Cuba Food Guide

Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice)

Cuban comfort food: chicken and rice cooked together with saffron or bijol (annatto), bell peppers, tomatoes, peas, and olives. The rice soaks up the chicken as it cooks, so it all comes out of one pot. Many cooks add beer to the cooking liquid. It turns up at family gatherings and ordinary weeknight dinners across Cuba.

Masas de Puerco (Fried Pork Chunks)

Pork chunks, usually shoulder, marinated in mojo for hours and then fried so they're crisp outside and tender inside. They come with yuca, moros, and a fresh salad. This is Cuban soul food, equally at home in local restaurants and home kitchens.

Maduros (Sweet Fried Plantains)

Ripe plantains sliced and fried until caramelized. Where tostones use green plantains, maduros use ripe, blackened ones that are sweet on their own. Frying caramelizes the sugar into candy-like edges. They're the sweet counterweight to a savory Cuban plate.

Ajiaco (Cuban Stew)

A heavy stew that many Cubans consider the country's most traditional dish, built from several meats (beef, pork, chicken), root vegetables (yuca, malanga, boniato), corn, and plantains. Every region throws in its own local ingredients. It simmers for hours until thick. In one pot you get a sense of Cuba's mixed heritage.

Tamal en Cazuela (Cuban Tamale Casserole)

A soft tamale made from fresh corn rather than masa, cooked in a pot instead of being wrapped. The corn is ground with pork, tomato sauce, and spices into a creamy mash. It's lighter than a Mexican tamale, and tends to appear at holidays and special occasions.

Potaje de Frijoles Negros (Black Bean Soup)

A thick black bean soup seasoned with garlic, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves, often with ham hocks or salt pork worked in. It cooks slowly until creamy and goes over white rice, finished with onions, olive oil, and vinegar. It's a fixture of Cuban home cooking.

Fricase de Pollo (Chicken Fricassee)

Chicken stewed in a wine and tomato sauce with potatoes, olives, raisins, and bell peppers. The Spanish influence here is a holdover from colonial days. The chicken is browned first, then simmered until it falls off the bone, and served with white rice.

Elena Ruz Sandwich

A sweet-and-savory sandwich from the 1930s: turkey, cream cheese, and strawberry jam on Cuban bread. It's named for a socialite who was a regular at El Carmelo cafe in Vedado. The mix sounds odd on paper but comes together well. You'll find it at Havana's older cafes.

A creamy custard under a caramel top. The Cuban version runs denser and sweeter than Spanish flan, usually thanks to condensed milk. Flip it out of the mold and the caramel turns into a sauce. It's served cold after meals, in paladares and at home.

Sweet rice pudding flavored with cinnamon, lemon zest, condensed milk, and sometimes raisins. It cooks slowly until creamy and is served warm or cold with cinnamon dusted over the top. It's a homey dessert you'll find all over Cuba.

A sponge cake soaked in rum syrup, usually Cuban rum, sometimes studded with dried fruit and nuts. It's a celebration dessert that comes out at Christmas and New Year. Let it sit a while and the rum flavor deepens.

Peeled guava halves simmered in sugar syrup until they turn tender and translucent. They're served with cream cheese and crackers, as dessert or a snack. The sweet guava plays against the tang of the cheese. It's a Cuban pairing you'll see at every celebration.

A Cuban dessert made by curdling milk with lime juice, then sweetening it with sugar and cinnamon. The curds give it an unusual texture. It's served in small cups, often at holidays. It started as a cheap dessert in lean times and stuck around as a favorite.