Cuba: Juan Carlos Garcia Martinez (Food in Havana)
Fresh Food and Cuba
After two weeks in Cuba, I’ve been able to sample all sorts of dishes for the different situations that I can expect to find myself in. Whether it’s finding a quick snack between classes or figuring out what’s for dinner there is plenty of delicious food to be found.
I’ll usually get up just before 8am, the time when my homestay host, Migdalia, knocks on the door every morning to announce that breakfast is ready. Migdalia is an excellent cook and her dishes always leave me ready to start my day, like the pancakes, eggs and mixed fruit she consistently makes. Dinner at the homestay usually looks like; rice, beans, a salad, fried plantain or yuca and a protein on the side – my favorite is the pork stew – which is the perfect combination for a good night’s rest after a day out.
I’ve also had the opportunity to learn about what acquiring fresh food in a sustainable way looks like here. Recently, my program cohort visited a farm called Finca Tungasuk, a 32-acre area in Caimito that is focused on sustainable agriculture and food production. We got to tend to the young plantain trees, see all the different types of produce growing there and we even got to see a demonstration on how the farm produces its own honey. After some exploring of Finca Tungasuk’s vast green space, the team welcomed our group back for a magnificent lunch made with food that came directly from the farm.
As a lifelong Wisconsinite I can take our abundance of cheese for granted. Cheddar is very rare to come across here, according to my program director Rose Ana. A popular cheese I find around the city is gouda which is found on everything from pizza to brushchetta. I’ve also spotted some stores offering manchego and queso blanco – a squeaky white cheese similar to queso fresco.
That doesn’t apply to all dairy, however, as there is countless ice cream shops which are perfect for beating the heat. I even walk through a massive ice cream park every morning known as the Coppelia, where I often see massive lines congregating to get their daily scoop. Once you get a hang of what your day-to-day looks like, it’s not too difficult to find something delicious to keep yourself fueled up along the way!
Juan Carlos Garcia Martinez
Major: Journalism, Chican@ & Latin@ Studies
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin