What’s Authentic?
Hola mi gente! A customer asked an interesting question in an email the other day, it’s a good question and one that I believe other inquisitive souls might pose to themselves regarding any type of ethnic cuisine, so I thought I’d share the question and my answers with you all here. By the way, if you’d like to ask me a question, share your love of Cuban cuisine, or any type of Cuban Love at all, please send an email to info@pambiche.com I would love to hear from you! Gracias, and as always, ¡Buen Provecho!
Question:
“Hi-
How are you? I hope all is well. I have a story angle for Pambiche that I want to try and I was wondering if you could help me. There are restaurants/food carts popping up that claim to offer authentic Cuban food and yet many of them are really anything but. I was wondering if you could give me the top nine ways to know you're a a truly authentic Cuban restaurant. They can be about anything from ingredients used to drinks offered to how the food is served, etc.
Looking forward to hearing back from you!
Best,
Jenny”
Answer:
Hola Jenny, Thank you for your interest and inquiry. That is an interesting story angle, I would be happy to offer you my opinion.
Chef John Maribonas Top 9 Ways To Know You’re At An Authentic Cuban Restaurant
1. From the moment you walk into the café, the deep aroma of dark roasted coffee wraps around you like a warm embrace, inviting you in. The rich scents intertwined with the sounds of coffee being brewed, the gentle hiss of the espresso machine and the clink of demitasse cups as baristas prepare the Café Cubano entice your senses and build anticipation as you wait for you coffee to arrive. The first sip of that velvety café cubano, with its perfect balance of strength and sweetness, transport you to a place of pure bliss, where you relish in every sip and moment and wonder why you don’t always enjoy coffee this way? You think to yourself, “coffee on the go? Paper cups with plastic lids? Why would I ever do that again?”
2. The black beans are so good that you are inclined to order them as your entrée. Black beans are a staple in Cuban cuisine and the favorite legume for Cubans everywhere. Authentic Cuban black bean pottage (potaje de frijoles negros) will have a rich soupy broth, never thick or mushy, not at all watery and never al dente. The beans should be very soft, some of them will be broken down but most of the beans will still hold their shape. There will be stewed bits of onion and green pepper from the sofrito and you’ll find an occasional bay leaf that you will take great pleasure sucking on.
3. You will savor the wonder of ripe plantains. So much so that you would be willing to eat them in a house with a mouse or on a boat with a goat but not with fresh cheese and sour cream. You would rather save that for the day you visited the authentic Central American restaurant (Guatemalan, Honduran, Nicaraguan, etc.).
4. You will relish in the delight of a true Cuban daiquirí (premium white rum, fresh squeezed lime juice and cane sugar, shaken over ice and served up) and wonder why anyone would ever disgrace this perfect cocktail. Sadly a lot of people hear “daiquiri” and immediately picture a sugary, frozen party town boat drink that is meant to be consumed aboard overcrowded cruise ships, chain restaurants, Vegas Strips and Bourbon Streets. The truth is you simply have never had a real daiquiri until you’ve embibed the Daiquirí Clásico.
5. You will taste Cuban roast pork (Boston butt pork shoulder hand rubbed in Cuban Adobo, slow roasted, hand pulled and braised in creole pork gravy). You will begin to feel sorry for your Jewish and Muslim friends because they will never savor the flavor of this heavenly hog. Then you will suppose, “well I guess that means more for me!!” because like the late great James Beard said “If I had to narrow my choice of meats down to one for the rest of my life, I am quite certain that meat would be Cuban roast pork.”
6. The garlic mojo is so mouthwatering you ask for another side of it, again!
7. After you drink your first mojito you suddenly feel joyful and refreshed and think to yourself “nectar of the gods” and immediately order another!! This whole process takes only 5 minutes, you’re impressed because you don’t consider yourself a “drinker”.
8. The minute the Sandwich Cubano is dropped at your table its fragrance hits you like an alarm clock, waking up the knuckle dragging face stuffer hidden inside you. You give in, grabbing the Cuban sandwich, stuffing it into your mouth, desperate for that first bite. The crispy bread cracks under your teeth, and the warmth of the melted cheese spreads instantly. The smoky ham and juicy, garlicky roast pork hit your tongue, each bite bursting with savory goodness. Then, the sharp tang of mustard and the crunch of pickles cut through, balancing the richness perfectly. Every flavor comes together in harmony, and all the anticipation is rewarded in that satisfying, blissful moment. You can’t help but go in for the next bite, even though some of the first bite still remains in your mouth, you savor every second and don’t look up until the sandwich is nearly gone. As you take the final bite, a wave of bittersweet disappointment sets in. The familiar crunch of the toasted bread and the last burst of savory meat, creamy cheese, and tangy pickles linger on your tongue, but you know it’s the end. You savor that last mouthful, trying to hold on to the flavors, but the empty plate in front of you is a reminder that the experience is over. The satisfying fullness isn’t enough to erase the longing for just one more bite. It’s a fleeting moment of joy, followed by the quiet realization that the perfect sandwich has come to an end.
9. The 9th and final way to know that you are at a truly authentic Cuban restaurant is that after eating the flan you will cautiously begin to look over your shoulder scanning the dining room for an opportunity when no one is looking your way so that you can lick the remaining caramel sauce off the plate and maintain some personal dignity, but when that moment doesn’t come you say the hell with it and lick the plate anyway.
So there you have it, my Top 9 Ways To Know You’re At An Authentic Cuban Restaurant. But I could keep going, let me know if you need more…..
Send all correspondence to info@pambiche.com I would love to hear from you! Gracias, and as always #eatcuban
John Maribona
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