The Culinary Treasures of Eastern Cuba
The cuisine of eastern Cuba is a true melting pot of traditions, history, and cultural influences. This region of the country—which includes the provinces of Las Tunas, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo—is home to some of the most authentic and distinctive flavors on the entire island.
Eastern Cuba's culinary heritage was shaped by the combination of Indigenous customs and influences brought by Spanish, French, African, and Haitian settlers, as well as, more recently, immigrants from many different parts of the world. The region's distinctive geographical, agricultural, and social characteristics also played an important role in creating its unique culinary identity.
The most commonly used meats include pork (locally called "macho"), ram ("ovejo"), goat ("cabrito" when young), hutia, and beef. Poultry also plays an important role, including free-range chicken, turkey ("guanajo"), goose, and duck. In coastal communities, the sea provides a wide variety of fish and seafood that enrich the local diet.
Root vegetables and other traditional staples, known collectively in Cuba as viandas, hold a special place in the cuisine. These include malanga ("guaguí"), plantains and bananas ("fongo" and "guineo"), sweet potatoes, cassava, yams, calabaza (West Indian pumpkin), potatoes, chayote, and chopo isleño. They are prepared boiled, fried, in soups, or as purées. Beans are equally essential, including black beans, red beans, caballero beans, and pigeon peas, most often prepared in hearty stews.
Iconic Dishes of Eastern Cuba
Caldosa tunera: A hearty and flavorful soup made with root vegetables, meats, and free-range chicken, seasoned and aromatic with traditional homegrown spices. It became famous thanks to the couple Kike and Marina in Las Tunas and was immortalized in the song "La Caldosa de Kike y Marina" by El Jilguero de Cienfuegos.
Bacán: An eastern Cuban version of a tamal in which grated plantain replaces corn. It is prepared with coconut milk, meat such as pork, chicken, or crab, and seasonings, then cooked wrapped in banana leaves. It is especially typical of Baracoa, Guantánamo.
Coconut Cucurucho: A traditional sweet from Baracoa, in Guantánamo Province, made with grated coconut, coconut milk, and sugar. It is slowly cooked until it develops a thick, jam-like consistency. Traditionally, it is stored and served in cone-shaped containers made from royal palm sheath and banana leaves. Variations may also include pineapple or cocoa.
Fried liseta: A fried fish dish typical of Manzanillo, in Granma Province. It was created by the Spaniard Juan González Sánchez, known as "Juan Singandella," who sold the dish from his unusual two-story kiosk beside the bay.
Asopao de Gallina: A very popular country-style dish in Holguín, prepared with free-range chicken and locally grown rice. It is traditionally cooked in large iron pots over rustic wood-burning stoves and seasoned with traditional spices and herbs.
Tetí: A tiny fish found exclusively in Baracoa. It is caught during the waning moon in the Toa, Duaba, and Miel rivers. Tetí can be prepared fried, dried, in a spicy tomato-based sauce known as enchilado, or cooked with rice. As the popular local saying goes: “Without a waning moon, there is no tetí; and without tetí, there is no Baracoa.”
Traditional Drinks of Eastern Cuba
Prú Oriental: A traditional fermented drink made with roots, herbs, cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar, and other ingredients. It has traditionally been associated with medicinal and energizing properties. Originally, the drink was fermented underground.
Aliñao Oriental: A traditional drink prepared with fruit cooked in syrup, aguardiente, and sugarcane. It is left to mature throughout a woman's pregnancy and served during the celebration following the baby's birth. If the child is a girl, a bottle is traditionally saved until her fifteenth birthday, developing into a truly unique liqueur.
Chorote: A thick and nutritious traditional drink. In provinces such as Santiago de Cuba, it is made with roasted corn and milk; in Baracoa, it is prepared with grated cocoa, coconut milk, and natural starches. It is considered an authentic Cuban-style energy drink.
What Do You Think?
Have you ever tried any of these dishes? Is there a traditional family recipe from eastern Cuba that you remember fondly? Share your stories, memories, anecdotes, or cooking secrets in the comments. We would love to hear from you!
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