You Need to Eat This in Cuba
Savvy travelers know the best way into a destination’s soul is through its food. As Cuba opens up to the U.S. market for the first time in decades, first-time visitors are flocking to discover the island’s timeless treasures, most of which embodies the local spirit with diverse cuisine served in homey paladars. Spanish, African, and native Taíno aboriginal influences appear in everything from home-cooked stews to roasted meats made with bold spices and a Caribbean sensibility. Below, five can’t-miss dishes you need to try in Cuba.
Medianoche
This pork-packed grilled sandwich layered with ham, cheese, pickles, and mustard is the papi to the beloved Cubano, a diner staple across the U.S. Call it whatever you want, the sandwich’s full potential is realized at the humble street stalls and cafés across Cuba, where it’s made with one of many local breads, each providing crunchy perfection. You’ll find locals washing it down with a mamey milkshake, made with the tart, berry-like fruit grown around the island.
Place to try it: You can find top-notch Medianoche on just about every corner in Cuba, but one of the best is at La Chucheria, which uses an egg bread that’s especially airy and flavorful. Adventurous eaters can also try their Helena Ruth Media Noche, a combination of chicken, cream cheese and strawberry jam.
La Chuchería 1ra entre C y D Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
Ajiaco
This spicy stew has been a bedrock of Cuban cuisine since the 1400’s. The recipe has developed over time with the diversification of Cuba’s cultural landscape . Its base is an earthy blend of starchy roots, tubers, hot peppers, and an array of meats. Over time, Africans and Spaniards added potatoes, beef, yams, pork, and pumpkin resulting in the salty-sweet dish served around the island today.
Place to try it: The always-packed Ajiaco Café in the fishing village of Cojimar, where Hemingway used to hide out, serves a rendition made with ropa vieja (shredded beef) and tamales that gives it an extra kick. Another crowd pleaser: the honey-sweetened dark rum mojitos.
Ajiaco Cafe Calle 92 [Los Pinos] #267 entre 5ta. y 3ra. E, Cojímar, La Habana, Cuba
Potaje de Frijoles Negros
Every family—and region—has a homespun take on potaje de frijoles negros, a pan-fried black bean soup infused with garlic, peppers, and bay leaf that’s served over rice. In the east, they turn out a version that includes potato and banana tubers; the central islanders are known to load it up with cilantro. Potaje’s variety also extends beyond the popular black bean base, as there are versions with with garbanzos, colorado beans, and chícharos. Across the board, the recipe is a pillar of Cuban cuisine.
Place to try it: Renowned for its roasted chicken, El Aljibe in Havana also makes a killer potaje. Need proof? It’s famously a stomping ground for foreign diplomats and globetrotting culinary kingmaker Anthony Bourdain stopped in with his former Travel Channel show, No Reservations, and was particularly taken with the potaje. “The chicken is good,” he said. “But the beans are truly wonderful.”
El Aljibe Calle 7ma., entre 24 y 26 Miramar, La Habana, Cuba
Puerco Asado
The magic ingredient in this flame-roasted Cuban pork? Patience. It takes up to eight hours to slow-cook the whole pig on a rotating spit. But the difference between pretty good and lip-smackingly delicious barbecue always comes down to the sauce—and the piquant local marinade mojo is what really elevates this dish. The garlicky blend is spiked with orange bitters and balances the charred meat with a tangy finish.
Place to try it: Casa del Campesino is a ranchón-style restaurant in the Sierra del Rosario biosphere reserve near the western city of Piñar del Rio. This is backyard barbecue at its finest: the spit-fired pig is slathered with a homemade mojo in a bucolic farm setting.
La Casa del Campesino Complejo Turístico Las Terrazas Reserva de Biosfera Sierra del Rosario
Dulces en Almíbar
Cuban abuelas (grandmothers) and chefs candy fruits like mango, guava, orange, and papaya, coating them in cinnamon or cloves, and preserving them in glass bottles to maintain a note-perfect sweetness. The treat is often served with a slice of cheese.
Place to try it: Live music, an international wine list, and homemade dulces en almíbar make Nao Bar Paladar in Old Havana a popular spot on weekends.
Nao Obispo No 1 e San Pedro y Baratillo Old Havana, Havana, Cuba