Cuban Cuisine :: Cuban Food

Cuban CuisineCuban cuisine has been influenced by Spanish, French, African, Arabic, Chinese, and Portuguese cultures. Traditional Cuban cooking is primarily peasant cuisine that has little concern with measurements, modulate and timing. Most of the food is sauteed or s piteous-cooked everyplace a low flame. Very little is deep-fried and there are no minacious or creamy sauces. Most Cuban cooking relies on a few basic spices, such as garlic, cumin, oregano, and bay laurel leaves. some dishes use a sofrito as their basis. The sofrito consists of onion, green pepper, garlic, oregano, and ground pepper quick-fried in olive oil. The sofrito is what gives the food its flavor. It is used when cooking black beans, stews, many aggregate dishes, and tomato-based sauces. Meats and poultry are usually marinated in citrus juices, such as lime or sour orange juices, and then roasted over low heat until the meat is tender and literally falling impinge on the bone. Another common sta ple to the Cuban diet are theme vegetables such as yuca, malanga, and boniato, which are found in most Latin markets. These vegetables are flavored with a marinade, called mojo, which includes hot olive oil, lemon juice, sliced raw(a) onions, garlic, cumin, and little water.A typical Cuban breakfast consists of a tostada and burnt umber bar con leche. The tostada is a portion of Cuban bread which is buttered then heat on an electric grill. The cafe con leche is a combination of strong, espresso coffee with warm milk. Cubans break the tostada into pieces, then dunk them into the cafe con leche, as Americans would dunk their doughnuts into their coffee. Additionally, some may eat act croquetas, smoky creamed ham shaped in finger rolls, lightly breaded, and then fried. For those on the run, with no time or desire to eat, a shot of cafe cubano, Cuban coffee, will revive the dead.Lunch consists of empanadas, chicken or meat turnovers, or cuban sandwiches. The sandwich could b e a media noche (midnight sandwich), consisting of a slice of pork, ham, and Swiss cheese and then topped with pickles and mustard on sweetened ballock bread. The pan con bistec is a thin slice of palomilla steak on Cuban bread garnished with lettuce, tomatoes, and fried potato sticks. One may also pasture a side of mariquitas, thinly sliced plantain chips, to accompany their hearty sandwich.