A young Cuban from Las Tunas went viral on TikTok on Thursday by sharing what she referred to as her "millionaire's food in Cuba": a plate of rice with pork and cracklings that her mother prepared for her at home, a delicacy that today symbolizes a real privilege for most Cubans.
The content creator Yaneisy (@yaneisycanta_98) posted the video with a direct irony aimed at the official rhetoric of the regime: "Food for millionaires in Cuba, or at least for me, because supposedly here in Cuba we are all equal, but no, gentlemen, no."
The young woman immediately clarified that her sense of wealth did not come from money, but from familial affection: "While it's also true that eating meat in Cuba is a luxury, I wasn't referring to being a millionaire for that reason, but because I am in my mother's house and here she indulges me."
His favorite dish, rice with pork, arrived accompanied by chicharrones that he managed to find near his house, something he described as an exceptional stroke of luck amidst the lines that dominate daily life in Las Tunas.
"The streets of Las Tunas are always bustling with people, a lot of motorbikes, and many electric tricycles, and all you see here and everywhere you go is a huge line," she recounted. However, in the shop where she bought the meat, she didn’t find any queue, which she celebrated with relief: "Thank God there wasn't a soul around, because I'm allergic to waiting in line."
The video is not an isolated event in Yaneisy's journey. In January 2026, one of her videos surpassed 3 million views showcasing what one can buy with 2,500 Cuban pesos — about five dollars — in Cuba: sausages, spaghetti, macaroni, and soap. Her most repeated phrase summarizes the paradox: "In Cuba, there are indeed food items, but there is no money."
The numbers support that statement. In 2026, the price of a pound of pork in the informal market ranges between 1,000 and 1,300 Cuban pesos, compared to a state average salary of only 6,930 pesos per month. National pork production has plummeted from 200,000 to just 9,000 tons in recent years, turning what was once a staple for family celebrations into a luxury item.
Las Tunas, the province of Yaneisy, ranks among the two most affected by the country's food crisis alongside Guantánamo, with over 10% of total access to food lost and more than 46,400 unproductive hectares. According to food security data from April 2026, 96.91% of the Cuban population lacked adequate access to food.
The contrast with prices for tourists is striking: in a luxury store in Havana, a pork chop can cost almost 130 dollars, an amount unattainable for any Cuban state worker.
At the end of the video, Yaneisy simply summarized what many Cubans feel: "There is no food in the world better than what your mother cooks for you." A phrase that, in the context of Cuba in 2026, resonates with both tenderness and a sense of denunciation.
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