Food for Thought by Erin McGann

There were many surprises for me in Cuba, and one of the most unexpected was the food. I don't consider myself a "foodie" but having good food on vacation can definitely make for a more enjoyable experience. Before I left for Cuba, most of the travel websites and travel books I read suggested that one not expect too much from the local cuisine. I lowered my expectations to almost zero (I brought 15 protein bars with me) and thought I would lose some weight. Not so!

The food was fresh and enjoyable. At our hotel in Havana, for breakfast each morning we had a choice of pancakes, fruit, cheese, lunchmeats, potatoes, breads, and omelets made to order. And the coffee was divine! The breakfast choices were somewhat less appealing at our hotel in Cienfuego, but they had basically the same offerings.

We spent most mornings in panels discussing the Cuban legal system. During these panels we were served Cuba Libres (rum and coke), water, soda and/or espresso. The espresso was divine and kept you going to the next event - which was usually lunch. At the restaurants I expected modest servings with little flavor, and once again I was wrong. The portions were large (even by American standards), fresh and delicious. There was generally a salad (cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes and pickled green beans – although not much lettuce), a protein choice (usually fish, chicken or pork), a starch (rice or potatoes), and mixed vegetables. Then came dessert - ice cream was often served and was terrific - there has been some debate between the folks on the trip as to the ingredients, perhaps soy, perhaps milk (we didn't see many cows and the beef is imported), but for sure lots of flavor! And then again with the espresso… If you are counting, this would be at least the forth cup of coffee for me.

In the afternoons, we usually had another meeting or had free time where we scattered to the winds to see Havana (and Cienfuego). In Cienfuego, we visited Copelia’s ice cream store, which is famous for their stance on integration (before the revolution, private ice cream shops were highly discriminatory) and they only serve ice cream. When we went, there were 2 choices - banana or strawberry. As you can see from the picture, I chose strawberry!  On another day while in Havana, we stopped by a pastry market and ordered flan, cake, and chocolate pudding for our snack. Another stop provided yet another espresso (cup number 5).

The last stop on the food bus is dinner. Our dinners usually lasted 2-3 hours each, and were filled with laughter and silliness. Some folks had the national drink - the Mojito (rum, mint, sugar and lime) made famous by Ernest Hemingway at La Bodeguita, while others had the daiquiri, also made famous by Hemingway at the Floridita Bar.  And there were also fresh fruit juices wherever we went, with a favorite flavor being guava.  Dinner would begin like you would expect - a little bread, a drink, and then the menu. From there, regardless of where we went, there came courses and courses of food. The appetizers looked great (fried plantains, ceviche, garlic bread, potato dumplings), followed by the main course (grilled lobster or fish, sautéed shrimp, chicken, or bistec de cerdo – a grilled marinated pork steak, sometimes breaded), which was always terrific. Meals included black beans and rice (called moros y cristianos, which is the national food) or potatoes, mixed vegetables (the yuca was great), and cabbage salad. We also had the opportunity to have sweet fried plantains, which were terrific. Finally, there was dessert - ice cream, cake, brownies, flan (best flan ever), chocolate mousse, profiteroles; and ending with another espresso (cup 6 for the day).

At the end of the trip, with my palate overly satisfied, there was one draw back from the trip: the withdrawals from the caffeine that I was pumping into my veins every few hours (I hope to get over that soon!). I learned a lot about the people in Cuba by eating their food, they are very proud of the food they serve, and they want you to enjoy your meal and go home and tell everyone what a great place Cuba is!

-Erin McGann