I was pretty ignorant about Cuban food when I landed in Havana, apart from having tasted two dishes—Ropa Vieja meat stew and the classic Cuban sandwich—and a friendly warning. “Cuba is good for many things,” many a Cuban friend had advised me, “but not food.”
The reality on the ground, as I traveled around the island for two weeks, was more complicated. Here are some things you should probably know about Cuban food before taking your own trip.
Be Careful What You Eat in Restaurants
Have you ever been so hungry that you abandoned common sense? This is what happened to me during the long bus journey from Baracoa, on the eastern tip of Cuba, back to Havana.
My friend Dora and I were on a layover in the city of Santiago, and make the dastardly decision to eat seafood at an un-vetted restaurant.
Needless to say, we didn’t spend the next few days very far from a toilet!
Home Cooking Is Where It’s At
The good news is that for what Cuba lacks in restaurant culture (with one exception—more on that below), it more than makes up for in terms of delicious home cooking. This owes itself to the system of casa particulares that still makes up much of accommodation for independent travelers, whereby locals open spare rooms in their houses to foreigners.
The highlight of Cuban home cooking is not in an individual dish—truthfully, I can’t remember a single one—but rather for the freshness and quality of the ingredients, the boldness of the flavors and color and the love put into it by the owner of your casa.
As you eat around the table where she fed her children, some of whom might have also helped prepare the meal, you truly feel like a part of the family.
Havana’s International Food Scene is Growing
Don’t eat seafood in Santiago—but maybe consider it in Havana. To be sure, whether you traipse through the cobbled streets of Habana Vieja, or cruise along the waterfront Malecón, Havana is home to an increasing number of eateries focused on international cuisine.
You can not only find popular global dishes from Italy and Japan in Cuba’s capital, but also more surprising options. For example, the Pablo Neruda-themed Café Neruda serves up Chilean specialties with priceless views of the sea.
Don’t Forget About Beverages!
Whether you love Cuban food or loathe it, solid items are only the beginning of Cuba’s culinary scene.
Many of the most delicious things in Cuba can be consumed through a straw, whether you sample the country’s iconic rum in the form of a mojito, or sip café con leche while you puff a cigar in the region of Viñales, where just as much coffee is grown as tobacco.
Cuban food: The Bottom Line
Cuba is not and probably never will be one of the world’s foodie bastions. At the same time, there’s a lot of deliciousness to be found on the island, in the form of home cooking and beverages like the mojito cocktail and fresh Cuban coffee.
If you do decide to explore Cuba’s budding restaurant scene, use common sense to avoid food sickness, which is still relatively common here.
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Some of the best food I had in Cuba was when I did a home stay with a family in Havana. Sooooo soooo good. <3
Yes unfortunately Cuban cuisine has a ways to go- especially at the resorts. They’re definitely not famous for their food offerings!
Eek I haven’t heard of that about Cuban food. Getting diarrhea from eating local food is never good! Great to know about home cooking though. Not only do you get to have safe, delicious food, you also get to interact with the family!
Enjoyed reading your post. Living in South Florida, Cuban food is everywhere. I eat it all the time. When I went to Cuba last fall, I was shocked at the difference (in 3 cities) of what I got there versus in the United States. Needless-to-say, I prefer that of South Florida much better. 😉
That’s not surprising to me, Melody. I’ve had the same experience here in Portland, Oregon, and we only have two Cuban restaurants and one food cart. I think it’s in the quality and availability of ingredients, there are shortages in Cuba all the time.
Thanks for the warning about being careful while eating out in restaurants. At the same time, its a big relief that home cooked food is superb! Will keep this in mind while planning a trip, glad to have come across your post!
It all depends, your experience may be different from Robert’s as it is from mine. Safe travels in Cuba!
My relatives have visited Cuba often, and have said exactly the same thing. The food is simple and not spicy like other Caribbean nations. Lots of great fresh fish though. Good reminder re: taking care with street food. Nothing ruins a holiday more than intestinal flu or food poisoning.
Funny I was just talking to a colleague of mine about the food situation in Cuba. She was specifically talking about how bad the food is. My colleague is a bit of a foodie so if she says food is bad then I tend to listen and here you are talking about seafood at an un-vetted restaurant…damn. So to be honest I will be avoiding seafood period. I do like the idea of eating in someones home through…If its good enough to feed their children its good enough for me…lol
The only Cuban food I have tried is in San Francisco and it was awesome I’m still having dreams of it lol! Sad to say though that it’s not the case in Cuba itself. My home country’s cuisine (Filipino food) is one of the least favorite in Asia as well and a lot of foreigners I know think that it can’t compete with Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese cuisines but the problem is, like in Cuba, homecooking is the best way to experience our cuisine.
Never been to Cuba, but my brother in law is from there and my sister always complains about the lack of good food options when she goes and visit. The Caribbean has a rich culinary culture, however the availability of the ingredients and regulations in agriculture in Cuba make it difficult to expand their offerings. Agree with a previous commenter, south Florida is where it’s at with Cuban food!