Life in Cuba: the level and life expectancy of ordinary people. All cows in Cuba belong to the state and the state protects them from violent death.

about country

Cuba - big Island in the western hemisphere. To the north of it are the United States, to the west - Mexico and Gulf of Mexico, on South - South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the east, the Atlantic Ocean.

The population of Cuba is about 11.5 million people, of which 2.5 million live in the country's capital, the city of Havana.

Stana communicates in Spanish, but living in resort area Varadero, you are unlikely to find a person who does not know, at the very least, English. Some of the hotel employees may well know Russian, because our compatriots often rest there! It will not be difficult to find a Russian-speaking guide.

The climate of the country is tropical, it is warm, humid and almost always sunny. Like all tropical countries, there is also a rainy season: it goes from May to November, with a peak in October-November (this time is also called the hurricane season). However, even during the rainy season, the weather is unlikely to spoil your mood, rather, on the contrary, infrequent tropical showers will bring coolness and freshness. We went in mid-August and did not regret it at all!

Almost 60% of Cuba's income comes from tourism. More than 2 million tourists visit Cuba every year, and more than half of them are Canadians. Perhaps that is why any crime against a tourist is punished 2 times more severely than the same against a Cuban.

It takes 12-13 hours to fly from Moscow to Cuba, which is quite tiring, especially if you are flying in the cramped conditions of a tourist charter. But Cuba is worth it!

Having lived in the tourist area in Varadero and taking a couple of excursions somewhere, you will not see the real Cuba at all. Cuba is very, very different, but to get to know it you need to travel on your own.

Oil is produced in Cuba: traveling through its territory, we saw many drilling and pumping installations. However, this oil is very viscous and has a high sulfur content, so oil has to be imported to produce gasoline. From their oil in Cuba, they produce solarium, on which most cars drive, and fuel oil, on which power plants operate.

Very much in Cuba advanced system education. The population of the country is almost completely literate. 10% state budget Cuba spends on educational needs.

Cuban medicine is one of the best in the world, and Europeans, Canadians, and even Americans go there for treatment. In addition, Cuban doctors work in many countries, you can even say that Cuba supplies its doctors under a scheme sometimes called “leasing”.

About hotels

Hotels in Cuba are mostly old, with old equipment and furniture, and sometimes in need of renovation. There are new ones, but if you go in economy class, you will most likely find yourself in the old one.

All hotels in Cuba belong to the state. Some of them are former pioneer camps, now serving tourists from all over the world, even from the USA (there are no direct flights, but people fly through Canada).

A few years ago, places for recreation of tourists were closed from local population, but now Cubans massively rest there - the state gives them vouchers. Especially a lot of them can be found on weekends, and they are very happy to chat with foreign tourists.

Hotels “ring” their guests - they hang a plastic bracelet on each guest's wrist. It is durable and does not burden, but it is through it that the hotel security sees that you are living with them. Or maybe they don't =)

They try not to let tourists from other hotels into their territory. We tried to leak several times, failed. Watch out! What if you want to come to buffet or a bar? =)

The beach, if it belongs to the territory of the hotel, then the passage through it is absolutely free. But if you want to use the sunbeds of another hotel, you may be asked to free up space or pay.

Leaving your belongings on the hotel's beach is safe enough, nothing was stolen from us during our 10 days of stay. Vacationers do it en masse, including “occupying” sunbeds and umbrellas. However, leaving valuable things on display is not worth it: why lead people into temptation?

About excursions

There are 2 types of excursions: from tour operators and private traders, and both ways are legal. Tour operators offer much more different excursions than private ones, since private traders only have their old troughs, and the tour operator can ride on a boat and take them somewhere by plane.

To take a tour from a tour operator, you will have to find a representative who comes to your hotel every day, but for 1-2 hours. Private traders will find you themselves: their barkers walk along the beach, sometimes striking with multilingualism.

The tour operator takes the fee for the tour immediately, giving in return a check, according to which you will be allowed on the tour bus and beyond. Settlements with private traders are made after the end of the tour, when they brought you back to the hotel.

Tour operators charge 2-2.5 times more for similar functionality than private traders. You are placed in a large and comfortable bus, equipped with a toilet and air conditioning (air conditioning in the conditions of the Cuban heat is just cute!), And then they are taken all in a crowd to the place of the excursion. At the same time, there are a lot of people, the guide is not very well heard, it is unlikely to photograph anything without a crowd in the frame. Nerves, chaos and "gallop across Europe" - that's exactly why I don't like mass excursions.

Private traders will put you in a retro car (we really wanted to ride a retro car! We don’t really want to anymore: this is an unforgettable pleasure, but has little in common with comfort) and will be taken along the same route as the tour operator, but they can easily satisfy your personal wishes . You can stop wherever you want, and you can easily take good shots without a bunch of sweaty tourists bothering you.

Private traders bring food and purchases to those restaurants and shops where they themselves provide food and a percentage of the purchase amount (I think tour operators do the same). Here, how lucky: you can get into a good place, and it is possible in a so-so place.

For food when traveling with private traders, you will have to pay separately, about 15 CUC per person. If you have chosen an excursion with a tour operator, then food, as a rule, will be included in its price.

On the island of Varadero, where most of the resorts are located, there are several natural attractions. For example, a 600-year-old cactus, a bat cave, and a jungle footpath that passes through several natural and man-made displays. They are paid, 5 CUC from the nose, but there are ways to leak for free. The cactus keeper leaves his post after 5 pm, and the path and the cave can be reached by turning off the road. It is absolutely impossible not to notice the cave from the road, but we found the path quite by accident!

About money

There are 2 currencies in circulation in Cuba: national (Cuban peso, or CUP) and convertible (convertible peso, or CUC). 1 CUC = 25 CUP

1 CUC is equal to one US dollar, but since there is a grater between countries, a commission has been introduced. In reality, 1 USD = 0.87 CUC. There is no such commission for other currencies, so it is much more profitable to go to Cuba not with dollars, but, for example, with euros. For 1 EUR we received 1.13-1.16 CUC (depending on the exchange rate change on the day of the exchange).

We didn’t hear anything about the ruble in those places where we exchanged money, so it’s better to stock up on foreign currency. We saw that in addition to the euro and the US dollar, the Swiss franc, the British pound and the Canadian dollar are also exchanged.

The commission for withdrawing money from a bank card is 3%, and this is provided that you manage to find an ATM. Besides, bank cards issued by US banks are not serviced.

When exchanging currency, be extremely careful, especially if you exchange not at a bank, but at a hotel. Count everything yourself, without leaving the exchanger! We exchanged currency three times, two of them tried to deceive us, for 11 and 3 CUC. They didn’t try the third time, because I was filming (or maybe just because the aunt at the reception got honest =)).

In special shops for tourists there is an opportunity to buy not only for CUC, but also for other currencies. However, I do not advise, the conversion rate is very extortionate, leave at least 10% more money in the store.

About tips

The salaries of people in Cuba are low, including those who work in the tourism sector. Therefore, tips are not only pleasant, but also very important for Cubans. You can even say that tipping in Cuba is considered good manners, however, if you don’t give, no one will be offended by you.

Cuba. 25 convertible cents

When tipping, you should focus on the following numbers: 5-15% of the restaurant bill, maid 0.5 - 1 CUC per day, porter 0.5 CUC for each suitcase carried by him, guide 1-2 CUC for the tour per person.

Hospitable and vibrant Cuba, with many attractions and beautiful weather conditions, attracts many of our compatriots. It's really a good place to have fun. But there are a number of rules of conduct that will have to be observed in without fail to avoid trouble.

insult Fidel Castro

If you do not want to get into trouble in a foreign country, it is better not to speak badly about its legendary leader. Cubans call the former leader of the country nothing more than a "great clever girl." By the way, those who personally saw Castro use the word “big” for a reason, because the politician’s height is really impressive - 191 cm. Most of the locals are proud of the great commander who led the Cuban revolution. "My name is Fidel Castro and I have come to liberate Cuba" is a famous quote from a man who served as President of the Council of State of Cuba from 1976 to 2008.

According to rumors, they tried to kill the legendary politician several hundred times, and information about his death regularly appears in the press. However, the famous Cuban is in good health to this day. Today he is 89.

Shine with money

Being left without a wallet on the Island of Freedom on the first day of your trip is easier than ever. History is rich in many examples of successful street thefts. Considering that the average salary of a Cuban is $10-100, petty theft is not surprising. Although today on the streets and in popular tourist places the police are actively patrolling, it is better to be careful and not lose vigilance.

kill cows

For killing a cow in Cuba, you can get up to 15 years in prison. Whereas the killer of a person will be deprived of freedom for only 10 years. Such is the paradox. Indeed, every Cuban from the cradle knows that slaughtering a cow is a terrible crime. This animal is not sacred, but all the cows of the island belong to the state. If a cow is stolen, its unfortunate owner will be forced to pay a large fine "for inadequate protection of livestock." When the cow leaves this world of her own free will or because of illness, it is necessary to call the police, who will officially testify to this fact.

Disdain home restaurants

There are cafes in Havana, which are located right on the first floors of residential buildings. In such an establishment, the owner of the house prepares dishes in the kitchen himself, and visitors are seated at the table in the hall. Among the advantages of this type of catering: enviable prices for large plates with delicious dishes and the opportunity to give special instructions to the chef. You can eat plenty of traditional dishes here. However, no one guarantees you perfect hygiene and compliance with the highest standards of recipes. Usually home restaurants are not on main street, so only the Cubans themselves know about them. One of your new local friends will tell you the way.

Be a gray mouse

When everyone around is dancing in colorful leggings, it is simply unacceptable to walk the streets in sports tights. You will be laughed at or, worse, not noticed at all! The hot climate and bright colors of tropical landscapes could not but affect the Cuban style of dressing. Cubans believe that they were not born to hide their sexuality. Therefore, they do not hesitate to wear open tops with short skirts. Young men, on the other hand, like to emphasize the relief of muscles, for which they wear T-shirts with a camouflage pattern. Of the fabrics, the inhabitants of the island prefer cotton and thin translucent silk. Tourists, in order not to get lost in this masquerade, should throw yellow and red clothes into their suitcases. Or update your wardrobe at the local market by changing into a T-shirt with a portrait of Che Guevara.

quit smoking

If you didn't get rid of the bad habit in Russia, don't even try in Cuba! Cuba's main export product - tobacco - is sold here at every turn. The manufacture and sale of tobacco is under special state control, and only purebred Cubans work on the plantations. As many famous lovers of Cuban cigars said: "A good cigar is a symbol of a prosperous life." Sigmund Freud, Winston Churchill, Angelina Jolie, Schwarzenegger only smoke Cuban cigars. And John F. Kennedy outwitted everyone and, before imposing an economic embargo, bought 1,200 Cuban cigars.

Tobacco prices on the island are set by the state. High-quality cigars, rolled by the master right in front of your eyes, will cost $150 for 20 pieces. Not the cheapest pleasure, but experts say it's worth it. For those who stick to only good habits, it will be interesting just to watch the process of making cigars.

Skip the mulatto show

Incendiary Latin American dances captivated the audience 70 years ago. The first Tropicana cabaret in Havana opened in 1939. At that time, it was not at all easy for Cubans to get a job as a dancer in a troupe, for this it was necessary to withstand a big competition. Today, the concept of the show has not changed much, but the audience still enjoys the riot of colors and is thrilled by the plasticity of local mulattoes and mulattoes. One scale of the holiday is worth something - up to 250 singers, dancers and musicians in costumes of all colors of the rainbow can fit on the stage! They say that Al Capone specially came to Cuba and did not spare any money to look at the enchanting performance.

Be greedy

When leaving your hotel, leave your shampoos and other unspoiled hygiene products to the staff. Many of them will not even hesitate to “quietly” ask you about it. It is really not easy for Cubans to get hygiene items that are familiar and inexpensive for us. One Cuban food basket is worth something: a dozen eggs, a liter of vegetable oil, 2 kg of sugar and rice, a kilogram of beans and some meat. And all this for a month! Ordinary Cubans are forced to save on the bare necessities. Life is especially hard for retirees. $10 is the average senior pension on Liberty Island. Therefore, a small tip for the staff can be a lifesaver. No need to be angry if the average Cuban asks for a drink at your expense. After all, his wallet may never have had as much money as you spend on lunch.

abuse hot water

In the homes of Cubans, there are constant power outages, problems with cold and hot water(some apartments have self-made water heaters, which sometimes even shock), and the majority of the population lives in old, literally crumbling houses. This picture can be observed walking along the old streets of Havana and looking at the balconies hanging from the floors. But the inhabitants of the island are so pleased with the freedom in which they have been living for the last half century that they have not yet dared to protest.

It is not customary to talk about everyday difficulties in the press. But we know how real Cubans live. Therefore, in order not to offend the feelings of those people who survive from water to bread, it is better to wash yourself at home!

Play dominoes with Cubans

Cubans are called grown children because the inhabitants of Liberty Island are ready to play and dance all day long. So, in the evenings, there are tables for dominoes at every step. Hot battles are discussed by the whole court, not only amateurs come to look at the "championships" board games, but also simple onlookers. If you plan to beat the local masters, then prepare well for the game and learn some Spanish. Remember, the average Cuban has years of training behind him!

Surprisingly, there is a real Soviet restaurant in Havana! Here you can taste dishes of Russian and Ukrainian cuisine. On the menu: cabbage rolls, borscht with donuts and chicken Kiev. In addition, only in this establishment they serve a super scarce product on the Island - real white sour cream! The atmosphere of nostalgia for close relations between countries is created by Soviet posters about the friendship of peoples and friendly Russian-speaking waiters.

Ignore folk art

From Cuban bazaars, you can and should bring exclusive paintings by local artists. Such a contribution to the interior of the house will be the most successful, while the banal tourist magnets and seashells are already rather fed up. The Havana Market on the waterfront (where San Jose's port warehouses used to be) is the most suitable place for original purchases. Moreover, the cost of paintings here is much lower than in the galleries and shops of the city.

In the market, of course, you have to bargain. It is curious that after lunch at this bazaar, prices are reduced. Probably, well-fed sellers at this time of day are more happy with buyers. Take note.

Conveniently located near the market bus stop and a brewery that brews three colors: light, dark and black.

Once, the great leader of the Cuban people, Comrade Fidel Castro, set a grandiose task for the country's livestock breeders - to bring Cuba to the first place in the world in terms of milk yield per cow.

So, the task of setting a record was set. But first you need to attract specialists? I didn’t really want to invite from the USSR - success Soviet Union Comrade Fidel was not convinced in animal husbandry. Therefore, they invited experts from capitalist Canada.

They arrived, got down to business and issued a verdict: The country can achieve record milk yields. But what is needed is the ideal climate, ideal soils, ideal fodder, ideal sanitary conditions, ideal vitamins, ideal cow vaccination, ideal service, ideal equipment, ideal housing conditions, and so on and so forth. The experts calculated the expenses, put the budget calculations before the Politburo... The Politburo gasped, sighed bitterly, realized that there was no need to wait for records.

But then Comrade Fidel started up: - Can one cow be set on a record? - Can! Although it will be expensive. - The Communist Party and the Cuban people will not stand up for expenses, the main thing is to set a record! So that the whole world knows that in Cuba, thanks to the leadership of the native party and the course towards building socialism, the best milk yields in the world have been achieved.

Canadian experts were paid big money with one requirement - set a record! At least on one cow, but a record! The Canadians promised just that - we will bring one cow to the record, but not 10 million cattle.

So, where there is a party, there is success, there is victory. The record for milk yield was set in the shortest possible time. The heroine named White Umya (Ubre Blanca) was chosen carefully. We checked thousands of newborn calves, compared weights, studied the pedigree of candidates, tested them for endurance. Finally, in the city of Nueva Gerona, they found the ideal representative (evil tongues claim that the future record holder was actually brought from Canada, but although these rumors are strong enough, neither the Cubans nor the Canadians confirm them).

The young cow began to prepare for the record. And, thanks to socialist methods of management, the world record was set! White Umya gave out 100 liters of delicious milk a day. While the average milk yield in the United States did not reach 60 liters. And when our celebrity milked 110 liters per day, the whole of Cuba celebrated this great feat!

The world record of the White Udder has not yet been broken, no matter how hard the imperialists tried. 110 liters a day have not been milked so far from a single cow. So, creative socialism put rotting capitalism to shame, and the great directors of the world stood in line to shoot a great star.

How did you get the record?

In fact, White Udder became the only cow in Cuba that lived in an air-conditioned room, and her chambers were separated from the street by an air-conditioned corridor. A stable temperature was maintained around the clock and year-round, and no one counted the cost of electricity.

Feed for the record-breaking cow was transported by plane from Canada. She was taken out for a walk alone, so that other cows would not accidentally injure our heroine.

She was constantly guarded by a special forces platoon (so that the CIA would not steal the record holder and increase the milk yield in the United States, well, you never know what the enemies of the revolution would get into their heads).

The cow was looked after by a team of 5 people, and these livestock specialists did not take care of any other cow. Our cow was tested daily for urine and feces, the amount of feed was calculated to the nearest gram, as was the amount of vitamins, the quality of water, which was also imported from Canada. The equipment has not been used for any other cow. And Comrade Fidel himself regularly visited his beloved and even threw away a cigar before crossing the threshold of her palace.

Yes, under such conditions, I myself would give 110 liters of milk every day. This is how socialism put the enemies of progress to shame.

When the record holder died in 1984, on the first page in the organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, the Granma newspaper published an obituary in a mourning frame - "Sleep well, dear Ubre Blanca, you left us, but the revolution is immortal!" The obituary took up the entire front page of the newspaper, well, like during the death of Comrade Stalin or Comrade Brezhnev.

IN hometown heroine of the revolution was staged marble monument. White Udder clutches a cap in his hand (oh, it's not her, confused), White Udder peers into the sky. Her eyes reflect the bottomless depth of space and the dream of those happy times when socialism will be built throughout the world, and milk yields of 110 liters per day will become everyday.

Since then, the number of cows in Cuba has collapsed. Today there are 4.5 million cows - while in 1980 there were 10 million. Meat per capita is produced 2 times less than 30 years ago, milk too. But the Cuban people remember that it was the Cuban cow that set the world record for milk production, which so far has not been beaten in any capitalist country. Socialism is everything.

Pictured is a Cuban postage stamp depicting the White Udder.

And you always want to eat" Probably, under such a motto, you can start a story about nutrition in Cuba.

Many of my friends ask me are there food in cuba national cuisine? What to answer to this: yes, probably there is, but rather it's just the principle of eating what is available, without frills. What is there? Let's look at the set of products available to ordinary Cubans (they give the minimum set for a month on cards, the rest, if you want, or rather you can, buy it yourself for pesos or CUC):

• rice- without it, they cannot imagine their life, they can eat it 3 times a day, 365 days a year.
• black beans: boil black beans for a long time, you can with pork cracklings and add rice here - here's the first National dish- I call it black rice: rice takes on the color of beans
• eggs- scrambled eggs are a standard Cuban breakfast (but fried eggs with rice are better, where without it)
• spaghetti(no comments)
• chicken- this is the most affordable type of meat, many cannot afford another. pork for sale either in the market, or through acquaintances who keep pigs for fattening, while the cost of pork is commensurate with its cost with us, only the salaries we have with them are different, so for a monthly salary they can buy a couple of kg of pork. Beef Cuban delicacy, it is sold only in stores for CUC. Beef comes only to supply hotels and restaurants for foreigners. A cow in Cuba is almost a sacred animal (as in India), for killing a cow they will be imprisoned as for killing a person. This branch of animal husbandry is almost not developed, hence the following problems arise: acute shortage of all dairy products: milk, sour cream, yogurt, butter and cottage cheese in the store can only be bought for CUC and then often imported. Milk is given only to children free of charge up to 7 years.
• fish- oddly enough, but fish in Cuba, where the sea is on all sides, is not the main dish, as, for example, in Japan. Cuba does not have its own fishing fleet, so the fish does not come to the table in large numbers to Cubans from local fishermen. It's easier to find lobster in restaurants, which are grown on a special farm, than exotic marine fish that swim around Cuba

• malanga- this is such a root crop, similar in appearance to a swede, only it is a very tasty and healthy vegetable: it is boiled like a potato and, for example, mashed potatoes are made from it, which has healing properties. Malanga is quite an expensive vegetable by Cuban standards, so they cannot afford to eat it every time they want, and you, as tourists with money, can certainly afford to buy it, the only question is, where will you cook it?
• sweet potato- sweet potato, a common vegetable that is sold even here in Russia
• bananas- there are several varieties of bananas and fried bananas, you can even find them on the menu of restaurants, you just need to know that green fried bananas, fried like chips and the taste can not even compare with the real ripe fried bananas, which are amazingly tasty- Here is the second national dish for you.
• corn(no comments). Don't be surprised if you see an ear of corn in a bowl of soup.
• tomatoes- for some reason they are always unripe, or do they have such a variety
• cucumbers- always huge overripe ones - we collect such seeds for seeds, and they probably grow in order to build up mass
• fruits the most affordable type of food, in the season they cost almost a penny, and often they just grow in their yard

• rum- in abundance for CUC, but the locals don't drink it - it's expensive for them! Cubans drink underground local rum, like our homemade moonshine, but from sugar cane.

• cigars- tobacco is smoked a lot, it was even given earlier on cards, but now it seems to have been excluded from the necessary products. Tobacco can also be bought from the hands, but it can be stolen or counterfeit cigars. There are specialists who roll cigars on their own, hotels have special people who will make you a real cigar in front of you. And so for tourists, cigars are sold in stores for CUC.

• coffee- this is what can truly be called a national drink. The taste of Cuban coffee brewed by the locals is nothing compared to the coffee we are used to: it is very strong and sweet coffee served in very small cups - amazingly delicious! They do not drink tea at all, only coffee and water. as well as fruit juices. Tea can be bought in stores for CUC, it is also offered in hotels (bags).

• fruit juices such as mango, fruta bomba and guava are prepared as follows: fruit puree is diluted with water and sugar is added. Please note that if you ask for juice in a restaurant, they can bring you just such a mixture. Care must be taken to be those who can not sugar! Pineapple juice is always natural, but it is very sweet without sugar!

I really don't like the trend recent years, a fashion that came from the United States, to sell Cuban hamburgers on every corner, terrible food that can spoil the stomach of any person, and when I watch how Cubans eat THIS with pleasure, I get scared for them.

If you have neither the time nor the desire to cook yourself, then welcome to Cuban catering.

Restaurants in Cuba are divided into private and public

The menu in restaurants is usually very monotonous., especially if it state restaurant, But there are separate restaurants where service and food are just class, for example, the fashionable Tocororo restaurant in the Miramar district in Havana, the 5-star restaurant is a small cozy restaurant, to get into it it is advisable to book a table in advance - but it's worth it. Now the business of private restaurants is developing strongly and restaurants of various colors and prices are growing like mushrooms after the rain, so any tourist can find a restaurant to taste and budget!

The average bill in a restaurant is 10-15 CUC per person: soup 2-3 CUC, main course 3-15 CUC (3CUC - spaghetti, 6-9 CUC - meat, 15 CUC - lobster), natural juices 1 CUC, beer 2 CUC, coffee 1CUC, cocktails 3-4 CUC. In popular restaurants (such as Floridita) prices are 2-3 times higher.

I also like to dine in Chinatown restaurants, because the menu is a little more varied than everywhere else during the day and you can eat hot soup.

Yes, probably, after trips to Cuba, I always want to eat normal Russian food, eat a salad seasoned with delicious mayonnaise or sour cream, eat human borscht, dumplings and pancakes!

In Cuba, not only amazing color, wonderful people, magical beaches, but also the most delicious in Caribbean food. From melted cheese and ham croquettes to sweet plantains, Cuban cuisine offers you rich flavors and amazing aromas.

1. Known as a Cuban hamburger, a frit is a patty of seasoned ground beef (sometimes mixed with chorizo) topped with crispy potato chips, all sandwiched between two Cuban buns. Some establishments even add scrambled eggs.

2. Corn on a skewer in Cuba is prepared in a special way. It is first fried, then rolled in cotija cheese, generously sprinkled with ground chili, and finally lemon juice is added, which gives this dish a richer and spicier taste.

3. Although the traditional place of paella is Spain, in Cuba you will find a local version of this dish - there it is made from ham, chicken, shellfish, chorizo, shrimp and lobster.

4. There is nothing better than a bite of warm churros sprinkled with powdered sugar, slightly crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside. This is a street food you should definitely try, because watching churros being made is half the fun.

5. You may know these balls as croquettes, but in Cuba they are called croquetas - fried balls of melted soft cheese with pieces of ham.

6. Although "ropa vieja" does not sound very appetizing (literally, the name means "old clothes" in Spanish), the dish itself is simply amazingly tasty and consists of minced beef stewed in tomato sauce. It is usually served with rice or on tortillas.

7. Plantains (a fruit of the banana family, but more starchy and contain less sugar) are a staple in Cuban cuisine. Maduros plane trees are caramelized plane trees lightly toasted to a brown, sticky and sweet state.

8. Huevos habaneros is a well-known Cuban egg dish, consisting, in fact, of eggs cooked on sofrito (a sauce of tomatoes, garlic, peppers and onions).

9. Chicharrones is a crispy fried pork rind made from either pork skin or belly.

10. Meat and potatoes, white rice and black beans in Cuban cuisine is a common dish known in Spanish as "moros and christianos."

11. Tostones, or chatinos, are fried plantains, a popular savory side dish in Cuba.

12. A relative of ropa vieja, vaka fritta, translates as "roast cow" and consists of beef marinated in lime, garlic and salt, and then fried until crispy.

13. Flan is one of the traditional desserts in Cuba; a sweet, smooth cake that looks like jelly in the icing. A firmer form is made from caramel, eggs and milk.

14. Most a big difference between Cuban and Mexican tamales lies in the fact that in Cuban meat (usually pork) is mixed with tamale dough, and not used as stuffing. Cubans also use corn to make tamales - it's not as sweet and more crumbly than American corn.

15. Lejon asado is a classic fried pork that is prepared quite simply: the whole pig is fried until crispy, and then the meat is served with mojo sauce, a spicy Cuban marinade.

16. Medianoche ("midnight" in Spanish) is similar to a Cuban sandwich and is usually served in nightclubs in Havana (hence the name). Unlike the Cuban sandwich, there is no mayonnaise in the medianoche - just ham, pork, cheese, and pickles between layers of egg bread.

17. Pulpeta is the Cuban equivalent of meatloaf, but it's not cooked in the oven. Instead, a mixture of seasoned ground beef and ham is cooked on the stovetop, with a hard-boiled egg added inside.

18. Favorite chicken dish in Cuba - arroz con pollo - similar to paella, but without seafood. The dish features rice and chicken, as well as a traditional sofrito base.

19. Costillitas are ribs with a Cuban twist: they are marinated and served with a sauce of sour orange juice, lime juice, oregano, garlic and olive oil.

20. Picadillo cua cua is the Cuban version of scrambled eggs. It is usually served with rice, and the dish also contains minced beef, eggs and plantains.