For a taste of old Cuba, Lydia Bell heads east. The Oriente and its stridently Afro-Cuban capital, Santiago de Cuba, remain largely untouched by the wave of change sweeping the island.
There are times when it feels as though the entire city of Santiago de Cuba has congregated in Parque Céspedes. It’s a square hemmed in by faded colonial-era piles, and tonight, as a humid dusk falls, it’s full of folk promenading and gossiping and flirting. Even more are huddled over their phones hoping to log in to the overloaded public WiFi. From the rooftop of the Casa Grande, the most emblematic hotel in the city, I watch the pageant below: children playing football, hustlers staking territory, lovers circling slowly beneath the bronze bust of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, who freed his slaves and declared war on the Spanish in 1868. Up here on the terrace a salsa party is in full swing, fuelled by Mojitos and led by Grammy-winning local heroes Septeto Santiaguero singing old-style son Cubano beneath a full moon.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 2017-Ausgabe von Gourmet Traveller.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 2017-Ausgabe von Gourmet Traveller.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
From personal experience
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HEART AND SOUL
Not a vegetable but rather a flower bud that rises on a thistle, the artichoke is a complex delight. Its rewards are hard won; first you must get past the armour of petals and remove the hairy choke. Those who step up are rewarded with sweet and savoury creaminess and the elusive flavour of spring. Many of the recipes here begin with the same Provençal braise. Others call on the nuttiness of artichokes in their raw form. The results make pasta lighter and chicken brighter or can be fried to become a vessel for bold flavours all of which capture the levity of the season.
