as main dish with rich side dishes and sauces or salads. The base of the salads is a mixture of tomato, cucumber, onion, olive oil or vinegar. We can not have a good lunch without dessert: ice cream, cheese with coco syrup or rum flavoured omelette. The most popular dishes of the island are: black beans with rice and grilled chicken, roasted pork with chips and salad, calamari with sauce. Gourmands can enjoy all the fruits of the sea prepared in various ways. On menus we can find not only crabs or sea crayfish but also crocodile ragout or cooked shark. Cubans consume lots of fresh fruits like mango, papaya, avocado, banana or pineapple.

CubaFiesta’s favourite: cooked pork with black beans and rice and cheese with coco syrup for dessert.

Cuban rum

Is any body who doesn’t know the famous rum of Cuba? One of the most popular alcoholic drinks even has Cuba in its name: Havana Club. Its flavour and aroma carries everybody with itself. What makes it special? The good quality of the soil, diligence during the use of the sugarcane, experience of the Maestro Roneros (rum masters) and something that is hidden since 1878...

Most famous Cuban cocktails

The most important ingredient of the Cuban cocktails is the rum. World famous Cuba Libre is made of rum, coke and lime, freezing Mojito is refreshing because of the mint and the icy Daiquirí, favourite drink of Hemingway is mixed with bananas sometimes. Such well-known is the Piña Colada with pineapple, coco and ice, another curiosity is the Saoco which is served with coco, cacao and ice.

CubaFiesta’s favourite: Saoco (drunk from the coco itself)

Other drinks: soft drink, beer

One of the most popular drinks among the Cubans is beer. We can find it anywhere at anytime: day and night in restaurants, bars or at fiestas. Favourite products are Bucanero, Cristal and Hatuey. They produce porter and ale too. Cuban people consume wine and champagne only occasionally. Refreshments are usually lemon, orange or coke flavoured. Fruit juices contain 100% fruit and we can buy pear, apple, banana, strawberry, peach and mango flavoured soft drinks.

Cuban cigar

Havana cigar - for those who like to sit in the afternoon smoking and thinking about the world these words mean more. They have the feeling of happiness. The curing of the glowing bunch of leaves is one of the biggest pleasures of the world. This is the glory of Cuba, nobody can deny. Good quality of soil, climate, diligence during the use of tobacco and traditional cigar fabrication makes the Cuban cigar unique. Cohiba is said to be the best among all of them because we can light it up after it went through 170 procedures...

The most populars are: Cohiba, Romeo y Julieta, MonteCristo, Trinidad, Partagas, Hoyo de Monterrey, Henry Upmann, Vegas Robaina, El Rey Del Mundo, Bolivar.

CubaFiesta’s favourite: Cohiba Robusto (dunk into steamy Cubita coffee)

Cuban coffee

It is one of the ancient delicacies of Cuba. Even the country is not among the world’s biggest coffee manufacturers Cubans consume much coffee. They drink it with or without sugar, with milk or prepared for cappuccino. Flavour of the coffee is determined by the soil, climate and hand picked coffee beans. After the roasting it is strong, black and unique.

CubaFiesta’s favourite: Cubita coffee with a thimbleful Havana Club Especial.

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