CUBAN
HOLIDAY FOOD
by Carol DeMartino
by Carol DeMartino
Public Holidays 
|
Cuba has few public
national holidays. However, the following five dates are generally
thought of as the major holidays in Cuba: January 1: Anniversary of the Revolution May 1: International Labor Day July 26: Rebelliousness Day October 10: Commencement of the Wars of Independence December 25: Christmas (recognized as an official holiday in 1997) Celebrations typically also occur on New Year's Eve. |
Holiday Food |
The widest variety of Cuban holiday food appears during Christmas Eve dinners but there are several staple meals which one would expect to see at any holiday or family celebration. 
Cuban Christmas Overview: http://cuban-christmas.com |
Roast Pig |
A very common main dish during the holidays is roast pig. 
The roast pig is usually cooked outside over a charcoal fire for several hours. It is marinated with salt, garlic and sour orange juice. Once the pig is cooked, it is placed on a large tray in the middle of the table. How to Roast a Pig: http://cuban-christmas.com/pigroast.html |
Congri |
Congri, a mixture of white rice and black beans, is a common side dish served along with the roast pork. 
Many Cubans refer to Congri by its nickname "Moors and Christians." |
| Yucca with Mojo |
Yucca, a root vegetable similar in consistency to the potato, is boiled and served with mojo. 
Mojo is a sauce consisting of olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice. |
| Holiday Desserts |
Cubans eat a wide variety of desserts during the holidays. Common desserts include turron, flan, guava marmalade, and yucca crullers. Turron, a special treat made out of soft nougat, is often served around Christmas. Turron comes in a variety of flavors, some of which include egg, almond, chocolate, hazelnut, or peanut. 
Turron Turron Information Site: http://www.marketuno.com/products/turron_article.htm Flan, a popular dessert in Spanish-speaking countries, is a custard like pastry topped with a caramel layer. 
Flan All you want to know about flan: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/flan.htm |
Holiday Beverages |
Common drinks that one would find at a Cuban holiday
gathering include daquiris and mojitos made with lime juice and pure cane
rum, materva soda - soda made from the mate herb; some say it tastes like
gingerale, and espresso. 
Materva Soda Other Cuban Drinks: http://www.tasteofcuba.com/cubandrinks.html http://3guysfrommiami.com/beverages.html |
| Recipes |
Cuban Roast Suckling Pig recipe
courtesy of http://www.tasteofcuba.com/roastsucklingpig.html 10 lb whole suckling pig 3 cups fresh squeezed orange juice 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (6-8 medium limes) 12 garlic cloves 1 onion 1 tbsp salt 1 tbsp oregano 2 tbsp olive oil 4 bay leaves Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Wearing rubber gloves to protect your hands, hold pig by head and submerge as much of body as possible in water for 1 minute. Remove, reverse pig and, holding tail end, submerge head and as much of body as possible, 1 minute. Place in a snug-fitting, non-reactive pan and pour orange and lime juice over and inside pig. In a food processor combine garlic, onion and salt. Add oregano and olive oil and process to a paste. Smear inside and out of pig with garlic paste and scatter with bay leaves. Tightly cover pig with plastic wrap and marinate, refrigerated, 48 hours, turning occasionally. Preheat oven to 200 degree. Transfer pig to a large roasting pan. Pull hind legs forward toward head and prop it up so its back is up and it is sitting on its hind legs. Open mouth a stuff with crumpled aluminum foil. Roast pig 12 to 13 hours, basting with marinade every hour. A meat thermometer inserted in thickest part will register 190 degrees. To brown and crisp skin, turn heat up to 350 degrees for last 1/2 hour of cooking. Let sit, loosely covered with foil, 1/2 hour before carving. Yield: 8 servings Turrones recipe courtesy of Cocina Cubana/ Preston Pittman / Sonia Martinez http://tasteofcuba.com/turrones.html 1 cup almonds 1 cup hazelnuts 1 cup honey 1 cup sugar 5 egg whites Blanch the almonds and remove the skins. Toast the almonds with hazelnuts in an open oven. Stir constantly. Chop them fine. Beat the egg whites until they are very stiff and add to nuts. In the pan, mix the honey and sugar and melt over heat. Add the nut paste, mix and stir constantly for ten minutes and remove from heat. Put in shallow china dishes lined with rice paper. When cold, sprinkle cinnamon on top. Cut into small pieces when set. Other Turron Recipes http://www.ctspanish.com/christmas/turron.htm Extra Recipes: http://www.hablemos.samhsa.gov/monththemes/dec/recipe.aspx |