22 Traditional Cuban Recipes That Will Wow Your Tastebuds (2024)

FAQs

What is the number 1 Cuban dish? ›

1. Ropa Vieja. Perhaps one of the most popular dishes in Cuba, ropa vieja or “old clothes” (alluding to the meat), is a moreish mix of onions and bell peppers in a rich tomato sauce. The show stealer – shredded flank steak, stewed within the flavourful sauce.

However, ropa vieja is considered the national dish of Cuba, where residents hold a special affinity for it. The name ropa vieja translates to “old clothes,” likely because it's traditionally made with tough cuts of meat that break into long, thin fibers—resembling well-worn threads—when cooked.

Traditional and Common Meals

Traditionally, Cubans are meat lovers and consume some type of meat at almost every meal. The most popular meat is pork, which usually is served as lechon asado (roast pork), masas de puerco (fried pork chunks), or as pan con lechon (in a sandwich) (Boswell and Curtis, 1984).

A typical Cuba meal would consists of rice and beans, a meat and some sort of vianda (potato, yucca, or plantain). Ask the students what their Cuban Lunch consisted of (your Cuban-inspired lunch will contain beans, rice, vegetables, chicken and salad with avocado, cheese and plantains).

As a result, Cuban cuisine reflects a blend of Spanish and African, with touches of French, Portuguese and Chinese. Cuban food, while flavorful, is less spicy than Mexican.

It focuses on rice, black beans, pork or fish, as well as yucca or plantains and is mostly eaten between 11:30am to 12:30pm.

Malta is very popular with Cubans. This nonalcoholic drink tastes like a mix between root beer and an English stout. Fruit juice is offered at street stalls and in casa particulares. Guarapo — fresh sugarcane juice — is popular, as is lemonade and other chilled juices.

Why is Cuba so healthy? ›

PIP: The new Cuban government in 1959 began overhauling the for-profit health system which, 30 years later, resulted in free health services for all its citizens which is integrated with national social and economic development. Life expectancy in Cuba is higher than that of the US (72.5 vs. 71.9).

Following the revolution of 1959, Cuba has achieved immense advances in health care. Today, its infant mortality rate if the lowest in Latin America and at par with industrialized countries. Its life expectancy is actually higher than that of the US.

Vegetables, Grains, and Legumes: onion, bell peppers, tomatoes, beans, and rice. Common agricultural staples of mainstream Cuban cuisine. Most dishes start with sautéing onions, peppers, and spices to make a sofrito. Meats: chicken, pork, ham, and occasionally beef.

Vaca frita, or “fried cow,” is a close cousin of ropa vieja, but the beef is marinated in lime and garlic, then seared until crispy. Not a beef fan? Arroz con pollo is a one-pot meal that pairs chicken with seasoned rice. Lechon asado is a citrus-marinated roasted pork.

Popular Cuban food is based on basic ingredients in which tomato sauce, black beans, tubers (some exotic ones as yucca, malanga and name) and sofrito are the pillars.

Root Vegetables: Yuca, malanga, and boniato find their place in a variety of dishes, from being boiled, fried, to forming the base of stews and soups. Legumes: Black beans, a staple, often simmered with spices, peppers, and onions, presenting a rich and hearty accompaniment or main dish.