![]() Virtually all prices are quoted in CUP now and tourists have to use them for everyday purchases (with some exceptions). ![]() Now, there is just CUP, whose value continues to plummet against global currencies each day. 1 CUC is exactly 1 US dollar and it was what (most) tourists used and restaurant menus were priced with. Before 2021, Cuba had two currencies: peso (CUP) and convertible peso (CUC). Since 2021, Cuba’s inflation rate has run amok at 70%. They have to be creative about substitutions and figuring out how to maximize the ingredients they have on hand.Ī more recent challenge affects tourists as much as Cubans: currency. I say Cuban chefs have to improvise like nowhere else in the world in the face of unstable supply issues. Tourists complain of how often most items on the menu are not available. The US trade embargo has made it difficult to secure a consistent and affordable supply chain. Especially imported ones that upscale restaurants advertise like olive oil and squid ink. The second challenge to deal with is the availability of ingredients. They are indistinguishable from regular restaurants elsewhere in the world, other than the discreet home residence beyond the kitchen. Today, the range, quality, and ambience of paladares exceeds that of government-run food establishments. That marked the renaissance of Cuban dining. When Cuba opened up for tourism in the 1990s during the “special period” (período especial tough economic times), the government allowed private enterprise in the form of paladares: family-run restaurants out of their own homes. ![]() It became a challenge to find somewhere that would accept foreigners, let alone with good food. It was mostly forgotten by the world after the Cuban revolution in 1959. Havana’s culinary scene has gone through ups and downs. I assume that you’re not planning to go to Cuba to eat French, Italian, Spanish, or American food, so I’ve focused on the unique Havana experiences in this article.
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