Food in Cuba: The Ultimate Guide to 10 Delicious Dishes You Must Try
The Food In Cuba Is So Great, But You Need To Know What You're Doing
If you’re anything like me, you travel with your tastebuds. Whilst Cuba has a bad rep when it comes to food, I’m here to bust those myths and show you that the food in Cuba is delicious, healthy, fresh & comforting.
1. Ropa Vieja – Cuba’s National Dish
For me, you can’t explore the food in Cuba and not try this. Every trip for me starts ropa vieja. It’s my all-time favourite. Translating literally to “old clothes,” this slow-cooked shredded beef dish is packed with spices, simmered with bell peppers, onions, and garlic. It’s that simple, but it hits good. When you sit down to a steaming plate of ropa vieja served with rice and beans, and an avocado salad if you’re in season, you’re tasting Cuban tradition at its finest. It’s one of those dishes that brings comfort, flavour, and history to your plate.
2. Lechón asado – a pig roast like you’ve never had before
Lechón asado, or roast pork, is a party on a plate. Marinated with the family recipe (usually a variation of heaps of garlic & whatever spices are available), then slow-roasted until it’s melt-in-your-mouth tender.
If you’re lucky enough to be invited to a private family party, you’ll have an experience like you’ve never had before. It’s not just a ‘pig roast’. It’s a whoooole thing. It’s a day’s worth of prep and party.
Imagine this: you’ve spent 6 months rearing the pig in your back yard, you spent all day yesterday slaughtering the pig & marinading it. Today you’re up at 06:00 lighting the fire outside, heating it up, building a makeshift ‘oven’ out of palm leaves, and the bottle of rum is opened at 9am. Eight hours later, lunch is ready – with all the trimmings. It’s a taste sensation that can only be found in Cuba, on a farm, with the locals.
PSA we always have at least 2 lechon asados on all our group trips! And we raise the pigs on our land so they are the healthiest, happiest pigs you’ll ever find (when I say we, I mean Ronnie and his family…I have nothing to do with it apart from enjoying the cute pictures of piglets and trying not to get emotionally attached…)!
3. Arroz Amarillo – A Colourful and Flavourful Delight
In my opinion, this is heavily overlooked. It deserves way more time in our conversation on Cuba. It needs to be on the menus of restaurants more, and not just as a tiny side dish.
Again, each family will cook this to their taste, but the good style looks a little something like this: rice with a colourful tint of saffron, embedded with left-over roast pork from last night’s pig roast, and whatever spices and veg they’ve got lying around.
Seriously, no culinary journey through Cuba would be complete without diving head first into a bowl of arroz amarillo. And again, best served cooked at home by grandma or as a side dish to the lechon asado.
It’s also a fantastic hangover cure.
4. Potaje de Frijoles Negros (black beans) – A Staple of Cuban Cuisine
You can’t talk about the food in Cuba without a good helping of frijoles negros—black beans! These are a absolute staple here, packed with flavour and all the good stuff your body needs. Slow-cooked with garlic, onions, and spices, black beans are usually served with rice, making for a super satisfying, protein-rich combo that’s just pure Cuba on a plate.
Typically, when you go to a ‘paladar’ (private restaurant) or eat in your ‘casa particular’ (accommodation), you’ll order the meat (if you’re a meat-eater) and then it comes with all the trimmings: rice, black beans, seasonal salad and vegetables, seasonal root veg like yucca, malanga, boniato (sweet potato).
For me, I could literally just eat rice and black beans with fresh tomatoes.
5. Arroz Moro (or Moros y Cristianos) – aka black beans and rice
Arroz moro is a staple on Cuban tables, combining black beans (moros) and rice (cristianos) in a savoury mix of garlic, onions, and spices.
This dish is delicious, filling, and wonderfully simple. It’s a testament to Cuban cuisine’s emphasis on maximising flavour with minimal ingredients, and you’ll find it alongside almost every main course.
For me, it can sometimes be a little dry, and that’s when you know it’s been reheated. Always ask if it’s fresh rice cooked today or if it’s reheated from yesterday!
6. Yucca con Mojo – Cassava with a heavenly Garlic Sauce
If you’re looking to try a traditional Cuban side, yucca con mojo is the way to go. Yucca, also known as cassava, is boiled until soft and then topped with mojo — a tangy sauce made from garlic, citrus (if they have it), and oil or pig fat. This dish is both simple and bursting with flavour, often served alongside roast pork or chicken.
Seriously, give me seconds and thirds.
7. Picadillo – Minced Beef Deliciousness
Cuban picadillo has taken me years to get my head around. Is it a chilli con carne? It is a bolognese sauce? Well, it’s just Cuban Picadillo. It’s a dish of minced beef cooked with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and spices, with a hint of sweetness from raisins and sometimes olives. It’s usually served with rice and fried plantains, making for a deliciously balanced meal.
I’m a fan, but hold the raisins.
8. Tamales Cubanos – not like the Mexicans!
Cuban tamales are a bit different from their Mexican counterparts. The cornmeal is typically mixed with seasoned pork before being wrapped in the corn husks and steamed. This gives them a richer flavour throughout, IMO. Tamales are a cherished part of Cuban culinary tradition, often made for special occasions or as a comforting treat. They cook them outside in big vats and you just KNOW the corn is fresh from the field behind the house.
9. Marmalade and Queso – Marmalade and Cheese, but hear me out
Seriously, delicious. Do not knock it until you’ve tried it. It’s typically made from either mango or guava – I’m personally a fan of the guava if homemade – and served with a slice of cheese. Ideally, the cheese is home-made and not the strong ass ‘gouda’ that is so ultra-processed you can smell the lab coats. Sometimes they served with crackers or bread if they have any, otherwise just a delicious little plate of jam & cheese after a meal. Heaven.
The best place I’ve found this? On the family’s tobacco farm during the tobacco & horse riding experience! Thank me later.
10. Cuban Flan – saving the best ’til last
Cuban flan is the island’s take on the classic custard dessert, and let me tell you, it’s the perfect end to a rich Cuban meal. It’s also a fantastic breakfast choice.
Creamy, smooth, not wobbly (usually), and with just the right amount of sweetness, Cuban flan is made with a handful of simple ingredients—usually eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and a dash of vanilla — but the result is pure decadence.
What makes Cuban flan so unique is the texture. Unlike some other versions, Cuban flan has a rich, almost melt-in-your-mouth creaminess that’s thanks to the condensed and evaporated milk combo.
The best Cuban flan is homemade. In many Cuban households, making flan is practically a rite of passage, and the recipe is passed down through generations. So, another reason why you should be staying in ‘casa particulares’ and asking them to cook you a meal (and a flan!).
Just be aware that currently the ingredients for a flan are actually really hard to get. If you’re as flan obsessed as I am, you’ll bring the ingredients as a gift and ask them to cook it for you all to enjoy!
Are you salivating? Are you booking your trip to Cuba? Trust me, the people who say the food in Cuba is bad stayed in the hotel resorts or ate at random restaurants in Havana. You have to plan your eats, plan what to expect, and go local, always.
