Gastronomy

The cuisines in Cuba are mixture of Spanish, African and Caribbean cuisines. The recipes of Cubans are a fusion of Spanish and African cooking with some influence of Caribbean spices and flavor. There are also some Chinese influences mostly in the Havana area but not that quite large.

In the Western Cuban cuisines, the main style of cooking is criollo (the term stands for “creole”). It is heavily influenced by European cuisines. The usual meal consists of rice and beans usually cooked together (called Moros y Cristianos). Sometimes it is served separately plus a soup with dark beans on the side. A main course mainly has pork or beef, some vianda (in French it is meat but in Cuba it is more on root vegetables such as potatoes, cassava, squash, sweet potatoes and a wide variety of yams), and a salad. Some Havana dishes make frequent use of alcaparrado, a mix of olives, raisins and caper which provide the sweet-and-sour-inspired flavor that is typical of this cuisine. Alcaparrado is used as an ingredient in several recipes. Although in Western Cuban cuisines used mostly criollo or the European roots, in Eastern Cuban (the old Oriente province) cuisines is influenced by African and Caribbean cuisines. A Cuban sandwich is a popular export of Cuban cuisine to the United States especially in Florida.

A Cuban sandwich (sometimes called a mixto, especially in Cuba) is a popular lunch item that grew out of the once-open flow of cigar workers between Cuba and Florida.

The sandwich is built on a base of lightly buttered cuban bread and contains sliced roast pork, thinly sliced Serrano ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickleds, and yellow mustard. In Tampa,Genoa salami is traditionally layered in with the other meats, probably due to influence of italians immigrants who lived side-by-side with Cubans and Spaniards in Ybor City. Tomatoes and lettuce are available additions in many restaurants, but these are considered by traditionalists as an unacceptable Americanization of the sandwich.

After assembly, the Cuban sandwich may be pressed in a grooveless panini-type grill called a plancha, which both heats and compresses the contents.