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Sunday, April 11, 2010

gluten free travel: eating in cuba part 1 - what to expect

if you've been following our blog then you probably already know that I was in Cuba recently. luckily for me (and all of you) Cuban food is more or less gluten free by nature. it is all natural, home cooked, and extremely tasty. surprised? I know many tourists who visit Cuba complain about the food as being bland, boring, and repetitive, you know beans and rice day in day out. while this may be true if you are visiting an all-inclusive resort hotel, it is certainly not the case if you venture beyond the hotel's all-you-can-eat buffet. JJG9FHSPQQGG

Cuba is a very unique place, and I love it! there are no big-box supermarkets, no chain convenience stores, no north american fast food restaurants, and what is particularly obvious is the lack of the commercialization of food. very little food in the Cuban food supply is actually processed and sold on corner store shelves, and there are no commercials on tv (verdad!) selling food or anything else for that matter. what you find instead are fresh fruit and vegetable markets, bakeries, butchers, fishermen, farmers, and of course the bodegas where Cuban's get their rations: rice, beans, coffee, sugar, peas, and condiments like vinegar, spices, and dry cooking wine.

as a tourist doing it on your own in Cuba, there are several ways to go about feeding yourself. in whatever city or town you might be visiting chances are there is at least one paladar. paladares are private restaurants run by families in their homes and what is remarkable about them is that not only do you get a glimpse into the private life of Cubans, but you will also be treated to superb home cooked meals in large quantities at very reasonable prices. this will be the case as well if you chose to stay in a casa particular (like a bed and breakfast) instead of a hotel since most hosts will offer to cook meals on request. the last option is to rent an apartment, and cook some meals on your own. this can be challenging however since most of the food sold in markets is sold in cuban pesos (Moneda Nacional). anytime tourists are seen trying to spend Moneda Nacional, there will always be a local or two trying to buy your food for you, for a tip. or the sellers might conveniently make an error in your change owed. speaking spanish helps a lot, but it's not required.

Cuba has two currencies. the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) is what you will get when you exchange your home currency in the exchange offices. everything related to tourism from hotel rates, rental car rates, official taxis, and souvenirs is sold in CUC's. it is possible, however, to exchange your CUC's for Moneda Nacional if you want to shop at the fruit and vegetable markets, or buy street vendor food. however, for people with gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance, finding anything on the street that is gluten free is very difficult, as most vendors sell sandwiches, hot dogs, and pizza. there are a few gluten free treats however that can be found: roasted peanuts (maní), popcorn (rositas de maíz), and my personal favorite, guava paste (dulce de guayaba), which is delicious with cheese. in Havana I have sometimes found sweets called coquitos, which are made from sugar and coconut, they are sooooo delicious, but on this recent trip I did not find them since getting coconuts in Havana is difficult.

eating gluten free in paladars and casa particulares is very easy, as Cuban cuisine for the most part does not use gluten containing ingredients. finding vegetarian food, on the other hand, is more difficult, as most main dishes are either made with chicken or pork. eggs and seafood such as shrimp, lobster, and fish are also popular, so vegan travelers will be hard pressed to really enjoy Cuban cuisine. root vegetables such as sweet potatoes (boniato), potatoes (papa), taro root (malanga), and yucca are staples in Cuban cooking, and are cooked in a variety of ways, as are plantains. the native fruits are tropical: mangoes, papayas (frutabomba), guavas (guayabas), pinapples (piñas), limes (limones), and avocadoes (aguacates). contrary to popular belief, Cuban food is not spicy. the main cooking spices and condiments are: onions, garlic, peppers (not hot), oregano, cumin, bay leaves, salt, sugar, vinegar, dry cooking wine, limes, and sour oranges (naranja agria).

in Havana some of the paladares that I like are: La Guarida, Gringo Viejo, La Julia, Aries Paladar, and La Moneda Cubana. although I haven't eaten at Paladar La Cocina de Lilliam, I have heard excellent things about it. in general, some places will serve bread automatically, and normally in a separate bread basket, you can simply ask not to have one. furthermore, paladares have very few staff, there is usually a cook, and one or two servers, and the owner might be one of these people. they will have an intimate knowledge as to how the dishes are prepared and what the ingredients are. one word to watch out for on menus is empanezado, which means breaded (could be fish or meat). beans and rice are gluten free, as are all roasted or grilled seafood and meat dishes. root vegetables are either fried or boiled, as are plantains. eggs come anyway you like: fried (fritos), scrambled (reveultos), boiled (hervidos), and omelettes are popular (tortillas).

as a general rule, tap water is not safe to drink, therefore depending on the place, I tend to avoid eating raw salads, though paladares are better than hotels, in my opinion, for food safety. 

mojitos are gluten free, naturally, try one on the outdoor patio of the Hotel Nacional.

stay tuned for upcoming posts on Cuban dining, including recipes!  for now, Buen Viaje!  Andrea.


4 comments:

Trish said...

Oh my, you make we want to go and visit Cuba right now. I actually could live on beans and rice but wow...sounds like there are so many other delicious foods to try and enjoy. What a cool idea, restaurants of a sort in a home...sounds like something I would like to do. Oh Andrea, what a terrific time! thanks for sharing your experiences and tips.

Pat @ gluten-free-around-the-world.com said...

Great post Andrea.

I knew Cubans served a lot of gluten free food, and that they love their yuca, but I didn't know their food was almost all gluten free. My site's visitors will be happy to hear that!

Thanks...Pat

saskiaboer@telfort.nl said...

Dear Andrea,
thanks for all your tips! I am Dutch and travelling to Cuba next saturday. I am sure i will like Cuba as much as you did, glutenfree! If you ever want to travel to Holland, i am happy to send you some information!
kind regards, Saskia

Anonymous said...

thanks for the tips! I am currently planning a trip to Cuba and staying in casas. good to hear that you had no issues eating GF (AND that you didn't get sick.. or so I presume..)

Karin

Sunday, April 11, 2010

gluten free travel: eating in cuba part 1 - what to expect

if you've been following our blog then you probably already know that I was in Cuba recently. luckily for me (and all of you) Cuban food is more or less gluten free by nature. it is all natural, home cooked, and extremely tasty. surprised? I know many tourists who visit Cuba complain about the food as being bland, boring, and repetitive, you know beans and rice day in day out. while this may be true if you are visiting an all-inclusive resort hotel, it is certainly not the case if you venture beyond the hotel's all-you-can-eat buffet. JJG9FHSPQQGG

Cuba is a very unique place, and I love it! there are no big-box supermarkets, no chain convenience stores, no north american fast food restaurants, and what is particularly obvious is the lack of the commercialization of food. very little food in the Cuban food supply is actually processed and sold on corner store shelves, and there are no commercials on tv (verdad!) selling food or anything else for that matter. what you find instead are fresh fruit and vegetable markets, bakeries, butchers, fishermen, farmers, and of course the bodegas where Cuban's get their rations: rice, beans, coffee, sugar, peas, and condiments like vinegar, spices, and dry cooking wine.

as a tourist doing it on your own in Cuba, there are several ways to go about feeding yourself. in whatever city or town you might be visiting chances are there is at least one paladar. paladares are private restaurants run by families in their homes and what is remarkable about them is that not only do you get a glimpse into the private life of Cubans, but you will also be treated to superb home cooked meals in large quantities at very reasonable prices. this will be the case as well if you chose to stay in a casa particular (like a bed and breakfast) instead of a hotel since most hosts will offer to cook meals on request. the last option is to rent an apartment, and cook some meals on your own. this can be challenging however since most of the food sold in markets is sold in cuban pesos (Moneda Nacional). anytime tourists are seen trying to spend Moneda Nacional, there will always be a local or two trying to buy your food for you, for a tip. or the sellers might conveniently make an error in your change owed. speaking spanish helps a lot, but it's not required.

Cuba has two currencies. the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) is what you will get when you exchange your home currency in the exchange offices. everything related to tourism from hotel rates, rental car rates, official taxis, and souvenirs is sold in CUC's. it is possible, however, to exchange your CUC's for Moneda Nacional if you want to shop at the fruit and vegetable markets, or buy street vendor food. however, for people with gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance, finding anything on the street that is gluten free is very difficult, as most vendors sell sandwiches, hot dogs, and pizza. there are a few gluten free treats however that can be found: roasted peanuts (maní), popcorn (rositas de maíz), and my personal favorite, guava paste (dulce de guayaba), which is delicious with cheese. in Havana I have sometimes found sweets called coquitos, which are made from sugar and coconut, they are sooooo delicious, but on this recent trip I did not find them since getting coconuts in Havana is difficult.

eating gluten free in paladars and casa particulares is very easy, as Cuban cuisine for the most part does not use gluten containing ingredients. finding vegetarian food, on the other hand, is more difficult, as most main dishes are either made with chicken or pork. eggs and seafood such as shrimp, lobster, and fish are also popular, so vegan travelers will be hard pressed to really enjoy Cuban cuisine. root vegetables such as sweet potatoes (boniato), potatoes (papa), taro root (malanga), and yucca are staples in Cuban cooking, and are cooked in a variety of ways, as are plantains. the native fruits are tropical: mangoes, papayas (frutabomba), guavas (guayabas), pinapples (piñas), limes (limones), and avocadoes (aguacates). contrary to popular belief, Cuban food is not spicy. the main cooking spices and condiments are: onions, garlic, peppers (not hot), oregano, cumin, bay leaves, salt, sugar, vinegar, dry cooking wine, limes, and sour oranges (naranja agria).

in Havana some of the paladares that I like are: La Guarida, Gringo Viejo, La Julia, Aries Paladar, and La Moneda Cubana. although I haven't eaten at Paladar La Cocina de Lilliam, I have heard excellent things about it. in general, some places will serve bread automatically, and normally in a separate bread basket, you can simply ask not to have one. furthermore, paladares have very few staff, there is usually a cook, and one or two servers, and the owner might be one of these people. they will have an intimate knowledge as to how the dishes are prepared and what the ingredients are. one word to watch out for on menus is empanezado, which means breaded (could be fish or meat). beans and rice are gluten free, as are all roasted or grilled seafood and meat dishes. root vegetables are either fried or boiled, as are plantains. eggs come anyway you like: fried (fritos), scrambled (reveultos), boiled (hervidos), and omelettes are popular (tortillas).

as a general rule, tap water is not safe to drink, therefore depending on the place, I tend to avoid eating raw salads, though paladares are better than hotels, in my opinion, for food safety. 

mojitos are gluten free, naturally, try one on the outdoor patio of the Hotel Nacional.

stay tuned for upcoming posts on Cuban dining, including recipes!  for now, Buen Viaje!  Andrea.


4 comments:

Trish said...

Oh my, you make we want to go and visit Cuba right now. I actually could live on beans and rice but wow...sounds like there are so many other delicious foods to try and enjoy. What a cool idea, restaurants of a sort in a home...sounds like something I would like to do. Oh Andrea, what a terrific time! thanks for sharing your experiences and tips.

Pat @ gluten-free-around-the-world.com said...

Great post Andrea.

I knew Cubans served a lot of gluten free food, and that they love their yuca, but I didn't know their food was almost all gluten free. My site's visitors will be happy to hear that!

Thanks...Pat

saskiaboer@telfort.nl said...

Dear Andrea,
thanks for all your tips! I am Dutch and travelling to Cuba next saturday. I am sure i will like Cuba as much as you did, glutenfree! If you ever want to travel to Holland, i am happy to send you some information!
kind regards, Saskia

Anonymous said...

thanks for the tips! I am currently planning a trip to Cuba and staying in casas. good to hear that you had no issues eating GF (AND that you didn't get sick.. or so I presume..)

Karin

Creative Commons License
gluten free vancouver: dining & lifestyle blog by Gluten Free Vancouver is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

gluten free travel: eating in cuba part 1 - what to expect

if you've been following our blog then you probably already know that I was in Cuba recently. luckily for me (and all of you) Cuban food is more or less gluten free by nature. it is all natural, home cooked, and extremely tasty. surprised? I know many tourists who visit Cuba complain about the food as being bland, boring, and repetitive, you know beans and rice day in day out. while this may be true if you are visiting an all-inclusive resort hotel, it is certainly not the case if you venture beyond the hotel's all-you-can-eat buffet. JJG9FHSPQQGG

Cuba is a very unique place, and I love it! there are no big-box supermarkets, no chain convenience stores, no north american fast food restaurants, and what is particularly obvious is the lack of the commercialization of food. very little food in the Cuban food supply is actually processed and sold on corner store shelves, and there are no commercials on tv (verdad!) selling food or anything else for that matter. what you find instead are fresh fruit and vegetable markets, bakeries, butchers, fishermen, farmers, and of course the bodegas where Cuban's get their rations: rice, beans, coffee, sugar, peas, and condiments like vinegar, spices, and dry cooking wine.

as a tourist doing it on your own in Cuba, there are several ways to go about feeding yourself. in whatever city or town you might be visiting chances are there is at least one paladar. paladares are private restaurants run by families in their homes and what is remarkable about them is that not only do you get a glimpse into the private life of Cubans, but you will also be treated to superb home cooked meals in large quantities at very reasonable prices. this will be the case as well if you chose to stay in a casa particular (like a bed and breakfast) instead of a hotel since most hosts will offer to cook meals on request. the last option is to rent an apartment, and cook some meals on your own. this can be challenging however since most of the food sold in markets is sold in cuban pesos (Moneda Nacional). anytime tourists are seen trying to spend Moneda Nacional, there will always be a local or two trying to buy your food for you, for a tip. or the sellers might conveniently make an error in your change owed. speaking spanish helps a lot, but it's not required.

Cuba has two currencies. the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) is what you will get when you exchange your home currency in the exchange offices. everything related to tourism from hotel rates, rental car rates, official taxis, and souvenirs is sold in CUC's. it is possible, however, to exchange your CUC's for Moneda Nacional if you want to shop at the fruit and vegetable markets, or buy street vendor food. however, for people with gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance, finding anything on the street that is gluten free is very difficult, as most vendors sell sandwiches, hot dogs, and pizza. there are a few gluten free treats however that can be found: roasted peanuts (maní), popcorn (rositas de maíz), and my personal favorite, guava paste (dulce de guayaba), which is delicious with cheese. in Havana I have sometimes found sweets called coquitos, which are made from sugar and coconut, they are sooooo delicious, but on this recent trip I did not find them since getting coconuts in Havana is difficult.

eating gluten free in paladars and casa particulares is very easy, as Cuban cuisine for the most part does not use gluten containing ingredients. finding vegetarian food, on the other hand, is more difficult, as most main dishes are either made with chicken or pork. eggs and seafood such as shrimp, lobster, and fish are also popular, so vegan travelers will be hard pressed to really enjoy Cuban cuisine. root vegetables such as sweet potatoes (boniato), potatoes (papa), taro root (malanga), and yucca are staples in Cuban cooking, and are cooked in a variety of ways, as are plantains. the native fruits are tropical: mangoes, papayas (frutabomba), guavas (guayabas), pinapples (piñas), limes (limones), and avocadoes (aguacates). contrary to popular belief, Cuban food is not spicy. the main cooking spices and condiments are: onions, garlic, peppers (not hot), oregano, cumin, bay leaves, salt, sugar, vinegar, dry cooking wine, limes, and sour oranges (naranja agria).

in Havana some of the paladares that I like are: La Guarida, Gringo Viejo, La Julia, Aries Paladar, and La Moneda Cubana. although I haven't eaten at Paladar La Cocina de Lilliam, I have heard excellent things about it. in general, some places will serve bread automatically, and normally in a separate bread basket, you can simply ask not to have one. furthermore, paladares have very few staff, there is usually a cook, and one or two servers, and the owner might be one of these people. they will have an intimate knowledge as to how the dishes are prepared and what the ingredients are. one word to watch out for on menus is empanezado, which means breaded (could be fish or meat). beans and rice are gluten free, as are all roasted or grilled seafood and meat dishes. root vegetables are either fried or boiled, as are plantains. eggs come anyway you like: fried (fritos), scrambled (reveultos), boiled (hervidos), and omelettes are popular (tortillas).

as a general rule, tap water is not safe to drink, therefore depending on the place, I tend to avoid eating raw salads, though paladares are better than hotels, in my opinion, for food safety. 

mojitos are gluten free, naturally, try one on the outdoor patio of the Hotel Nacional.

stay tuned for upcoming posts on Cuban dining, including recipes!  for now, Buen Viaje!  Andrea.


4 comments:

Trish said...

Oh my, you make we want to go and visit Cuba right now. I actually could live on beans and rice but wow...sounds like there are so many other delicious foods to try and enjoy. What a cool idea, restaurants of a sort in a home...sounds like something I would like to do. Oh Andrea, what a terrific time! thanks for sharing your experiences and tips.

Pat @ gluten-free-around-the-world.com said...

Great post Andrea.

I knew Cubans served a lot of gluten free food, and that they love their yuca, but I didn't know their food was almost all gluten free. My site's visitors will be happy to hear that!

Thanks...Pat

saskiaboer@telfort.nl said...

Dear Andrea,
thanks for all your tips! I am Dutch and travelling to Cuba next saturday. I am sure i will like Cuba as much as you did, glutenfree! If you ever want to travel to Holland, i am happy to send you some information!
kind regards, Saskia

Anonymous said...

thanks for the tips! I am currently planning a trip to Cuba and staying in casas. good to hear that you had no issues eating GF (AND that you didn't get sick.. or so I presume..)

Karin

Sunday, April 11, 2010

gluten free travel: eating in cuba part 1 - what to expect

if you've been following our blog then you probably already know that I was in Cuba recently. luckily for me (and all of you) Cuban food is more or less gluten free by nature. it is all natural, home cooked, and extremely tasty. surprised? I know many tourists who visit Cuba complain about the food as being bland, boring, and repetitive, you know beans and rice day in day out. while this may be true if you are visiting an all-inclusive resort hotel, it is certainly not the case if you venture beyond the hotel's all-you-can-eat buffet. JJG9FHSPQQGG

Cuba is a very unique place, and I love it! there are no big-box supermarkets, no chain convenience stores, no north american fast food restaurants, and what is particularly obvious is the lack of the commercialization of food. very little food in the Cuban food supply is actually processed and sold on corner store shelves, and there are no commercials on tv (verdad!) selling food or anything else for that matter. what you find instead are fresh fruit and vegetable markets, bakeries, butchers, fishermen, farmers, and of course the bodegas where Cuban's get their rations: rice, beans, coffee, sugar, peas, and condiments like vinegar, spices, and dry cooking wine.

as a tourist doing it on your own in Cuba, there are several ways to go about feeding yourself. in whatever city or town you might be visiting chances are there is at least one paladar. paladares are private restaurants run by families in their homes and what is remarkable about them is that not only do you get a glimpse into the private life of Cubans, but you will also be treated to superb home cooked meals in large quantities at very reasonable prices. this will be the case as well if you chose to stay in a casa particular (like a bed and breakfast) instead of a hotel since most hosts will offer to cook meals on request. the last option is to rent an apartment, and cook some meals on your own. this can be challenging however since most of the food sold in markets is sold in cuban pesos (Moneda Nacional). anytime tourists are seen trying to spend Moneda Nacional, there will always be a local or two trying to buy your food for you, for a tip. or the sellers might conveniently make an error in your change owed. speaking spanish helps a lot, but it's not required.

Cuba has two currencies. the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) is what you will get when you exchange your home currency in the exchange offices. everything related to tourism from hotel rates, rental car rates, official taxis, and souvenirs is sold in CUC's. it is possible, however, to exchange your CUC's for Moneda Nacional if you want to shop at the fruit and vegetable markets, or buy street vendor food. however, for people with gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance, finding anything on the street that is gluten free is very difficult, as most vendors sell sandwiches, hot dogs, and pizza. there are a few gluten free treats however that can be found: roasted peanuts (maní), popcorn (rositas de maíz), and my personal favorite, guava paste (dulce de guayaba), which is delicious with cheese. in Havana I have sometimes found sweets called coquitos, which are made from sugar and coconut, they are sooooo delicious, but on this recent trip I did not find them since getting coconuts in Havana is difficult.

eating gluten free in paladars and casa particulares is very easy, as Cuban cuisine for the most part does not use gluten containing ingredients. finding vegetarian food, on the other hand, is more difficult, as most main dishes are either made with chicken or pork. eggs and seafood such as shrimp, lobster, and fish are also popular, so vegan travelers will be hard pressed to really enjoy Cuban cuisine. root vegetables such as sweet potatoes (boniato), potatoes (papa), taro root (malanga), and yucca are staples in Cuban cooking, and are cooked in a variety of ways, as are plantains. the native fruits are tropical: mangoes, papayas (frutabomba), guavas (guayabas), pinapples (piñas), limes (limones), and avocadoes (aguacates). contrary to popular belief, Cuban food is not spicy. the main cooking spices and condiments are: onions, garlic, peppers (not hot), oregano, cumin, bay leaves, salt, sugar, vinegar, dry cooking wine, limes, and sour oranges (naranja agria).

in Havana some of the paladares that I like are: La Guarida, Gringo Viejo, La Julia, Aries Paladar, and La Moneda Cubana. although I haven't eaten at Paladar La Cocina de Lilliam, I have heard excellent things about it. in general, some places will serve bread automatically, and normally in a separate bread basket, you can simply ask not to have one. furthermore, paladares have very few staff, there is usually a cook, and one or two servers, and the owner might be one of these people. they will have an intimate knowledge as to how the dishes are prepared and what the ingredients are. one word to watch out for on menus is empanezado, which means breaded (could be fish or meat). beans and rice are gluten free, as are all roasted or grilled seafood and meat dishes. root vegetables are either fried or boiled, as are plantains. eggs come anyway you like: fried (fritos), scrambled (reveultos), boiled (hervidos), and omelettes are popular (tortillas).

as a general rule, tap water is not safe to drink, therefore depending on the place, I tend to avoid eating raw salads, though paladares are better than hotels, in my opinion, for food safety. 

mojitos are gluten free, naturally, try one on the outdoor patio of the Hotel Nacional.

stay tuned for upcoming posts on Cuban dining, including recipes!  for now, Buen Viaje!  Andrea.


4 comments:

Trish said...

Oh my, you make we want to go and visit Cuba right now. I actually could live on beans and rice but wow...sounds like there are so many other delicious foods to try and enjoy. What a cool idea, restaurants of a sort in a home...sounds like something I would like to do. Oh Andrea, what a terrific time! thanks for sharing your experiences and tips.

Pat @ gluten-free-around-the-world.com said...

Great post Andrea.

I knew Cubans served a lot of gluten free food, and that they love their yuca, but I didn't know their food was almost all gluten free. My site's visitors will be happy to hear that!

Thanks...Pat

saskiaboer@telfort.nl said...

Dear Andrea,
thanks for all your tips! I am Dutch and travelling to Cuba next saturday. I am sure i will like Cuba as much as you did, glutenfree! If you ever want to travel to Holland, i am happy to send you some information!
kind regards, Saskia

Anonymous said...

thanks for the tips! I am currently planning a trip to Cuba and staying in casas. good to hear that you had no issues eating GF (AND that you didn't get sick.. or so I presume..)

Karin

Sunday, April 11, 2010

gluten free travel: eating in cuba part 1 - what to expect

if you've been following our blog then you probably already know that I was in Cuba recently. luckily for me (and all of you) Cuban food is more or less gluten free by nature. it is all natural, home cooked, and extremely tasty. surprised? I know many tourists who visit Cuba complain about the food as being bland, boring, and repetitive, you know beans and rice day in day out. while this may be true if you are visiting an all-inclusive resort hotel, it is certainly not the case if you venture beyond the hotel's all-you-can-eat buffet. JJG9FHSPQQGG

Cuba is a very unique place, and I love it! there are no big-box supermarkets, no chain convenience stores, no north american fast food restaurants, and what is particularly obvious is the lack of the commercialization of food. very little food in the Cuban food supply is actually processed and sold on corner store shelves, and there are no commercials on tv (verdad!) selling food or anything else for that matter. what you find instead are fresh fruit and vegetable markets, bakeries, butchers, fishermen, farmers, and of course the bodegas where Cuban's get their rations: rice, beans, coffee, sugar, peas, and condiments like vinegar, spices, and dry cooking wine.

as a tourist doing it on your own in Cuba, there are several ways to go about feeding yourself. in whatever city or town you might be visiting chances are there is at least one paladar. paladares are private restaurants run by families in their homes and what is remarkable about them is that not only do you get a glimpse into the private life of Cubans, but you will also be treated to superb home cooked meals in large quantities at very reasonable prices. this will be the case as well if you chose to stay in a casa particular (like a bed and breakfast) instead of a hotel since most hosts will offer to cook meals on request. the last option is to rent an apartment, and cook some meals on your own. this can be challenging however since most of the food sold in markets is sold in cuban pesos (Moneda Nacional). anytime tourists are seen trying to spend Moneda Nacional, there will always be a local or two trying to buy your food for you, for a tip. or the sellers might conveniently make an error in your change owed. speaking spanish helps a lot, but it's not required.

Cuba has two currencies. the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) is what you will get when you exchange your home currency in the exchange offices. everything related to tourism from hotel rates, rental car rates, official taxis, and souvenirs is sold in CUC's. it is possible, however, to exchange your CUC's for Moneda Nacional if you want to shop at the fruit and vegetable markets, or buy street vendor food. however, for people with gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance, finding anything on the street that is gluten free is very difficult, as most vendors sell sandwiches, hot dogs, and pizza. there are a few gluten free treats however that can be found: roasted peanuts (maní), popcorn (rositas de maíz), and my personal favorite, guava paste (dulce de guayaba), which is delicious with cheese. in Havana I have sometimes found sweets called coquitos, which are made from sugar and coconut, they are sooooo delicious, but on this recent trip I did not find them since getting coconuts in Havana is difficult.

eating gluten free in paladars and casa particulares is very easy, as Cuban cuisine for the most part does not use gluten containing ingredients. finding vegetarian food, on the other hand, is more difficult, as most main dishes are either made with chicken or pork. eggs and seafood such as shrimp, lobster, and fish are also popular, so vegan travelers will be hard pressed to really enjoy Cuban cuisine. root vegetables such as sweet potatoes (boniato), potatoes (papa), taro root (malanga), and yucca are staples in Cuban cooking, and are cooked in a variety of ways, as are plantains. the native fruits are tropical: mangoes, papayas (frutabomba), guavas (guayabas), pinapples (piñas), limes (limones), and avocadoes (aguacates). contrary to popular belief, Cuban food is not spicy. the main cooking spices and condiments are: onions, garlic, peppers (not hot), oregano, cumin, bay leaves, salt, sugar, vinegar, dry cooking wine, limes, and sour oranges (naranja agria).

in Havana some of the paladares that I like are: La Guarida, Gringo Viejo, La Julia, Aries Paladar, and La Moneda Cubana. although I haven't eaten at Paladar La Cocina de Lilliam, I have heard excellent things about it. in general, some places will serve bread automatically, and normally in a separate bread basket, you can simply ask not to have one. furthermore, paladares have very few staff, there is usually a cook, and one or two servers, and the owner might be one of these people. they will have an intimate knowledge as to how the dishes are prepared and what the ingredients are. one word to watch out for on menus is empanezado, which means breaded (could be fish or meat). beans and rice are gluten free, as are all roasted or grilled seafood and meat dishes. root vegetables are either fried or boiled, as are plantains. eggs come anyway you like: fried (fritos), scrambled (reveultos), boiled (hervidos), and omelettes are popular (tortillas).

as a general rule, tap water is not safe to drink, therefore depending on the place, I tend to avoid eating raw salads, though paladares are better than hotels, in my opinion, for food safety. 

mojitos are gluten free, naturally, try one on the outdoor patio of the Hotel Nacional.

stay tuned for upcoming posts on Cuban dining, including recipes!  for now, Buen Viaje!  Andrea.


4 comments:

Trish said...

Oh my, you make we want to go and visit Cuba right now. I actually could live on beans and rice but wow...sounds like there are so many other delicious foods to try and enjoy. What a cool idea, restaurants of a sort in a home...sounds like something I would like to do. Oh Andrea, what a terrific time! thanks for sharing your experiences and tips.

Pat @ gluten-free-around-the-world.com said...

Great post Andrea.

I knew Cubans served a lot of gluten free food, and that they love their yuca, but I didn't know their food was almost all gluten free. My site's visitors will be happy to hear that!

Thanks...Pat

saskiaboer@telfort.nl said...

Dear Andrea,
thanks for all your tips! I am Dutch and travelling to Cuba next saturday. I am sure i will like Cuba as much as you did, glutenfree! If you ever want to travel to Holland, i am happy to send you some information!
kind regards, Saskia

Anonymous said...

thanks for the tips! I am currently planning a trip to Cuba and staying in casas. good to hear that you had no issues eating GF (AND that you didn't get sick.. or so I presume..)

Karin