If you have been invited to a meal where Cuban food is being served and are feeling apprehensive because you don't know what to expect, here are the basics about Cuban cuisine to put your mind at ease:

Cuban Food influences

To understand Cuban cuisine, first, you need to know a bit about the history of the island. Cuba was colonized by the Spanish who brought over slaves from Africa. This part of history brought Spanish and African cuisine to Cuba. These two influences brought the yellow rice and black beans commonly found in most Cuban meals.

The French colonists living in nearby Haiti would visit Cuba for trade, and so some of their food choices also made their way into Cuba's cuisine.

In addition to human influences, Cuban foods also contain seafood from the surrounding Carribean Sea and tropical fruits that grow naturally on the island due to the tropical climate. Two of the most common tropical fruits include coconuts and plantains.

Meats and Proteins Found in Cuban Food

In addition to the seafood and shellfish from the ocean, Cuban foods contain many other proteins. Some of the most popular include:

• beef
• pork
• chicken

Since chickens are easy to raise and don't require a lot of room or resources, chicken is the most popular protein after seafood found in Cuban foods. For larger animal proteins, more pork is served in Cuba than beef because pork is easier to raise and doesn't require as much land.

Some of the most popular seafood served in Cuban cuisine are filets of fish such as mahi-mahi or grouper, both large and small ocean shrimp, and octopus, which is referred to as calamari when used in foods.

Common Cuban Drink Options

When Cubans sit down to a large family meal, there are typically a variety of different drinks on the table. While some people prefer to drink water, milk, or sugary soda just like here in the United States, other popular Cuban drink options include:

• blended frozen fruit drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
• beer
• coffee
• tea (hot tea and iced tea)

In addition, due to the Caribbean influences in Cuba, many Cubans enjoy rum either alone or mixed in other drinks.

After Dinner Treats

Finally, after a large meal of Cuban cuisine, there is nothing better than some authentic flan, an espresso, and a nice big Cuban cigar. If you don't like flan, fried yuca and plantains are a great alternative.

For more information and tips, contact your local Cuban restaurant.