Cuban cuisine

The Cuban cuisine is a mix of Spanish, African and Caribbean cuisine. The recipes have a lot of spices and techniques with Spanish and African cooking together, with some influence from the Caribbean area in spice and flavor.

Due to historical circumstances, the Cuban population was not evenly distributed on the island. The African slaves constituted the majority in the sugar cane plantations, but they were in most cities in the minority. The tobacco plantations were mainly, mostly inhabited by poor Spanish peasants from the Canary Islands. In the eastern part of the island also settled a large number of French, Haitian and Caribbean immigrants, this mainly during the Haitian Revolution, as well as seasonal workers for the sugar harvest, whereas this was not the case in the western part. Instead, until the 1950s were there mainly European immigrants recorded. Consequently, the Cuban cuisine developed from their local circumstances and the specific demographic influences.

Common dishes include, for example, Dulce de leche, empanadas, Natillas, tamales, tortillas, tres leches

Creole cuisine

The eastern Cuban cuisine is largely based on the Creole way to cook. Important ingredients for a Sofritosoße for example are sweet bell peppers, garlic, cumin, onions, Cuban oregano and bay leaves. This mixture is briefly sautéed and then added to the hot beans.

A typical meal consists of rice and beans, which are usually cooked together and then Moros y Cristianos ( Moors and Christians ) are called. However, the beans are sometimes served separately in a heavy soup, along with the main dish, usually pork or beef as well as a kind of tuber, called in Spanish Vianda, which include, among other Yuca, malanga, potatoes, as well as plantains, unripe bananas and even corn can. Salad, usually simply composed of tomato, lettuce and avocado, which also cucumber, carrot, cabbage and radish are not uncommon.

Rice and beans is an integral part of the cuisine in all of Cuba, but this varies from region to region. In the eastern part of the island Arroz congrí is the dominant rice - and - beans dish. White rice and red beans are cooked together in a sofrito and then baked in the oven. Similarly Moros y Cristianos is prepared, including black beans can be used. Although the preparation of a soup of black beans, some basic ingredients requires (onions, garlic, lettuce, salt), each region has its peculiar way of preparing.

Meat is usually served with a light sauce. The most popular sauce that is served with roast pork, for example, is Mojo or Mojito, made ​​of oil, garlic, onions, spices, such as oregano and bitter orange or lime juice. Boliche is roast beef with a Chorizosoße and hard boiled eggs. Ropa vieja is shredded beef simmered in a Creole tomato sauce until it falls apart as " old clothes " as they came from the Canary Islands, hence the name.

Also popular are tamales. They are made of corn flour, unhardened vegetable fat and pieces of pork. The tamales are wrapped in corn leaves, tied and then boiled in salt water. They are various reasonably brought to the table. Tamales en cazuela is almost the same recipe only drops the elaborate packaging of tamales in corn leaves before cooking away. Instead, they are cooked directly in the pot. Tamales and the soup of black beans are one of the few remnants of the indigenous diet in modern Cuban cuisine.

Stews and soups are generally popular, especially when they are cooked cooked with black or red beans. They are usually served with white rice or gofio. Corn chowder, corn chowder ( Guiso ), Caldosa, a soup of different plant tubers and meat are also popular. Also in use, where available, are Spanish white bean stews, such as the bean stew.

Western Cuban cuisine

Although the kitchen Western Cuba is technically also creole, since this expression involves the existence of Spanish roots, her style from mainstream creole, in particular in Havana is different. This city was for many reasons and continental European closer to the kitchen. In addition, there is a significant Chinese influence in the form of dishes such as sopa china (Chinese soup, an onion soup with egg), arroz salteado ( fried rice ) and others. Rice is usually consumed separately from beans, and flour is in contrast to the main direction of Creole cuisine, where it is almost completely ignored, often used. Some dishes from Havana to make good use of alcaparrado, a mix of olives, raisins and capers, which gives typical of the art of cooking sweet and sour taste. Alcaparrado is used as an ingredient in various recipes, usually as part of a sauce to meat. It is also used along with ground beef to make the filling for various Cuban pies or it serves as a popular finger food.

Another popular finger food in Havana croquettes (small fried paste sticks of heavy bechamel sauce, beef patty ( beef ), ham, chicken, fish or cheese covered with breadcrumbs), papas rellenadas (fried or deep-fried potato balls filled with ground beef ), picadillo a la habanera ( beef patty with Alcaparrado, served with white rice, black beans and fried plantains and niños envueltos ( " veiled child " - filled with beef in pepper sauce Alcaparrado ).

The Western cuisine also makes it more use of eggs, particularly in the form of omelets (eg tortilla de papa ) or fried rice and fried plantains ( huevos a la Habanara ). Furthermore, especially in the coastal zones, fish dishes very popular. Popular fish dishes are: enchilado, shrimp, fish, crab, lobster with chili sauce or a la vizcaína, one originating from the Basque Country sauce that is used there for the preparation of cod.

Other dishes are of Spanish origin, for example, a kind of paella, Yellow rice cooked with chicken, Empanada Gallega, a pie similar to the English Meat Pie. Due to heavy Galician and Asturian immigration in the early 20th century, many northern Spanish dishes came to Cuba and influenced the cuisine, such as Pulpo a la Gallega ( octopus Galician style).

Ostkubanische kitchen

While western Cuba is heavily influenced by its European roots, the Oriente is mainly influenced by the African and Caribbean cuisine. Probably the biggest contribution congri what is boiled red bean and rice. This is probably due to the proximity to the other Spanish-speaking islands, where red beans were more common than the black.

Black beans are usually accommodated on the basis of their African origin with the Cuban cuisine in context. Many edibles from the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico can be found in Eastern Cuba, with its own touch. An example could be Mofongo, called in Cuba Fu -fu. It is made with banana puree and pork or chicken or seafood. The name Fu -fu comes from West Africa.

Sandwiches

A majority of sandwiches in Cuba are made from Cuban bread, a long loaf made ​​with lard, instead of oil and extra moisture, which gives it the distinctive flavor.

The Cuban sandwich was popular in the days when there was a lively exchange between Cuba and the immigrant community of Ybor City in Tampa, Florida. It's a simple sandwich, which traditionally cold slices of roast pork, thin slices of Serrano ham, thin slices of Emmental cheese, sweet pickles and yellow mustard on Cuban bread and butter. In Tampa Genoasalami is also added. The Cuban sandwich in a panini grill, " la plancha " is called Once fitted, pressed and heated simultaneously. Thereafter, it is cut in half diagonally. Sometimes tomato and a kind of iceberg lettuce is added, but this is rejected by some as unacceptable Americanization and called sandwich mixto (mixed sandwich).

A midnight sandwich is prepared exactly the same way as a traditional Cuban sandwich, the Cuban bread is replaced with egg, ham is sometimes omitted. It got its name from a popular midnight snack in the nightclubs of Havana.

Pan con lechón (bread with Schweine-/Spanferkelfleisch ) is a traditional pressed sandwich that consists of Cuban bread, pork, onions and mojo. Pan con bistec (bread with steak ) is prepared in the same manner, except that the pork is replaced by the edge.

Another typical Cuban sandwich is Elena Ruz. Elena Ruz was a young society lady in the 1930s, which opened regularly at El Carmelo, a popular restaurant and shop for sweets in Havana, after an evening at the opera or a social event and the waiter asked if we could not prepare her a sandwich according to their desires. It is made from white Cuban bread, with a layer of cheese on a slice, a layer of strawberry jam and preserves on the other, as well as a layer of turkey breast in between.

Other traditional sandwiches are pan con timba (bread with cheese and Guavepaste ) or pan con chorizo ​​( Cuban bread with finely sliced ​​Spanish chorizo ​​sausage, and the Frita

The Frita became known in the 1930s in Cuba. It is the Cuban version of the American hamburger: It is seasoned with pepper and onion, prepared with beef patty. The meat slices are relatively thin and are prepared in a Frittiersieb. They are then served in a bun made ​​from Cuban bread and together with mojo sauce and freshly made French fries.