logo
Ancient flatbread makes a comeback in Cuba as crisis bites

Ancient flatbread makes a comeback in Cuba as crisis bites

Yahoo06-05-2025

STORY: Cubans are turning to a dish from the distant past as the country experiences a dire economic crisis.
Historians say this simple flatbread, known locally as casabe, has been around for over a thousand years.
The dish only requires one ingredient: locally grown yucca root, also known as cassava.
In recent times casabe has mostly been relegated to field hands and outposts in the countryside.
But with imports and production of such basics as wheat flour, sugar and salt vastly reduced, some are giving the dish another look.
Yudisley Cruz is the co-founder of Yucasabi, a restaurant that seeks to promote the consumption of yucca-based products.
The small restaurant in touristy old Havana sells a single disc for about four cents, making it nutritious, delicious and affordable for both tourists and locals alike, Cruz said.
"In a food crisis like the one we are currently experiencing, we believe casabe can also help alleviate this situation. In addition to its tradition and cultural value, it is a food that goes well with everything, both savory and sweet dishes. These casabe cakes contain no fat or salt, are very easy to digest, gluten-free, and therefore suitable for people with gluten allergies, who now have another dish to choose from."
Casabe can be served alone or topped with any combination of onion, tomato, pork and garlic.
Cassava producer Julio Cesar Nunez says casabe's simplicity remains the flatbread's top selling point.
He says that historically, Indigenous people made it on stone using intense heat, before griddles came along and made production easier.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Florida-Caribbean carrier Silver Airways ceases operations
Florida-Caribbean carrier Silver Airways ceases operations

Travel Weekly

time4 hours ago

  • Travel Weekly

Florida-Caribbean carrier Silver Airways ceases operations

Fort Lauderdale-based regional carrier Silver Airways has ceased operations. "Please do not go to the airport. All credit card purchases should be refundable through your credit card company or your travel agency," reads a travel alert on Silver Airways' website. The airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Dec. 30, continuing operations with plans to complete its restructuring by the end of March. However, by April, the trustee in the bankruptcy proceeding had requested that the case be dismissed because Silver continued to bleed money and had failed to attain the financing necessary to achieve solvency. At the time, Silver had $90 million in assets and $400 million in debt. Silver also owed $8 million in taxes and $27.7 million to unsecured creditors. Silver entered Chapter 11 with 16 aircraft and a network of 24 cities in Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. It was the parent of the Seaborn brand, which connected St. Croix and St. Thomas via seaplane. By April, the company had reduced its fleet to seven aircraft, court records show. This month, Silver was scheduled to fly to 16 destinations, according to Cirium data. In a statement, Silver said it had entered into a transaction to sell assets to another airline holding company that "unfortunately has determined to not continue Silver's flight operations in Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean." According to South Florida NPR affiliate WLRN, Silver recently went up for auction, but drew no bidders. As a result, the carrier was awarded by default to Connecticut-based Wexford Capital, which had loaned Silver $5.7 million for operations during its Chapter 11 process. That figure was the baseline price at the auction.

Regent's Seven Seas Prestige to reach a new level of opulence with top suite
Regent's Seven Seas Prestige to reach a new level of opulence with top suite

Travel Weekly

time4 hours ago

  • Travel Weekly

Regent's Seven Seas Prestige to reach a new level of opulence with top suite

Regent Seven Seas Cruises' newest ship will have a two-level suite measuring 8,794 square feet, about double the size of the current largest suite in the fleet. It will start at $25,000 per night. The cruise line is calling the Skyview Regent Suite aboard the Seven Seas Prestige "the largest ultra-luxury cruise suite in history." "We have this beauty of a suite, which is going to truly be a first in the industry from the standpoint of the most inclusive as well as the most sought-after address at sea," said Jason Montague, chief luxury officer for Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises. The Skyview Regent Suite will be located at the front of the ship and include two bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a private sauna and gym, a 3,703 square foot balcony, a private bar, a walk-in closet and living room and dining areas. It will be the only suite with access to a 12-person private dining venue called The Study. When Seven Seas Prestige debuts in December 2026, its first sailings will be in the Caribbean and Europe. Its inaugural season includes two transatlantic crossings, journeys between the Caribbean and Los Angeles and a sailing from Miami to New York. Reservations will open June 25, but guests can register interest in the maiden season beginning June 11. Studio Dado, a Florida-based design firm, is behind the Skyview Regent Suite. The mattresses will be custom made by Italian company Flou. A rendering of the dining area in the Skyview Regent Suite. Photo Credit: Regent Seven Seas Cruises The suite's second floor will include the primary bedroom with panoramic windows, the walk-in closet and the main bathroom, which will have a floating tub, sauna and walk-in shower. Floating stone stairs or an elevator bring guests to the lower level, with its formal dining space, skylight, bar, couches and guest suite. The Skyview Regent Suite will be designed to accommodate up to six people. Included is a personal butler, daily spa treatments, a private fitness session, a private car and driver at every port, laundry and dry cleaning, a pillow and linen menu, and a bottle of Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac. A rendering of the main bedroom in the Skyview Regent Suite. Photo Credit: Regent Seven Seas Cruises "It's all about personalization and luxury," said Regent senior vice president of sales and trade marketing Shawn Tubman. "When you have everything included, you're not worrying about anything." The largest existing suite in Regent's fleet is 4,400 square feet and goes for about $15,000 per night. It is on the fleet's Explorer class ships, which include Seven Seas Explorer, Seven Seas Splendor and Seven Seas Grandeur. Seven Seas Prestige will be 40% larger than those ships but accommodate just 10% more guests.

Silver Airways cancels flights, tells passengers not to go to airport via Instagram
Silver Airways cancels flights, tells passengers not to go to airport via Instagram

CBS News

time5 hours ago

  • CBS News

Silver Airways cancels flights, tells passengers not to go to airport via Instagram

Silver Airways abruptly scuttled all of the Florida regional carrier's flights and told passengers booked on flights scheduled to depart Wednesday not to go to the airport. The bankrupt carrier said in an Instagram post that it would no longer serve customers as of June 11. Silver Airways also said it struck an agreement to sell it assets to a buyer that decided not to continue the carrier's flight operations, part of an effort to restructure the company's debt. The Hollywood/Fort Lauderdale-based airline, which launched in 2011 and which has hubs in Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December, saying the move would allow it to raise money and remain competitive. Silver Airways canceled 52 flights Wednesday, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. Industry analysts said they weren't surprised the airline had shut down. "It was more a matter of when, rather than if, Silver would shut down," Atmosphere Research Group airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt told CBS News. Silver served more than a dozen destinations across Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. It also owned a subsidiary airline, Seaborne, that operated seaplanes flying to the islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas. In its social media post, Silver said it would refund customers' purchases through either their credit card companies or the travel agency through which they booked flights. and contributed to this report.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store