Cubanisms. Pedro García-Menocal
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researched the use and etymologies of many of the words and phrases I’ve used here. It was very interesting for me to discover how many Cubanisms are derived not just from Spain, but from Africa and from the indigenous tribes of Cuba, the Taíno and Siboney. Indeed, the enormous influence of Africa extends to almost everything in everyday Cuban life, from language to music to cooking to dancing to dressing.
There are many excellent Cubanisms that have not been included here. As soon as this book is published, I expect that I will receive many messages asking me how I could have forgotten to include this word or that word. Or that I am totally wrong about this, that, or the other thing. I have no doubt that this will happen because it is a truth universally acknowledged that a Cuban in possession of an opinion must be in want of an audience.
I hope that you will enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Pedro García-Menocal
Miami Beach, Florida
1
“Abuela’s Way of Showing Love”
El Lenguaje de la Cocina
The Basics
Cuban food is heavily influenced by Spain and Africa. Probably the most well-known Cuban meal is arroz con pollo, a stew made of rice, chicken, sweet red peppers, sofrito, saffron, and, curiously, a whole bottle of beer. Similar to the Spanish dish paella, but made with chicken. When it’s good, it’s very good. When it’s bad, it’s the worst thing on the menu.
Many Cuban meals come with black beans and rice, two staples that come directly from Africa. Congrí is a very Cuban dish, made of white rice and red beans cooked together with seasonings. Similar to the very popular, and very politically incorrect, moros y cristianos, which is a Cuban dish made with black beans, white rice and sofrito, all cooked together. Usually called simply moros in restaurants. It is worth noting that the name moros y
cristianos, which means “Moors and Christians,” for a dish made with black beans and rice highlights the unabashed political incorrectness of Cubans and the many words that make up their language. One does not have to be a scholar of medieval culture and history to know who the Moors and Christians are supposed to be in that picture. And yet these and other similar phrases are used all the time by everyone without the slightest hesitation.
Mojo is an Afro-Cuban marinade made of garlic, bitter-orange juice, salt, and olive oil. Sofrito, an essential part of Cuban cooking, is a mixture of onions, tomatoes, green peppers and garlic, all finely chopped with salt and pepper added, and slowly fried in lard or oil until well cooked. It is added as a basic condiment to many Cuban dishes.