CubaPLUS Magazine

Made with masses of dogfish -abundant in Caibarién, north-central part of Cuba-, potatoes, wheat flour, milk, oil, vinegar, salt, garlic, leeks and other species, it is the most famous dish of that coastal city and one of the the most renowned of seafood and popular cuisine of Cuba.

They say that it was invented almost as a charitable and emergency solution, in the port hotel España, on a certain night in December of the first quarter of the 20th century, in which an inclement zephyr was blowing and there were almost no patrons in the dining room of the establishment, quite visited usually because of the attractive menu of Iberian and Creole dishes offered at fair prices.

It was late when Messrs. Constante and Demetrio, the owners of the "Spain hotel" had already closed and felt the knocks of a group of port workers, hungry and urgent to warm their stomachs. They decided to wait, even though they had been warned that only a few remnants of the menu remained.

The peninsular owners nonetheless managed to expand the few pieces of dogfish they still had floating in a cowardly sauce. They put their hands in the potatoes, the milk, the flour and seasoned to taste. They had just created, by chance, a "hungerkiller" dish that was satiating and exquisite, and left the diners very happy.

They savored and gave voices of that wonder. Well, there are other versions about the origin of the popular dish, which is a legend today in Caibarién and Cuba. Some say it was created by a black maroon, or an Asian. But the most widespread and official story, so to speak, is the one that speaks of the endearing Hotel España, inaugurated in 1912.

Really, the fame is not unfounded. To its rich and spicy flavor, it combines its nutritional properties with a magical nourishing cream, capable of reviving even a deceased person. Oh my God! The sauce, creamy broth or soup from Caibarién, had as its main component in its beginning the so-called dog fish, abundant in waters of the area, along with slices of potatoes, flour, oil, vinegar, salt, onion, garlic and other natural spices.