Cuban cuisine shows many different influences from history, which have called it a fusion cuisine. In general, it is considered a mix of influences from Spanish, African, Caribbean and Chinese cuisine. For this reason, recipes from Cuba contain many techniques and ingredients that are just as typical of other countries and cultures. If you want to try traditional Cuban cuisine without necessarily flying to Cuba, then you've come to the right place! We present some typical Cuban recipes for main courses and desserts that you can prepare yourself at home.
The peculiarities of Cuban cuisine
Cuba's recipes are heavily influenced by the country's history and feature elements from various international cuisines. In addition to the indigenous population, other cultures have settled in Cuba. The Spanish conquerors, the African slaves, the Caribbean neighbors and the Asian immigrants exerted their influence on the local cuisine and contributed to Cuban recipes. The techniques and spices from Spanish and African cuisine play a much larger role than those from the Caribbean and China.
In Cuba you can distinguish between two different regional cuisines - East Cuban and West Cuban cuisine. Because of the Caribbean immigrants to the east, Creole recipes dominate Eastern Cuban cuisine. A difference can be observed in the spices. Unlike Creole recipes, Cuban recipes are not seasoned with spicy ingredients, but rather with onions, garlic, oregano, cumin and bay leaves.
Many Cuban recipes are based on rice and beans and made with meat. Chicken, pork or beef is mainly used here and cooked together with various vegetables. The selection of vegetables for Cuban recipes is dominated by potatoes, tomatoes, yams, avocados, carrots and the typical Cuban plantains.
Western Cuban cuisine, on the other hand, is also related to Creole, but here you can notice the influence of Spanish cuisine. Especially in Havana, the capital of Cuba, European ingredients and cooking techniques have a strong influence on the recipes. In addition, many proposals from this area also have a Chinese touch.
Western Cuban cuisine has a sweet and sour taste in many recipes. It is achieved with a special mix of olives, raisins and capers called “Alcaparrado”. In addition, in the West, flour is often used in the preparation of typical recipes.
Prepare typical Cuban recipes
If you would like to prepare traditional Cuban recipes yourself, then you will find some delicious ideas to help you prepare them. We start with the most well-known recipes from Cuba that you definitely have to try on a vacation in Cuba. The main dishes in Cuban cuisine are usually cooked at a low heat and the cooking time usually takes at least 2-3 hours.
Ajiaco – the national dish of Cuba
Cuba's national dish is called Ajiaco and is a type of stew made from various types of meat and vegetables. You can vary the ingredients and spices to suit your taste, but the traditional recipe is made with some of Cuba's most famous ingredients.
Ingredients:
- 250 g Dörrfleisch
- 250 g chicken meat
- 500 g minced beef
- 500 g pork cut into strips
- 250 g bacon
- 250g pumpkin
- 2 green and 2 ripe bananas
- 2 ears of corn
- 500 g Cassava
- 500g sweet potatoes
- 1 spring onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 pepper shot
- 250 g pureed tomatoes
- 30 ml
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 2 tbsp salt
- approximately 7 l Wasser
Preparation:
First let the dried meat soak for at least 12 hours. Then place in the water together with the chicken and simmer on a lower heat until it becomes soft. In the meantime, dice the bacon and add it along with the pork and salt. Cook everything for another hour. Then in a pan thatminced meatFry with oil, spring onion, garlic and pepper, add the tomatoes and then add everything to the pot with boiling meat. Finally, dice the rest of the vegetables and add them to the soup along with the bananas and lemon juice. Let the dish simmer for another hour and enjoy warm.
Mit Reis: Old Clothes
Ropa Vieja is a typical Cuban dish from Eastern Cuban cuisine, usually prepared with beef and tomato sauce. This main dish is usually served with rice and is perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients:
- 2 Flanksteaks
- 250 g peeled tomatoes
- 150 ml pureed tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp caraway
- 2 TL Oregano
- 1 Lorbeerblatt
- 2 THE RUM
- 4 tbsp white wine
- olive oil
- fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
First cut the meat into strips, fry on all sides in a pan with a lid and set aside. Then fry the onions and garlic in the same pan, add the tomato paste and let it caramelize. Now add rum and white wine and stir well. Then add the peeled and pureed tomatoes, caraway, oregano and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Then add the meat, put the lid on the pan and let it cook on the lowest setting for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally. You can serve the finished dish with rice or beans.
Moors and Christians
Rice is one of the ingredients that cannot be missing from Cuban recipes. Many Cuban recipes are made with rice mixed with both meat and vegetables. Another recipe from Eastern Cuban cuisine is the dish “Moros y Christianos”, which consists of rice and black beans.
Ingredients:
- 300 g Reis
- 80g black beans
- 500 ml water
- 25 g bacon
- 1 onion
- 1 pepper shot
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 50 ml
- 1 Lorbeerblatt
- 1 teaspoon salt, oregano and cumin
Preparation:
Soak the black beans in the water overnight, the next day bring them to the boil in the same water and cook until tender. Then fry the pancetta with diced onion, garlic and pepper and season with oregano, caraway and bay leaf. Then add the rice and beans and season with salt. Cook the dish for about 20 minutes and it's done.
Congris
Since rice and beans is a popular combination in Cuba, some of the most popular Cuban recipes are made with it. In addition to black beans, people often cook with red beans in Cuba. They are also an ingredient in the Cuban recipe for congris.
Ingredients:
- 250 g long grain rice
- 1 onion
- 1 green pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 250 g peeled tomatoes
- 50 ml
- red beans (soaked in water overnight)
- Salt, pepper and cumin
Preparation:
First wash and drain the rice. Then dice the onion, garlic, peppers and tomatoes and fry them in a pan. Then add the rice and beans to the pan and add enough water. Season with salt, pepper and cumin and bring to the boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice and beans are cooked, about 30 minutes.
Quick ideas: Papas Rellenas
Western Cuban cuisine often cooks with potatoes or sweet potatoes, which make Cuban food particularly nutritious. A popular recipe from this region is “Papas Rellenas”. These are a kind of potato balls that are filled with minced meat and then deep fried.
Ingredients for approx. 20 balls:
For the potato mixture:
- 4 large potatoes (approx. 1-1.2 kg), peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp warm milk
- ½ tsp salt
For the breading:
- 2 Owner
- 1 tbsp water
- 100g breadcrumbs
- 30 g Flour
For the minced meat filling:
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 500 g minced beef
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 small green peppers, diced
- 2 small red peppers, diced
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 TL Oregano
- 1 EL Worcestershiresauce
- The juice of 1 lime
For deep frying:
- vegetable oil
Preparation:
First boil the potatoes, shake off the water and let the potatoes evaporate in a bowl. Add salt and milk and then mash with a potato masher. Set aside.
In a pan, fry the minced meat with the vegetables until the meat is crumbly and the vegetables are soft. Season with the spices and Worcestershire sauce and cook for 5 minutes. Pour the lime juice over it and set aside.
Once the filling and potato mixture have cooled, the balls can be rolled. To do this, place a spoonful (it's best to use an ice cream scoop) of the potatoes in the palm of your hand. Flatten the potato mixture like a pancake, with a hole in the middle for the filling. Then add one to two teaspoons of the filling in the middle. Do not fill too much, otherwise it will be difficult to wrap the potatoes around the filling.
Then fold the potatoes around the filling, roll and form into a ball. Place the finished balls on a piece of baking paper.
For the breading, crack 2 eggs into a shallow bowl and whisk them with a splash of water. In a second shallow bowl or plate, mix the flour and breadcrumbs.
To bread the papas rellenas, first dip each ball in the eggs and then roll them in the flour mixture. Repeat the process again and place the ball back on the baking paper. When all the balls are covered in breading, let them chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Fry the cooled balls in hot oil until golden brown, turning several times.
Cuban sandwich
Although many Cuban recipes take a lot of time to prepare, there are also some that are super easy and quick to prepare. The Cuban sandwich is a typical representative of a quick Cuban meal. This sandwich is made from Cuban bread and has a typical filling. Traditionally it is filled with thin slices of Serrano ham, Emmental cheese, sweet pickles and yellow mustard. Finally, the bread is pressed in a panini grill so that the cheese melts.
Desserts
The fried plantains are typical of many Cuban recipes and are often served as a side dish. Nevertheless, they also taste perfect as a dessert because they have a slightly sweet taste. If you want to fry bananas, then you should buy ripe plantains whose peel already has a lot of brown spots. Peel and slice the fruit before frying. Then fry both sides over a medium heat until golden brown. Use the fried bananas either as a side dish to the main course or as a simple dessert.
Cuban flan
A typical dessert from Cuban cuisine is flan. This is the Cuban version of the well-known crème caramel from French cuisine. Cuban recipes for flan are often made with coconut or pumpkin, making them different from European versions of the dessert. Below we give the ingredients for a coconut flan.
Ingredients:
- 120g sugar
- 3 eggs and 3 egg yolks
- 2 cups coconut meat in syrup
Preparation:
First let the sugar caramelize in a pan and pour it into suitable flan molds. Then stir the eggs and egg yolks until foamy and mix with the coconut meat and syrup. Pour the resulting mixture into the molds and bake in a water bath at 200 degrees for about 1 hour.
Cuban recipes taste best with beer or a matching oneCocktail. The typical Cuban cocktails are made with rum as the main ingredient and are world famous. For a Cuban garden party, for example, you can prepare Cuba libre, mojito or daiquiri and bring the Cuban summer into your own garden.
