This time last year we were preparing for our family’s first heritage trip to Cuba over the holidays. I was excited for the kids to be inundated with my Cuban culture and traditions, wrapped in the fast-paced Spanish that my Cuban people are known for. And of course, we couldn’t wait to indulge in traditional Cuban breakfast food and the sweet traditions of an authentic Cuban breakfast.
Whether we were at a Cuban restaurant or at our family’s home, there was something incredibly special about starting our day with the sweet flavors of exotic fruit, Cuban bread and concentrated family time. Let’s not forget about those tantalizing aromas of strong Cuban coffee too!
Cuban Breakfast
We adored our time in Cuba and saying goodbye was sad for all of us, but I was determined to bring our favorite traditions back to our modern, American life…. starting with the Cuban breakfast!
Like many busy families, our mornings were chaotic and rushed. We almost never sat down for breakfast together and my husband was rushing out the door even before the kids and I were dressed. He would take his breakfast to-go, if he ate anything at all. It was my least favorite part of our days and, after spending time in Cuba, I made small changes to our morning routine that would create a stronger family culture.
Related: Pictures of Cuba Today
Cuban Breakfast Food
Cuban Culture: About Priorities
Want to know the beautiful thing about a traditional Cuban breakfast? Simplicity! No fancy breakfast, just all the right ingredients, concentrated into a few, sacred moments of family time. Cuban breakfast is non-negotiable, which is why it feels so nostalgic and traditional.
Here are a few priorities in creating a breakfast tradition at your house:
- Quality ingredients: My childhood home was always stocked with Cuban pastries, Minute Maid juices and freshly ground espresso (Cuban café). Fresh Cuban bread was also always on hand (from Papi’s market), along with guava paste and queso fresco. And although I won’t be waking my kids up with a strong café con leche like my mom used to do with me, keeping these few ingredients at home makes pulling a quick breakfast much easier.
- Simplicity: I’m convinced that everything is complicated in Cuba except for their breakfast! The meal is totally not fussy and that’s the beauty of it. I’ve listed the mandatory components of a Cuban breakfast below, but the list isn’t very long
- Nonnegotiable: That’s how traditions are created, right?! Your actions become values over time. We started with just weekend mornings, then occasional weekdays, and now it’s become routine to enjoy breakfast together. This was most difficult for my work-obsessed husband, but he’s getting used to starting his day with some family time. (And I cherish any extra time with him!)
- Optional: Our goal is to speak only Spanish during breakfast time!
What is Traditional Cuban Food?
How to Make Cuban Breakfast at Home
The picture above was taken at our favorite Air BnB in Trinidad, Cuba. Our host was amazing and served us an authentic Cuban breakfast every morning. Here are the components of a typical Cuban morning meal:
- Cuban coffee: served as a café con leche or a traditional cordatitio, Cuban coffee is a staple for Cuban culture. One of these days I’ll do an in-depth post on how to make Cuban coffee, but suffice it to say that great espresso is mandatory!
- Cuban bread and butter: Served alongside various fruit jams, guava paste and Cuban cheeses that are easy to spread. Check out the Cuban Sandwich recipe linked below for a popular recipe for Cuban bread. Alternatively, a French baguette cut into rounds and lightly toasted works great too. I normally dislike guava, but it was so delicious in Cuba!
- Fresh fruit: Whatever’s in season, which in Cuba is always tropical like mango and papaya (see this post on all the gorgeous Cuban fruit we found!)
- Fresh juice: In Cuba, these are made fresh and are often served as a smoothie.
- Optional: I consider Pan Dulce an optional item as they’re considered treats for special occasions. Cubans also love fried eggs over white Cuban rice or congri. If we have leftover rice from the night before, we add this is our morning meal.
Related: Cuban Sandwich and Cuban Bread Recipe
Passing down traditions, language and food culture as a busy American family can feel like an impossible balance. For a mom who’s intentional about this stuff, celebrating nuestra cultura takes a lot of work! We do our best to create the perfect moments for our familia to learn and cherish their heritage, but sometimes good enough looks hectic and rushed. And that’s ok! I’ll keep infusing my Cuban traditions into our lives in small, simple ways – like a traditional Cuban breakfast – while balancing our happy and hectic modern lives.
