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There’s something about Cuban food that I just find irresistible. And a foodie trip around Cuba is on my bucket list – just need to get the visa sorted!
I think ultimately the thing that I love most about Cuban food is just how simple it is.
It’s ingredients and flavours are super family friendly. And cooking Cuban food at home is great for me because it’s usually low cost, low effort and tastes amazing. Great for when feeding a large family!
My Favourite Cuban Food To Cook
There’s so many delicious Cuban recipes to choose from but I do have a few which are my total favourites to cook at home.
When cooking Cuban food I love how simple the flavours and ingredients are, with the main ingredients easy to get hold of. It’s super simple to cook with a Cuban flair and the dishes are really homely, filling and easy to bulk up to feed more people when you need to.
Cuban food tends to not be spicy, it has more of a fragrant warmth rather than and kick of spicy heat from chillies which is more common in Mexican cuisines. Cuban food is typically flavoured with garlic, cumin, bay leaves, oregano and coriander. Which is great when you’re cooking for kids and they don’t have the love of hot spicy food!
Picadillo – Cuban Style
A Cuban style Picadillo is one of my favourite family meals to cook. I kinda feel like it’s a more exciting, flavoured version of the English classic Lancashire Potato Hash.
It still has the minced beef, the potatoes and onions, but it packs a whole lot more flavour than a bowlful of Lancashire Potato Hash due to the added ingredients which give it a Cuban style flair!
Picadillo is flavoured with garlic, cumin, oregano and contains raisins, green pimento stuffed olives and a handful of briny capers, we also add canned tomatoes to our version and red wine instead of white as we like it to be a little richer and saucier, I suppose a tiny bit bolognese like.
When serving Picadillo I add a side portion of fluffy white long grain rice and sprinkle chopped coriander across both the Picadillo and the rice. Honestly this dish is just proper comfort food.
Cuban Sandwich
A Cuban sandwich is just the ultimate sandwich feast! Now I make these with pulled pork rather than roast pork because I just love our BBQ pulled pork in this style of sandwich it’s just TOO GOOD!
So to make up and epic Cuban sandwich – split open a soft French style baguette and stuff it with a layer of pulled or roast pork, next add in a layer of ham, then sliced Swiss cheese, add a good squirt of yellow mustard (the kind you put on hotdogs) and lastly add a layer of thinly sliced dill pickles. Squash that sandwich together and dig in! You won’t regret it.
More delicious Cuban dishes I can’t wait to eat
- Tostada Cubana – Cuban bread, split, buttered inside and squashed back together, then buttered on the outside and cooked in a sandwich toaster to crisp up the outside and let the inside go soft and buttery and deliciously melty. Often served with Cafe Con Leche.
- Plantains – these are a staple in Cuba, often served stuffed with something tasty or stewed into a sweet dish.
- Classic Rice and Beans – this side dish accompanies nearly everything you will eat in Cuba.
- Ropa Vieja – a classic Cuban shredded beef stew, often cooked long and slowly in a Dutch oven with onions, green peppers, tomatoes and garlic. And usually served with a side of rice and black beans.
- Tamales – little corn based dough packages stuffed with delicious fillings made up of usually chicken, pork, beans or vegetables and steamed in a corn husk.
Cuban Cocktails
Cuba is known for it’s rum which is made from the sugarcane grown in Cuba.
You couldn’t visit Cuba without trying out the rum cocktails….
Mojito
A visit to Cuba wouldn’t be complete without kicking back and sipping an authentic Cuban Mojito, made with a delicious combination of rum, sugar, fresh lime juice and soda water.
Or maybe a Cuba Libre would be more your thing… rum, cola and a twist of lime – a classic but simple rum cocktail.
Cuba Visa
Okay so, by now your mouth is probably watering as much as mine, so you’ll be planning a Cuban holiday and needing a visa for Cuba.
It’s super easy to apply for a Cuba visa online with e-visa.co.uk. It is mandatory to have Cuba visa when visiting there on holiday and applying online is super easy and costs just £39.95 per applicant, with the visa posted out to you via mail.
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