Living on Cuban food ration isn't easy
By ANITA SNOW
HAVANA --
No one on this communist-run island dies from starvation, but every
month Cubans on the "universal ration" must use ingenuity and
organization to ensure everyone gets enough to eat.
For 30 days, I lived on a similar program. I spent less than $17 for a
month's sustenance, dropped nine pounds and learned - like Cubans - to
budget carefully, plan meals ahead, buy only what was necessary and
never throw food away.
Most importantly, I realized that like most Americans, I take food for
granted, assuming I'll always get what I want when I want it.
Cuba's ration system began in 1962, to guarantee a low-priced basket of
basic foods just as the U.S. cut off trade with the island, sparking
food shortages. Initially characterized as temporary, the program
remained as Cuba struggled to feed its people, turning to the Eastern
bloc for most of its food.
Today, Cuba spends $1 billion a year to give the island's 11.2 million
citizens a subsidized ration including rice, legumes, potatoes, bread,
eggs and a small amount of meat. The government estimates the ration
provides a third of the 3,300 calories the average Cuban consumes daily.
The rationed products, which cost consumers about $1.20, would cost more
than $58 if purchased at the overpriced Cuban supermarkets for
foreigners known as the "shopping," or about $50 at the average U.S.
grocery store.
For my project, I allotted myself the same items on the ration, plus an
average salary of $16.60 to buy the rest of my food. During June, I ate
little animal protein, no dairy products, very little fat, but probably
consumed more rice and beans than I had in a year. When I could, I ate
fruit and vegetables daily.
Limited in what they can eat, Cubans spend much time thinking about
their next meal. I found myself obsessing about food as well. Would I
have enough money at the end of the month to buy vegetables? Would all
those potatoes make me fat?
Cubans told me the farmers markets were expensive, but I didn't realize
just how costly until I lived on their limited plan. A big papaya costs
more than a day's wages.
More than half of Cubans have access to some foreign currency, whether
from tips from tourists or remittances from abroad. With $50 a month, a
family can buy additional cooking oil, pork or even a rare piece of beef
at the "shopping."
But the rest of Cubans have to be creative. Neighbors trade and buy and
sell rationed products to get what they need. They purchase milk, butter
and yogurt sold surreptitiously outside the government bakery. Some
engage in petty theft, such as restaurant workers who skim cheese off
sandwiches.
I traded someone a pound of squid for six eggs. When I ran out of
coffee, I bought rationed coffee from people who preferred extra food.
I learned firsthand how Cuba's tightly woven society ensures that
relatives, neighbors, friends, and co-workers always eat. Several Cubans
gave me part of their rations, refusing money or food in exchange. A
Cuban colleague offered to share her homemade spaghetti lunch. A friend
said his family invited the same elderly neighbor to lunch every day for
years.
Despite their generosity, Cubans remain anxious about food, especially
those who remember the "Special Period" - wartime-like austerity
measures imposed in the early 1990s after the Soviet Union collapsed and
the island's gross domestic product plunged by 35 percent.
Cubans experienced true hunger during those years, missing many meals,
eating very small and unappetizing ones, going months without meat or
fresh produce. But the ration ensured no one starved to death.
The crisis eased after 1993 when the government broke up state farms
into smaller cooperatives and individual farms, and opened farmers
markets where producers could sell crops at unrestricted prices after
meeting government production quotas. Cheap meals at workplaces and
schools and affordable street food also help.
Still, stereotypes about Cuba's food situation persist. Visitors are
often surprised to find a somewhat plump population, and recent
government studies show 30 percent of Cuban adults are overweight.
With all the starch on the ration, and high produce costs, it would be
easy to gain weight.
With my American phobia of carbohydrates, I gave away most of my four
pounds of potatoes early into the month. Without those carbs, and
without access to the cheap meals many government workers get, I dropped
nine pounds in 30 days.
I marked the end of the month modestly on Sunday with a small dinner for
Cuban and foreigner friends, cooking a mixed bean soup with sausages and
a tomato base that my late mother loved. I also made corn bread, a
watercress salad with tomatoes and avocados and a pumpkin flan.
Today, I return to a modified version of my diet for another month in
hopes of losing more weight.
Legumes remain my primary protein source as I add some fish and chicken.
I'll stay away from most beef, pork and dairy products, but will now add
nonfat yogurt to my diet, along with more fruit and vegetables.
Most importantly, I'll eschew the chocolate bars, microwave popcorn, and
potato chips I love.
And I'll try to stop taking food for granted.
No comments:
Post a Comment