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Country Guide > Caribbean > Cuba | |
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Social Profile Food & Drink Restaurants (both table- and self-service) are generally inexpensive. Cuisine is continental or Cuban with a strong emphasis on seafood. Cuban food uses more garlic and less chilli than elsewhere in the Caribbean. Favourite dishes are omelettes, often stuffed with meat and/or cheese; maize fritters; a thick soup made of chicken or black beans; roast suckling pig; chicken and rice; plantains baked or fried; and local Cuban ice cream. Tour food served in hotels is not always exciting but it is adequate and will include chicken, fish, ham, cheese, fresh papaya, melon, pineapple, mangoes, bananas, fresh vegetables and green salads. Desserts are sweet and include pastries, flans, caramel custard, guava paste and cheese. Bars generally have waiter and counter service. Cuban coffee is very strong, but weaker, British-style coffee is available. Cuban beer is tasty but weak. Spirits are reasonably priced; rum is good and plentiful and used in excellent cocktails such as daiquiris and mojitos (pronounced ‘moh-hee-tos’). Nightlife Nightlife is concentrated in Havana, Varadero Beach and in the major tourist resorts. Cuba is renowned for its salsa dancing and visitors can attend dance classes or swing their hips with the locals at the Tropicana and Varadero Mambo nightclubs. Much entertainment may be planned by the visitor’s guide or tour operator, and it is common to attend in organised groups. Even medium-sized bars usually have a house band playing Cuban classics. There is a choice of floor show entertainments, nightclubs and theatres. The Tropicana nightclub stages spectacular open-air shows. Theatre, opera and ballet are staged all year round in Havana and seats are very cheap. Cinemas show films in Spanish, but some have subtitles. Shopping Special purchases include cigars, rum, coffee and local handicrafts. The main hotels have a few luxury shops. There are duty-free shops at the airport and in the centre of Havana. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1800, Sun 0900-1200. Special Events The following is a selection of special events occurring in Cuba in 2005. All events take place in Havana unless otherwise stated. Jan Winter CUBALLET. Jan-Jul FolkCuba (traditional music and dance). Jan-Aug Cubadanza. Feb Havana Cigar Festival (trade fair); International Book Fair. Mar International Festival of Electro-Acoustic Music. Apr Percuba 2005 (16th International Percussion Festival). May CUBADISCO; Tourism Convention. Jul Fiesta del Fuego (Caribbean Festival), Santiago de Cuba. Jul-Aug Havana Carnival. Aug Summer Cuba Ballet. Sep International Transport Exhibition. Oct International Ballet Festival; Festival of Ibero-American Culture. Nov International Havana Exhibition; International Choir Festival. Dec International Festival of New Latin American Cinema; International Jazz Festival. Social Conventions Handshaking is the normal form of greeting. Cubans generally address each other as compañero, but visitors should use señor or señora. Some Cubans have two surnames after their Christian name and the first surname is the correct one to use. Normal courtesies should be observed when visiting someone’s home and a small gift may be given if invited for a meal. Formal wear is not often needed and hats are rarely worn. Men should not wear shorts except on or near the beach. Women wear light cotton dresses or trousers during the day and cocktail dresses for formal evenings. Tipping: Moderate tipping is expected. However, as more foreigners pass through Cuba, many people who would not normally merit them have begun to demand tips. Some discretion may be required. |