A Cuban content creator identified as Yumail, from the profile 'Yumail Emprende Online', posted a tutorial on Facebook on how to light charcoal without a drop of fuel, using only nylon and pieces of foam.
The video starts with an ironic disclaimer. "A tutorial you didn't ask for, but I know you're going to need it during these times," said the young woman, explaining that she cannot do makeup or traditional cooking tutorials because the Cuban reality does not allow it.
The method is as simple as it is revealing of the precariousness experienced on the island. One must place a nylon sheet between the pieces of charcoal in the center of the stove and add a piece of foam with fire.
The charcoal will start to burn, but you need to stoke the flame by fanning it with rhythmic movements.
Behind the humor lies an unprecedented energy crisis. In this context, coal has become the de facto domestic fuel for millions of Cuban families, with sacks exceeding 2,000 and 3,000 pesos in several provinces, while gasoline in the informal market reaches 5,000 pesos per liter.
The 80% of Cubans believe this crisis is worse than the Special Period of the 1990s, according to a survey by the Foundation for Private Media in 2026.
The video of Yumail is not an isolated case. In April 2025, the user @sheyreyes03 went viral on TikTok with a tutorial on how to light charcoal using oil or gasoline, or with alternatives like paper and banana leaves.
In November 2025, the sawdust stove became popular, capable of burning for up to 24 hours, and in February 2026, another Cuban documented how she cooked charcoal spaghetti after more than 20 hours without electricity.
In March, a Cuban adapted a Fiat Polski to run on charcoal using a biomass gasification system.
Survival tutorials have become a unique genre within Cuban social media, where ingenuity and humor coexist with the most acute needs.
Yumail summarizes it with the phrase that closes his video: "Tell the CEO of NASA that we Cubans are looking for him. A tremendous potential is being wasted."
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