Cuba
Slow pork, rice and beans, and the birthplace of the mojito — comida criolla shaped by rum, sofrito and scarcity.
The best meal in Cuba is often in someone's front room. Decades of rationing and shortage mean the state restaurants disappoint, so head for a paladar, a private kitchen, where the comida criolla comes into its own: ropa vieja, beef slow-shredded in a tomato sofrito; whole lechón asado for a celebration; black beans and rice cooked together as moros y cristianos. The seasoning is garlic, cumin and oregano, not chilli heat.
Around the plate sit sweet fried maduros and twice-fried green tostones, and cassava slicked in garlic-citrus mojo. But Cuba's greatest export is liquid: this is rum-and-cocktail country, the birthplace of the mojito, the daiquiri and the Cuba libre, poured under ceiling fans while a trio plays son. Order a Havana Club, watch the classic cars slide along the Malecón, and eat what the day allowed.
- Moros y cristianos (black beans & rice)
- Ropa vieja (shredded beef)
- Lechón asado (roast pork)
- Congrí (rice with red beans)
- Tostones (fried green plantain)
- Yuca con mojo (cassava in garlic-citrus)
- Mojito (rum
- lime & mint)
