Not so long ago, less than 10 years in fact, Cuban food and cuisine were considered something of a joke, a bad joke. Considering the variety of spicy Mexican dishes, such as burritos and tacos, or exciting Peruvian specialties like ceviche, tourists to Cuba were confronted with little choice and bland, unappetising food, presented in Government-run restaurants notable for appalling customer service. There was also a lack of available fresh fruit and vegetables.
There were a few private restaurants called “paladars”, operating from suburban homes. To get to them usually involved being approached on the street by a hustler who, with little English, could lead you there. He was rewarded by the business, while the tourist was furtively offered lobster, which at that time was illegal, or shrimps, or beef – all things unavailable to the average Cuban. These meals while better than Government restaurants, were ridiculously expensive and not as good as meals in private homes.
The best food to be had was in a private house, or casa particular (Government-registered bed and breakfast accommodation). Here, home-cooking at its best would result in a delicious traditional Cuban meal, of a mixed salad, white rice, boiled root vegetables, black beans and a choice of either fresh fish, pork or chicken. Beef (“carne de res”), mysteriously, was not available to either Cubans and tourists.
Yuca con mojo is one of Cuba´s national dishes, here presented with fish, brown beans, fried sweet banana and a great salad (and somewhere there would be white rice)
The local markets generally offered little choice of fresh fruit and vegetables, and what was available was of poor quality and poorly presented. Most tourists to Cuba would have gone away with a dismal impression of Cuban food, cuisine and service. But, how things have changed!
The decoration of the fresh salads that accompany the rice, root vegetables and meat (fish here), can be a feature of the meal.. here we have a salad with love!
Since elevation of the younger brother of Fidel Castro to the top job in Cuba in 2008, there have been many many changes to enable Cubans to operate their own businesses, including farm cooperatives, markets, cafeterías and restaurants. There are now both government and private markets and the diversity of available food is much greater, being sourced from both Government and private farms. Also, different markets stock different ítems. For example you can buy fresh ginger and chillies in the market on the corner of B and 19 in Vedado, while the Agropecuario market on 17 and K is the best place to look for spices – it is also usually a good place to find rice and eggs, and a wide range of fruit and vegetables in season. For fresh meat including beef steak and mince, chicken and pork, go to the butchery on the corner of Galiano and San Miguel in Central Havana, or the shopping centre on the corner of Neptuno and Consulado on the edge of Old Havana.
There are also western-style supermarkets around Havana. Some of the bigger supermarkets are under the FOCSA building on the corner of 17 and N in Vedado; in Plaza Carlos III on Avenida Carlos III in Central Havana; at La Puntilla in Miramar; and at the corner of 70 and Avenida 3rd in Miramar. While the situation has improved, the supply chain is not reliable, and at times you still need to ask around, and walk around, to find basic ítems like rice and eggs.
Arroz con gris (rice and black beans), pork, avocado and fried sweet potato (boniato)
But why cook for yourself at home, when there are now great and diverse eateries and cafés around the city? Havana now has an impressive range of both. One of the best, called Doña Eutimia, is in a lane off the Cathedral Plaza in Old Havana. It provides excellent service and a great menu. For a spectacular view of Havana from the 11th floor of a glamorous, pre-revolutionary high-rise in Vedado, Porto Habana also has excellent food, friendly service and unsurpassed views. A great place to watch the sunset over the Florida Straits is from a table on the balcony. The restaurant occupies part of the spacious apartment of a charming, gay couple, Jonathon and Diego, both Cuban nationals.
A great place to watch the sunset over the Florida Straits, and Vedado, while enjoying a tasty meal.
In Vedado, a Government-operated restaurant called La Roca is a hospitality training institution and the service, food and value are usually outstanding. Decameron offers excellent food and service and is handily located near the corner of Linea (calle 9) and Paseo in Vedado; while Starbien offers good quality dining experiences in Vedado at number 278, calle 15, between J and I.
New, fun and different places are opening all the time. Opposite the Hotel Havana Libre, on the corner of 25 and L, is “Snack Restaurant Waooh!”, a classy, different gastronomic experience in Havana. A Canadian businessman and his Cuban wife have opened a retro Soviet-themed restaurant on the Malecon; and not faraway a popular restaurant occupies the apartment where the gay character “David” lived in the film “Fresa y Chocolate” (“Strawberry and Chocolate”).
In Old Havana, around the Plaza Vieja (Old Plaza) are a few places of interest – such as “El Escorial Café”, where you can eat snacks and great cakes and chose from the variety of coffee on the menu. Across the plaza is a famous micro-brewery that serves everything from hamburgers to full meals, with, of course, a range of tasty light and dark beers – all brewed on the premises. Not far away on Plaza del Cristo, and well worth the visit, is a little bohemian flavoured bar-restaurant called “El Chanchullero”, often packed with a younger, groovy crowd – and with a blackboard sign at the door that boasts “Ernest Hemingway never drank here”.
So, Cuba is no longer just a target for travellers who love music and dance and Afro-Cuban culture. Increasingly, and perhaps amazingly, it is a place worth visiting for the pleasure of experiencing the distinctive, tasty and healthy cuisine available, and to familiarise yourself with the regional differences as you travel around this wonderful, tropical island.
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