Rice Without Pebbles For The Tourists

Rice Without Pebbles For The Tourists

14ymedio, Marta Requeiro, Miami, 13 April 2017 — I still have a clear
memory of the Cuban TV show Cocina a minuto, every Sunday before
noon. It disappeared, of course, when it was no longer possible to make
the recipes with what the people had at their disposal in the
refrigerator or the pantry and and what they were still given – although
with a few more alternatives than now – on the ration book.

It was ridiculous that they would broadcast it on television and we
would see the host and chef, Nitza Villapol, preparing some exquisite
dessert with a can of condensed milk and twelve eggs, when Cubans were
only given five eggs per person per month. At home we would say, "But
what planet is this woman living on?" Surely this is what provoked the
cancelling of the show.

In June the Varadero International Gourmet Festival will be held, with
the participation of ten countries.

The magazine Caribbeannewsdigital.com affirms that it will focus on the
search for excellence in tourist services, and will celebrate two of
Havana's most famous establishments, the 200-year-old the Floridita
restaurant and the 75th anniversary of La Bodeguita del Medio. This is
because Washington and Havana enjoy excellent relations at the moment.

Innovations in culinary techniques and vegan recipes, which are trending
around the world, will surely grace the tables; but ordinary Cubans,
once again, will not know this.

Dinner table conversations will be enlivened with quality cocktails
prepared with the real Cuban rum, which enjoys international prestige,
none of those rotgut brands that Cubans drink like Chispa Del Tren
(Train Spark) or Hueso De Tigre (Tiger Bone). Fine Habano cigars,
chocolates and coffee – real coffee, not the one Cubans get that is half
crushed peas – will also be part of the feast, enjoyed and appreciated
by the experts.

According to data from the Department of Commerce, collected by the
United States-Cuba Economic and Trade Council, the island bought a
considerable amount of rice (about 700 tons) in February, something that
hadn't happened for nine years.

We already know who is going to taste that exquisite rice and how many
dishes will be made with it. It is for tourists, who can enjoy rice
pudding or rice with chicken. Instead, the people will continue to eat
the rice filled with pebbles and rubbish that you have to spend hours
picking out before you cook it.

Source: Rice Without Pebbles For The Tourists – Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/rice-without-pebbles-for-the-tourists/