# Cuban Cuisine - An oxymoron? **URL:** \ **Category:** Food & Booze\ **Tags:** cuba, food\ **Created:** [March 2, 2015, 3:49am UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066 "2015-03-02T03:49:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Limey](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Limey](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/Limey)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 3:49am UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/1 "2015-03-02T03:49:19Z")
What has been your experience of Cuban food?   I may be in a minority here, but my general experience with Cuban food has been quite good, overall: on several occasions, it has been outstanding, once or twice very bad - including one time whereupon it really did make me quite ill. All I can say is be wary of butter unless you can verify its freshness…   When I was in Cuba, I tended to stick with ‘comida creola,’ the local cuisine of the island. Chinese food and Italian food, I have heard, are ‘not up to scratch,’ so to speak. I confess: most of my experience of Cuban food is in Havana, where many of the Paladars are exceptionally good. Places like ‘La moraleja,’ ‘Cafe Laurent,’ and ‘L’atelier’ are out of this world. However, cheap, they are not.   I am headed out to Varadero soon and I am told that out there it is an entirely different culinary landscape. I have heard very ‘mixed’ reviews about the all-inclusive grub…   Some of my favourite Cuban meals are: Ropa Vieja - ‘old clothes’ - Cuban ‘pulled beef’. Piccadillo - Cuban ground beef with raisins. Malanga fritters. Black bean soup. Arroz can pollo.   And the best of the best - their sandwiches: not the Floridian-style, but the simple ham and cheese varieties that you find on the Island. That bread is so sweet that I am sure that it should have a health warning on the side of the crust.   As an aside, I admit that I am very glad that I packed some hot sauce in my carry on…   On a final note: I found the fresh produce in Cuba was beyond delicious. All organic and non-GMO. I actually ended up making my own salads and sandwiches there - a unique experience as, usually, every item had to be bought from a different vendor. Still, it has to be said, the tomatoes had real flavour - unlike the non-heirloom ones that you get in Canada. Oh, and the avocados… Until I ate a Cuban avocado, I never understood what an avocado could be. They were huge and an orangey-yellow colour on the inside. And very creamy beyond belief.   Over to you. ---
**Author:** ![mcicvara](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@mcicvara](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/mcicvara)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/2 "2015-03-02T14:19:37Z")
From dozen or so trips to Cuba, my experience with their food is mostly positive. My favorite food is fresh fish on charcoal grill, lobster, shrimps, plantain chips, sweet potato fries, chorizo sausage, paella, black bean soup, oxtails, churros. Also, crazy about their fruit, especially fresh squeezed oranges.  ---
**Author:** ![vcool](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/ac8455/32.png) [@vcool](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/vcool)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/3 "2015-03-02T14:58:49Z")
I’m a fan of the food as well, so long as you stick to local cuisine.  Most of the issues people have are when they go to an all inclusive and expect canadian food/quality for things the cubans have never seen done in a canadian manner.  Stick to the stuff they grew up eating and cooking and it can be great, even on resorts.  Rice and beans with pork (however they choose to cook it) is one of the stand-by’s for me.  Pasta dishes etc likely won’t be exactly what you’re expecting although they might not be bad either.  ANd yes, can’t say enough about the fresh produce.  All so good. ---
**Author:** ![Kyle](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/848f3c/32.png) [@Kyle](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/Kyle)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/4 "2015-03-02T17:05:01Z")
While I’ve been to Cuba twice, to two different resorts, I’ve never eaten outside of one.  That being said there was very little that I did not like on the resort, and lots that I found to be very good.  One thing that I didn’t care for either trip was any kind of pasta that they have made.     Now for the one thing that has shown me the difference in food would be the pineapples.  There is no comparison to the ones here in Canada and the Cuban pineapples.  While there both me and my wife ate more than our fair share of pineapple.  Just can’t get enough of the stuff.  Sure could go for one now. ---
**Author:** ![Puros\_Y\_Vino](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Puros\_Y\_Vino](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/Puros_Y_Vino)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/5 "2015-03-02T17:16:58Z")
I’ve had some exquisite meals in Havana.  Prado 309, El Templete, Al Ajibe, Ivan Justos’ to name a few.  On my resort in Varadero?  Not so good.  Decent “raw materials”. Fresh fish, lobster, pork but lacklustre results.  Bland. Overcooked at times.  Did have some excellent roast pork a few times.and fish.  My pizza i could’ve sworn had Ketchup for sauce.     The resort did do decent crepes.  There were some very good items in the buffet’s now and then, but nothing with “wow” factor.  ---
**Author:** ![Limey](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Limey](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/Limey)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/6 "2015-03-02T17:48:54Z")
I heard really good things about Al Ajibe, was going to go one night, but was ushered elsewhere instead. ---
**Author:** ![Canta\_Fordem](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/c0e974/32.png) [@Canta\_Fordem](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/Canta_Fordem)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/7 "2015-03-02T17:53:25Z")
> I’m a fan of the food as well, so long as you stick to local cuisine.   >  On my resort in Varadero?  Not so good.  Decent “raw materials”. Fresh fish, lobster, pork but lacklustre results.  Bland. Overcooked at times.  Did have some excellent roast pork a few times.and fish.  My pizza i could’ve sworn had Ketchup for sauce.     The resort did do decent crepes.  There were some very good items in the buffet’s now and then, but nothing with “wow” factor.  This was my complaint, and frequently mentioned in the travel sites: **Cuban** food is too hard to find in the resorts. Otherwise, they’re trying to cook beef that they don’t really have (imported, nitrite-laced crap) and pasta in thin ketchup. The bean soup was the best thing by far at the buffet: bean soup, they know.   On the other hand, the best meal I had was at Nonna Tina in Vara. It compares to a good family pizza-pasta place in Toronto. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Phoenix](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/71c47a/32.png) [@The\_Phoenix](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/The_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/8 "2015-03-02T18:01:43Z")
Very interesting comments.  I too heard their food was crap but I’ve never been there.  This is enlightening. ---
**Author:** ![vcool](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/ac8455/32.png) [@vcool](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/vcool)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 6:03pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/9 "2015-03-02T18:03:36Z")
Oh man and you can`t forget about the peanuts in the paper cones.  You need to get those.  There is nothing that compares.  I think they call them “money” and for a few CUC’s you get as many as you could handle.   Also fresh real bananas are amazing, if you see someone selling them roadside grab some. ---
**Author:** ![Zachazel](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/59ef9b/32.png) [@Zachazel](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/Zachazel)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/10 "2015-03-02T18:45:33Z")
I found that in general beef was not that good at resorts or off the resorts and if you like fish you are good to go. A few times we have gone to _Paladars_ (restaurants) run out of people’s homes) and the meals have been fantastic, with the exception of one time when I ordered beef. ---
**Author:** ![punch\_clown](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/f0a364/32.png) [@punch\_clown](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/punch_clown)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/11 "2015-03-02T18:46:29Z")
they’re called menny…lol.  man wedid some laughing at the old guy by our hotel standing there with his peanuts and every once in a while he would yell “menny” at the top of his lungs.   on a side note,  I bought a cook book in the bathroom at al ajibe with all the recipies in it.  have done the chicken a few times now with mixed results(my beer drinking didn’t help much when it turned out crappy)and the rice and beans.  wifey said “only you could go to the bathroom and come out with a cook book”.  the guy that wipes your hands sells them.  the recipies are in Spanish but real easy to translate.  somebody mentioned a Cuban food thread.  if it gets up and running i’ll post up some of the recipies.  the beauty is you don’t need an iron chefs pantry to do them ---
**Author:** ![vcool](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/ac8455/32.png) [@vcool](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/vcool)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 7:42pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/12 "2015-03-02T19:42:04Z")
I’d love that chicken recipe and the rice and beans! ---
**Author:** ![Puros\_Y\_Vino](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Puros\_Y\_Vino](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/Puros_Y_Vino)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/13 "2015-03-02T19:45:02Z")
> they’re called menny…lol.  man wedid some laughing at the old guy by our hotel standing there with his peanuts and every once in a while he would yell “menny” at the top of his lungs. > >   > > on a side note,  I bought a cook book in the bathroom at al ajibe with all the recipies in it.  have done the chicken a few times now with mixed results(my beer drinking didn’t help much when it turned out crappy)and the rice and beans.  wifey said “only you could go to the bathroom and come out with a cook book”.  the guy that wipes your hands sells them.  the recipies are in Spanish but real easy to translate.  somebody mentioned a Cuban food thread.  if it gets up and running i’ll post up some of the recipies.  the beauty is you don’t need an iron chefs pantry to do them   Please post!  I need to make that Al Ajibe chicken.  The sauce is epic.  Sour oranges apparently. ---
**Author:** ![punch\_clown](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/f0a364/32.png) [@punch\_clown](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/punch_clown)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/14 "2015-03-02T19:56:43Z")
oh oh  I think I’ve opened a jar of flys here.  it will take me a month of sundays to type the recipie…lol   i’ll start and then keep adding to the recipie it might take a bit so patience will be required and it WILL be in espaniol  ![DSCN4114.JPG](https://ccf-discourse-uploads.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/original/3X/9/2/927fc3e3bbc7d680f5803a279ef6b21337e31717.jpeg) ![DSCN4113.JPG](https://ccf-discourse-uploads.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/original/3X/e/c/ec3cb570f979a19fcff540873d6766f7bed3bf49.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![punch\_clown](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/f0a364/32.png) [@punch\_clown](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/punch_clown)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/15 "2015-03-02T19:58:44Z")
please let me know if the picture s will work.  I can give you guys a list of the recipies and then take a picture of them.  i’m a concrete finisher/carpenter and typing is just not my thing ---
**Author:** ![punch\_clown](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/f0a364/32.png) [@punch\_clown](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/punch_clown)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/16 "2015-03-02T20:02:33Z")
the concierge/door man at the melia Habana was explaining what a lot of the ingredents are so I can help out there or you can just google image them,  that’s what I did for several of the ingredients ---
**Author:** ![The\_Phoenix](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/71c47a/32.png) [@The\_Phoenix](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/The_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 8:07pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/17 "2015-03-02T20:07:08Z")
> they’re called menny…lol.  man wedid some laughing at the old guy by our hotel standing there with his peanuts and every once in a while he would yell “menny” at the top of his lungs. > >   > > on a side note,  **I bought a cook book in the bathroom at al ajibe** with all the recipies in it.  have done the chicken a few times now with mixed results(my beer drinking didn’t help much when it turned out crappy)and the rice and beans.  wifey said “only you could go to the bathroom and come out with a cook book”.  the guy that wipes your hands sells them.  the recipies are in Spanish but real easy to translate.  somebody mentioned a Cuban food thread.  if it gets up and running i’ll post up some of the recipies.  the beauty is you don’t need an iron chefs pantry to do them   That sir may be the greatest line I’ve ever read on Al Gore’s internet!   ---
**Author:** ![punch\_clown](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/f0a364/32.png) [@punch\_clown](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/punch_clown)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/18 "2015-03-02T20:10:20Z")
you just can’t make this stuff up ---
**Author:** ![Puros\_Y\_Vino](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Puros\_Y\_Vino](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/Puros_Y_Vino)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/19 "2015-03-02T20:20:24Z")
> please let me know if the picture s will work.  I can give you guys a list of the recipies and then take a picture of them.  i’m a concrete finisher/carpenter and typing is just not my thing   Pictures or scans will work for me. I should be able to translate them easily.  No need to retype.   ---
**Author:** ![The\_Phoenix](https://ccf.discourse.diy/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/71c47a/32.png) [@The\_Phoenix](https://ccf.discourse.diy/u/The_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066/20 "2015-03-02T20:29:19Z")
On behalf of all OCD members here I want to thank you for sending us pictures rather than handing us the actual cookbook. [Next page](https://ccf.discourse.diy/t/cuban-cuisine-an-oxymoron/3066.md?page=2)