While millions of Cubans face prolonged power outages every day and cook as best they can under precarious conditions, the National Botanical Garden in Havana has chosen to showcase wood-fired cooking on social media as a tribute to tradition and Cuban identity.
In the current context, this exaltation seems less like a genuine celebration of cultural values and more like a functional gesture towards the official discourse, attempting to romanticize precariousness and disguise need as identity.
Under the title "Discover the Flavors of Traditional Cuban Wood-Fired Cuisine," the publication promotes a culinary experience that showcases dishes such as roast pork, congrí, or yuca with mojo, prepared using firewood and "ancestral" techniques, all set against the natural greenery of the park.
No one doubts that cooking with firewood is part of Cuba’s culinary heritage. In rural areas, for generations, it was customary to prepare food on rustic stoves, using charcoal or wood, and many still nostalgically remember those intense, smoky flavors.
But in the current context, where millions of households across the country lack stable access to gas or electricity for cooking, this kind of exaltation is, at the very least, a folly.
Transforming a wood-fired kitchen into a sort of gourmet experience during times of acute energy crisis may seem like an act disconnected from reality.
It's not just a cultural nod; it's a dangerous normalization of precariousness, as if reverting to methods of the past were a voluntary choice rather than a desperate imposition.
In a country where many improvise kitchens with electric heaters, cook with firewood out of necessity in backyards, or wait in long lines to get a gas tank, celebrating this method as heritage while ignoring the drama that surrounds it today is to overlook the daily suffering of a significant portion of the population.
Cuban traditional cuisine is undoubtedly a cultural heritage. But the right to cook with dignity is also part of that heritage.
And unfortunately, that is not guaranteed with smoke and firewood, but with energy and stability.
According to the Food Monitor Program (FMP), an independent organization that has been monitoring access to basic services on the island for the past three years, more than 9 million people in Cuba are currently cooking under precarious, unsanitary, and dangerous conditions, amid one of the worst energy crises the country is experiencing.
The figure comes from the analysis of the latest Population and Housing Census in Cuba and from own studies by FMP, which estimate that around 1.7 million households use liquefied gas (LPG), another 2 million rely exclusively on electricity, and about 220 thousand cook with manufactured gas.
The rest of the population is left completely exposed to power outages, interruptions in gas supply, or rudimentary means.
Considering an average of 3 to 4 people per household, over 9 million Cubans are facing severe difficulties or a complete inability to cook in their homes, the organization emphasized.
The report notes that, with power outages lasting up to 20 hours a day, families cook when there is electricity, regardless of the time.
Food is prepared early in the morning, eaten cold or immediately, and many people have reduced the number of meals they have each day.
Before the most recent collapse, 33% of households had already started skipping meals as a survival measure, while a 25% admitted to going to bed hungry.
The most dramatic scenario is the increase in cooking with firewood and charcoal. Thousands of families, faced with the inability to use electricity or gas, are building makeshift stoves with recycled materials.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Energy Crisis and Wood Cooking in Cuba
Why does the Havana Botanical Garden promote wood-fired cooking?
The Botanical Garden of Havana has decided to showcase wood-fired cuisine as a tribute to tradition and Cuban identity, in an attempt to reclaim traditional Cuban dishes prepared over a wood fire. However, in the current context of energy crisis, this initiative seems more like an attempt to romanticize hardship than a true cultural celebration.
How does the energy crisis in Cuba affect the population?
The energy crisis in Cuba has forced more than 9 million people to cook in precarious, unsanitary, and dangerous conditions, according to the Food Monitor Program. Many families are facing extended blackouts of up to 20 hours a day, which compels them to resort to outdated and unhealthy methods for preparing their food, such as using firewood or charcoal.
Why is it problematic to romanticize the use of firewood for cooking in Cuba?
Romanticizing the use of firewood for cooking in Cuba is problematic because it ignores the reality of necessity and precariousness faced by the population, which is forced to resort to this method due to a lack of access to electricity and gas. Presenting this practice as a voluntary cultural tradition is a dangerous normalization of precariousness in a country facing an energy crisis.
What alternatives have Cubans found for cooking during power outages?
Cubans have turned to ingenuity for cooking during blackouts, using improvised methods such as wood-burning stoves, motorcycle batteries to generate power, and solar panels to run induction cooktops. This creativity is a response to the lack of access to conventional energy sources and highlights the severity of the energy crisis on the island.
Filed under: