These topics dominated discussion on Friday morning. Yes, slight tweaking of the FNO rules (see blog week 1). As our Cuban destination only opens its door weekdays from 7am until 2pm, we had no choice.
But first, allow me to tell you more about Cuban cuisine. More mild than wild, traditional Cuban dishes rely on muted spices and extended simmering to build flavour. Hot chilies are eschewed for milder spices like cumin, cinnamon, bay leaf and oreganum. Beef and pork are the preferred meats, and being an island nation it is obvious why seafood features prominently. Christopher Columbus arrived on Cuban shores in 1492. He brought with him the flavours of Seville - oranges and lemons, as well as rice and vegetables. With perfect conditions to cultivate sugarcane, African slaves were imported to work the plantations. The fusion of Spanish and African cultures form the backbone of Cuban cuisine, with Black Bean and Rice Stews, known as Moros y Cristianos ( Moors and Christians) typifying the unification. Crucial to just about every dish is the addition of olive oil, sour orange juice, onions, cumin and paprika - a sauce called mojo. And without the mojo, a dish would lack the necessary balance in flavour that gives the food its charm.
However, I cannot expand on whether Cuban cuisine has lost its mojo, as our breakfast destination focussed on the sweet essence of Cuban coffee and cigars (without doubt the two most important food groups in Cuba....). Paladar Espresso Bar and Fumior Salon on Merrivale Street in South Brisbane brings a little bit of Cuba to the heart of Brisbane. From it's welcoming revolutionary red exterior to the collection of eclectic curios inside, it is an espresso bar like no other. The flavours and sounds of Havana fill the tiny shop, with purveyor Filip (always ready for a chat) barely visible behind the counter stacked with memorabilia, cookie jars and the espresso machine. To the back of Paladar is a cosy courtyard, should you wish to have your coffee there. If you take the stairs to the sunny rooftop terrace, you may complement your cafe cubano with the peppery, leathery, toasty, woody, chestnutty or earthy flavours of an imported Habana cigar.
Prior to the Castro-era, coffee production flourished, and Cuban coffee accounted for a huge percentage of the country's export revenue. Economic disaster struck in 1959 (when coffee production was at its peak) as the Marxist revolution swept Castro into power and started to confiscate farms and nationalise all industries. Today coffee accounts for only 1 % of all Cuban exports.
On the other hand, Cuban cigars are one of the country's top exports. It dominates the world cigar market with 70% of the sales. This jealously guarded market share excludes the United States, where Cuba's cigars are banned under a decades-old trade embargo against the Communist Island.
The dexterous fingers of Cuba's cigar makers rolled out 81.5 million of the much sought-after smokes last year, with demand being driven by the Chinese market. We selected two cigars from Filip's extensive collection and were issued with a cutter to cut the head and butane torch to ignite the foot - one slightly sweet, and the second quite nutty. When in Cuba.....
With the strong, dark, concentrated coffee-bean extract acting as the octane to fuel our day, the sharing of facts began pretty much from the get-go: Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, The Bay of Pigs, The Cuban Missile Crisis, Guantanamo Bay - politics again predominating discussion. Myths were expelled (no, Cuban cigars are not rolled on a virgin's thigh) and hoodoo explained (a folk spirituality with the belief that human well-being is governed by spiritual balance, and the use of charms to embody spiritual power....not to be confused with voodoo from Haiti). And somehow it was even possible to include some celebrity gossip: Beyoncé and Jay-Z caused a media frenzy with their recent trip to Cuba despite the US-Cuban travel and trade embargo (imposed by JKF 52 years ago, and re-affirmed by the Obama administration in May 2014). Obama had the chance to take a slick jab at Jay-Z at the annual White House Correspondent's Dinner. Talking about issues that he has to deal with that are out of his control, Obama said, "It's unbelievable... I have 99 problems and now Jay-Z is one of them." Interestingly enough, the President does not appear to be as concerned about Beyoncé.....
This Friday was definitely more of a cultural than a culinary experience, one all eight of us wholeheartedly embraced. Next Friday all will revert to normal, as we investigate the tastes of Colombia.
Filip the owner of Paladar
Louise looking quite accomplished
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