Cuban cuisine is a melange of various cultures. The influences of African and Spanish food join with that of the Caribbean to create in Cuban food a unique dining experience. Although spicy to an extent, it is a common mistake to assume that Cuban food is overwhelmed by spices the way that some other Latin American cuisines can be.
Basic Spices
There are just a handful of essential spices in Cuban cooking: cumin, garlic, oregano and bay leaves. In addition, much Cuban cooking is constructed around the sofrito to give it flavor. Sofrito is a concoction of of onion, green pepper, garlic, oregano and ground black pepper, all of which has been fried in olive oil. The sofrito is especially important for adding flavor to bean-based dishes.
Peasant Preparation
Most Cuban cuisine dates back to a peasant heritage. This means that preparation of most of this food is imprecise at best; measurements and the order with which ingredients are added are not strictly followed. Preferred cooking time is slow, with many of the dishes cooked deliberately over a low flame. Those that are not are more likely sauteed in oil.
Marinade
One aspect that is fairly unique to Cuban cuisine is the fact that almost all meat and poultry is marinated in citrus juice. Lime juice and a sour orange juice are the preferred flavors. After marinating, the meat and poultry offerings are then usually roasted over a low flame. The ideal outcome of this process is meat that can be easily torn from the bone.
Roots
When it comes to vegetables, Cuban cuisine is dominated by its peasant ancestry. Root vegetables are the stable of the Cuban diet, especially tubers. Among the more popular root vegetables in are the yuca, malanga and boniato, which is a Cuban sweet potato. These and other vegetables are also marinated, but not the same way as meat is marinated. Cuban vegetable marinade is becoming increasingly more popular in the United States, and it is known as mojo. Mojo is a delicious combination of olive oil, lemon juice, raw onions, garlic, cumin and water.
Breakfast
A typical Cuban breakfast will likely include tostadas dipped into cafe con leche. The Cuban tostada is different from the traditional Mexican tostada: It is buttered bread most often toasted on an electric grill. Cafe con leche is a mixture of very strong espresso and warm milk. The tostada is then the coffee in a manner recognizable to anyone who has ever dunked a donut into her coffee.
Lunch
A favorite Cuban lunch meal consists of empanadas and Cuban sandwiches. An empanada is like a apple turnover except that instead of apple inside the crust you will find spicy pork or chicken. A Cuban sandwich will most likely consist of sliced pork, ham and cheese, usually Swiss cheese. All these ingredients are stuffed between what is called Cuban bread, which is similar to Italian bread, but is made in long loaves similar to a baguette.
Special Events
For special events there is one meal that screams Cuban cuisine above all others. Whether it's holidays or special occasions, you will most likely find a roasted pig somewhere in the mix. The pig is roasted over a spit just like as seen in the movies. That sour orange marinade that goes on the meat and poultry also finds its way onto this roasted pig.
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