Other Foods

When you blend Spanish, African and Caribbean cuisines, you get another exotic flavour of food that is called Cuban cuisine. Cuban recipes have much in common with Spanish, Arabic, Portugese and African cooking in terms of spices and techniques, there is some Caribbean influence in spice and flavour. There is also a trace of, Chinese influence that cannot be ignored mainly in the Havana area.

Cuban food is sauteed and slow-cooked. Occasionally it is deep-fried. Among the deep fried dishes are deep fried mash bananas that are called tostones; fried fish croquettes that are sometimes also made out of cow; tender pork rinds or meat called masitas de puerco or chicharrones; fried pastry called empanaditas that can be stuffed with a variety of stews, etc..

Popular cuban snacks are Pastelitos - these are pastries filled with guava, cheese or meat, croqueticas, or papa rellena - these are stuffed potatoes.

Latin Food: Latin America is a very diverse area of land that holds an assortment of cuisines that actually vary from country to country. Some foods typical of Latin American cuisine include corn-based dishes such as tortillas, tamales, pupusas and a range of salsas and other condiments such as pico de gallo - this is a fresh condiment made from chopped tomato, onion, and chillies usually jalapenos or serranos, lemon or limejuice, fresh cilantro. Guacamole, which is made from avocados, mole, chimichurri, and pebre.

These spices give the Latin American cuisines a distinct flavour. What is interesting is that each country of Latin America tends to use a different spice and the ones that share spices tend to use them in varying quantities.