Neither the power outages nor the lack of gas for cooking stopped a Cuban woman from celebrating her friend's birthday in a grand way. The young woman shared on TikTok how they managed to prepare a special meal using charcoal, amidst the challenges that many families on the island face daily.
"A birthday in Cuba with a blackout all day and without gas to cook. I believe that Cuba is one of the very few countries where one still has to cook with charcoal out of necessity, as gas can take up to a year to arrive," said the content creator in a video posted on her TikTok account.
Although cooking was not an easy task, the result was worth it. The birthday girl’s husband took care of preparing some spicy shrimp, accompanied by a tomato salad and taro purée. A special menu that, as the young woman explained, is not within everyone's budget in Cuba.
"Not everyone here can buy this food with their simple monthly salary, because imagine that here a pound of shrimp can cost you almost the same as what a teacher earns in a month," he commented.
But the celebration didn't end with the food. There was also birthday cake, empanadas, croquettes, photos, and of course, the traditional moment of singing happy birthday to the honoree.
The birthday girl's mother took charge of decorating the room for the occasion, making the place look, in the young woman's own words, "beautiful," despite spending the day without electricity.
"But as Cubans always find a way, here we are in a blackout, cooking with charcoal, but celebrating my friend's birthday," said the TikToker, showing how they tried to enjoy a special occasion despite the challenges.
The celebration took place amid the severe energy crisis that Cuba is experiencing. This Monday, the Electric Union forecasted a mere availability of 958 MW against an estimated demand of 2,850 MW, with a deficit of 1,892 MW during peak hours.
The lack of electricity has also affected other recent celebrations. On October 31st, a group of young people celebrated Halloween in El Vedado after about 30 hours without power.
In addition to the blackouts, there is a shortage of liquefied gas, forcing some families to seek alternatives for preparing their meals. CUPET suspended its nationwide distribution on September 28 due to inventory depletion, and although there have been occasional sales, the fuel remains difficult to obtain.
Resorting to charcoal does not represent an economic solution for many households either. According to previously reported prices, a bag of charcoal can cost between 3,200 and 5,000 Cuban pesos, a considerable amount compared to the salaries on the island.
The author of the video also reflected on the financial effort involved in organizing a celebration like this.
"Here, anyone who has a business or any income apart from their salary, or is supported from abroad, can indeed do this, even if it’s just once a month," he noted.
Amidst the coal smoke, power outages, and challenges in finding ingredients, family and friends managed to organize a celebration with food, decorations, and special moments for the birthday girl.
Filed under: