A Cuban Culinary Glossary
Source: AP
Posted: 04/04/08 9:15PM
Filed Under: Lifestyle Features
A short glossary of common Cuban culinary terms:
_ Bijol (bee-HOHL): A yellow powder containing ground annatto seeds
commonly used to color rice as an inexpensive substitute for saffron.
_ Boniato: Cuban sweet potato. Can be fried, mashed, baked or boiled as
any other potato, or made into a sugary dessert called boniatillo.
_ Calabaza: West Indian pumpkin. Used creamed or cut into chunks in
soups or stews, steamed or boiled as a vegetable dish with onions, as
well as in sweet desserts.
_ Quimbombo: Okra. Used in stews or "guisados" with tomatoes, onions and
meat.
_ Malanga: A bland root crop that often is mashed or boiled without
seasoning for babies and sick people. Often cut up for use in in thick
soups or fried as chips or fritters.
_ Mojo (MOH-hoh): A sauce made with sour orange juice, garlic, a little
salt and sometimes olive oil. Can be applied to cooked vegetables such
as yuca or used as a marinade for meat, fish and poultry.
_ Sofrito (so-FREE-toh): A "fried" sauce that serves as the base for
many Cuban and other Spanish Caribbean dishes. Commonly includes fresh
vegetables and spices, such as onions, garlic, sweet peppers, tomatoes,
and a spice called culantro, which has a flavor similar to cilantro.
_ Tostones: A popular side dish of green plaintains, flattened and fried
twice with a bit of salt.
_ Yuca (YU-kah): Stringy white tuber also known as cassava or maniac.
Often prepared by steaming and topping with traditional garlicky mojo
sauce.
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