A video posted on Facebook by Cuban Rossy Peres, in which she prepares green plantain tamales instead of corn ones, has amassed over 74,000 views and sparked a wave of comments among Cubans both on and off the island.
The reel features Rossy preparing an alternative version of one of the most traditional dishes in Cuban cuisine, replacing corn with green plantain as the main ingredient.
The recipe is not entirely new in the culinary culture of the island, which is currently experiencing a severe economic and food crisis.
Grated green plantain as the base of a dough similar to that of a tamale has its origins in the emblematic dish of Baracoa, in the province of Guantánamo, known as bacán, an ancestral preparation that combines green plantain with pork and is wrapped in bijao leaves.
The cuisine of Baracoa is renowned for its richness and uniqueness within Cuba, with over 200 indigenous recipes that set it apart from the rest of the country.
The video by Rossy generated hundreds of reactions, with many users surprised by the final result and others sharing their own experiences with similar recipes.
The culinary creativity of Cubans in times of scarcity remains a constant source of ingenuity and cultural identity.
It is not the first time that a Cuban recipe has gone viral on social media. Recently, a black beans recipe that exceeded 76,000 views on TikTok demonstrated the immense interest that Cuban cuisine generates among diaspora communities.
It also caused a sensation with a ropa vieja recipe published in February of this year, which amazed thousands of followers with its preparation and presentation. These instances reflect how Cuban cuisine continues to captivate audiences in the digital world.
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