As with every other part of the Cuban holiday, the Christmas food in Cuba is based on the Latin heritage of the island and its people.
Christmas recipes are quite different from what people in the United States may consider traditional Christmas food, but for the people of this island, these foods are truly the tradition.
The main course of the meal is often a roasted pig, which is cooked outside over a pit for many hours.
Side dishes will often include traditional Cuban dishes of the area such as plantains, black beans and rice, and Cuban bread. Desserts are an important part of Cuban Christmas traditions, and there are numerous types of sweet items that are often served.
Cuban Christmas recipes for specialty sugar cookies and flan are often baked and served. Other dessert items may include puddings and rum cakes.
For those interested in trying out Cuban Christmas food, there are plenty of traditional Cuban recipes that can be found. For example, here is a recipe for Cuban Rice Pudding as found on the website www.foodbycountry.com:
Arroz Con Leche (Rice Pudding)
Ingredients
• ½ cup rice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1½ cups water
• 1 quart milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 lemon rind
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Ground cinnamon
Procedure
1. Boil the rice with water, lemon rind, and cinnamon stick in a pot until soft, stirring occasionally.
2. Reduce heat to low.
3. Add milk, salt, vanilla, and sugar.
4. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until thick (about 1 hour).
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.
Serves 8.
Cuban Christmas traditions have long been overpowered by the total rule of a communist government.
In fact, even today, you would rarely see a Christmas Tree or twinkling lights. Many of the religious elements of the holiday were long banned as well. However, in the last few years, since the ban on the holiday has been lifted, more and more Cuban people have begun to move back to the Cuban Christmas of decades past.
Of course, as with any real celebration on the island, a Christmas feast includes Latin music, large meals, and an emphasis on family.
Havanna-Guide.com
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