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Onboard Holland America Line

Spicy-Sweet Cuban Classics

In this class, we explored the many ways that Spanish, Moroccan, and Latin American culinary traditions have influenced Cuba's food culture. The spicy, briny, sweet flavors of the classic dish, picadillo, are a perfect example of this “melting pot” sensibility. You learned about plantains and different ways to prepare them for a sweet or savory side dish. And what exploration of Cuba leaves out rum? Not ours! We showed you how to make a well-balanced mojito with lime juice and plenty of fresh mint. Finally, we gave you some tips for preparing tropical fruit in safe and easy ways.

Download the handout we used for this course onboard your Holland America cruise [PDF].

Recipe Cards

Cuban-Style Picadillo

There’s lots to recommend this tangy, sweet, judiciously spiced Latin beef hash—we traded a painstakingly hand-chopped roast for the convenience of ground meat.

 

 

Fried Sweet Plantains and Mojitos

To create authentic sweet fried plantains, we start with super-ripe plantains: they have a high sugar content, which helps the plantains brown and crisp in the hot oil.