Curious Facts
Curious Facts
The most extravagant named foods of Cuba
By Eloísa Carmona - 2020-07-09T15:15:11Z
The food we generally know has simple, descriptive names or references to its place of origin; for example, quesillo is also known as Oaxaca cheese, and if we see lemon chicken on a menu, we know it will be prepared with citrus.
However, sometimes the creators of dishes or drinks get creative and give foods a bit of an extravagant name, and thus we have dishes like Ropa Vieja, a very typical Cuban dish.
And not only do they have main dishes, but they also have drinks with strange names but incredible flavors that you should try if you ever visit the island. Meanwhile, get to know them here with us.
1. Ropa Vieja
This consists of tender shredded meat cooked in tomatoes and served over plenty of fluffy white rice. Some people say the name Ropa Vieja comes from the fact that it’s easy to include leftovers from the previous day in the recipe.
2. Moros y Cristianos
Moros y Cristianos are simply rice with beans and are the traditional Cuban food served alongside almost any other meal. It is said that the name comes from the battles of Moors and Christians in Spain, and the dish may even have originated there.
3. Mojo
Mojo is a marinade or dressing sauce that tastes great on everything. It is made with the two best ingredients in the world: lime and garlic, along with a bunch of other spices and citrus.
4. Tostones and Maduros
Tostones are flattened and fried plantains that are fried twice, while maduros are sweet plantains that are only fried once and not flattened. They taste delicious as a side to simple fried eggs.
5. Medianoche
This snack is a sandwich made with Cuban bread and egg rolls. It received this strange name due to its popularity as a midnight food available in nightclubs in Havana.
6. El presidente
This is a Cuban cocktail made with dry vermouth, bright orange in color, which originated during the smuggling of alcohol between Cuba and the USA.
If you liked these dishes, you don’t have to wait to visit Cuba to try them; you can also attempt to make them at home and savor them right away; that said, they are likely to taste much better when made traditionally!
However, sometimes the creators of dishes or drinks get creative and give foods a bit of an extravagant name, and thus we have dishes like Ropa Vieja, a very typical Cuban dish.
And not only do they have main dishes, but they also have drinks with strange names but incredible flavors that you should try if you ever visit the island. Meanwhile, get to know them here with us.
1. Ropa Vieja
This consists of tender shredded meat cooked in tomatoes and served over plenty of fluffy white rice. Some people say the name Ropa Vieja comes from the fact that it’s easy to include leftovers from the previous day in the recipe.
2. Moros y Cristianos
Moros y Cristianos are simply rice with beans and are the traditional Cuban food served alongside almost any other meal. It is said that the name comes from the battles of Moors and Christians in Spain, and the dish may even have originated there.
3. Mojo
Mojo is a marinade or dressing sauce that tastes great on everything. It is made with the two best ingredients in the world: lime and garlic, along with a bunch of other spices and citrus.
4. Tostones and Maduros
Tostones are flattened and fried plantains that are fried twice, while maduros are sweet plantains that are only fried once and not flattened. They taste delicious as a side to simple fried eggs.
5. Medianoche
This snack is a sandwich made with Cuban bread and egg rolls. It received this strange name due to its popularity as a midnight food available in nightclubs in Havana.
6. El presidente
This is a Cuban cocktail made with dry vermouth, bright orange in color, which originated during the smuggling of alcohol between Cuba and the USA.
If you liked these dishes, you don’t have to wait to visit Cuba to try them; you can also attempt to make them at home and savor them right away; that said, they are likely to taste much better when made traditionally!
