| Cuban cuisine has been the result of the | | | | remove bacon, pig fat, cabbage and sausages from |
| convergence of the same factors that allowed the | | | | bean stews and Spanish broths; which gave birth to |
| formation of the Cuban nationality: a mixture of | | | | the Cuban bean stews: prepared with root |
| Spanish customs as well as those of the aboriginal | | | | vegetables (mainly potatoes), lightly fried with onions, |
| groups and African descendants; more recently the | | | | garlic and other spices and brisket pieces, all of what |
| Chinese and Yucatecan immigration has also had an | | | | made the stews more digestible for the weather |
| influence on the common dishes. | | | | conditions of the tropics. |
| The national dish is the ajiaco (a stew prepared with | | | | The huge connection there is with the Caribbean |
| root vegetables, vegetables, and meats of several | | | | islands is reflected in the existence of recipes coming |
| types). The typical Cuban dishes (besides all the | | | | from one area or another. Despite of the fact that |
| possible combinations of dishes using rice) are fried or | | | | the combination of rice and red beans (congri) is |
| roast pork, fried plantain (cut in circles and smashed | | | | typically Cuban, the term came from Haiti. There, red |
| before frying), pork cracklings, and ground beef, this | | | | beans are called "congo", and rice, "ri". Congri comes, |
| being the Havana style, which is the most | | | | then, from the Creole word "congos and rice". Congri |
| widespread of all the possible dishes that one can | | | | rice is not the same as the combination of black |
| prepare. | | | | beans and rice, although they are prepared in a similar |
| Aboriginal cuisine remains today among the Cubans. In | | | | way. |
| Cuba, Columbus and all the sailors that came with him | | | | The relevance of the Cuban cuisine is precisely in the |
| tasted for the first time the flavors of corn, yucca, | | | | mixture, one proof is the Cuban sauce, which does |
| peanut, sweet potato, pumpkin, pepper; and the | | | | not use too many spices and to which one can add |
| fruits of the soursop, pineapple, star apple, sapodilla | | | | almost everything at hand for cooking. There is a |
| plum, guava, coco plum, among others. The pork | | | | Cuban way of cooking which is basically natural, with |
| roasted using a wooden pole that goes through the | | | | very precise ingredients, and scarce amount of spices |
| body of the animal is an aboriginal trace; a way to | | | | (oregano and cumin cannot be missed, pepper and |
| prepare roast pork that is kept nowadays. | | | | other hot spices are usually left out). It can be |
| The yam, the plantain, the malanga, the guinea fowl | | | | identified with the amount of fried food used in the |
| and the dishes based on green plantain: fufu, maize | | | | cooking, the mixture of sweet and salty tastes |
| porridge and fried plantains were brought from Africa. | | | | (Cubans usually accompany their meals with bananas |
| From African cultures comes, as well, the pleasure of | | | | and their desserts with white cheese), and the rice |
| eating white rice mixed with other foods and sauces. | | | | and stew dishes a little runny because a true Cuban |
| On their own, the emerging Cuban people began to | | | | does not like his/her food too dry. |