| The thick soup called "ajiaco" is a major dish in Cuban | | | | are cooked till they are a paste. The most famous of |
| cuisine. Its name has indigenous roots and it's cooked | | | | all is the "Ajiaco camagueyano". |
| mixing diverse types of meat (jerked beef and pork | | | | The tradition of "ajiaco" has been going on since |
| spareribs, head, and hoofs), plantains, yucca, pumpkin, | | | | Colonial times, especially during Saint John's and Saint |
| sweet potato, corn. Large quantities of lemon juice | | | | Peter's parties at the end of June. By June 24th, |
| and chili or pepper are also essential ingredients. | | | | earthenware pots were placed there or circles were |
| According to the legend, it was always eaten with | | | | drawn on the soil where neighbors and passersby |
| casabe (a type of unleavened bread - cassava | | | | made money and roots and vegetables collections. |
| bread). Ajiaco has become so popular throughout the | | | | The kids were in charge of crying "Un quilito pa' la |
| country that now any plate mixing different | | | | olla" (one cent for the pot!). Thus they joined the |
| ingredients is called "ajiaco", from a delicious, dense | | | | money to buy the roots and cook the "ajiaco". |
| noodle soup to a nutritional watery one. | | | | Today, the "ajiaco" has turned into the main dish for |
| It was originated as the mixture of the Spanish stew | | | | popular celebrations, especially on September 28th |
| with the Cuban roots cooked along with ham and | | | | every year, Cubans celebrate throughout the country |
| garbanzo beans. At the beginning of the colonial era, | | | | the anniversary of the CDR (Committees for |
| the lack of basic provisions from the metropolis made | | | | Defending the Revolution), a community organization |
| the conquerors change some of the ingredients of | | | | born in the first years of the Revolution. The night of |
| the stew. So they used whatever they had | | | | September 27th, in every neighborhood, neighbors |
| accessible. With time, they even used beans. Many | | | | take a huge pot out and place it on the street on a |
| think the real Creole food was born the day they | | | | bonfire. All neighbors bring whatever they have at |
| stopped adding garbanzo beans to the stew. Based | | | | home that could be added to the "ajiaco" and they |
| on the preparation and the types of spices they | | | | start cooking it. As it cooks, they dance Cuban |
| used, there were several types of "ajiaco". | | | | popular and traditional music, they play dominoes, or |
| Nowadays, the Creole "ajiaco" is preserved in some | | | | do other things to celebrate, animate, and enjoy the |
| provinces in Cuba. In some other, it has been just | | | | night. If you happen to be around one of those |
| circumstantial. Las Tunas, for instance, has its own | | | | Cuban neighborhoods on that date, you can go for |
| variant "la caldosa", made with hen meat and not all | | | | sure to ask for some "ajiaco". They'll be more than |
| types of tubers. The meat is ground and the roots | | | | willing to have you taste their delicious specialty. |