- The Story of How a Yellow Submarine Caught on in Cuba
SOME VISIBLE MARKS OF BRITISH CULTURE ON THE ISLAND NATION, DESPITE THE FIRST “APPROACHES” BETWEEN BOTH COUNTRIES, WERE RELATED TO WARMONGERING MATTERS
Paradoxically, wars usually come to an end in the peace and pertinence that could have been used to stop them in the first place. But, since they were already fought, it would not be wrong to assess the instructive and temporary aspects of their consequences with a holistic sense. We can say that the first “approaches” between England and Cuba were related to warmongering matters. Keep on reading to check out whether the argument heading this article can be of any use.
BRITISH “VISITS”
The 1565-1595 period witnessed high piracy activity in the Americas and Cuba was no stranger to repeated attacks and ransacking. British corsairs John Hawkins “Aquines” (1532–1595) and his cousin Sir Francis Drake “The Dragon” (1543–1596) stood out for their looting campaigns against Spanish colonies in the Caribbean Sea. Sir Henry Morgan (1635–1688) was also regrettably notorious, since he launched his first full-scale operation at Santa Maria del Puerto del Principe Village, or Camaguey as we know it today. These three figures passed away in Puerto Rico, Panama and Jamaica, respectively.
During the so-called War of Jenkin’s Ear (1739–1741), British and Spanish forces clashed throughout the Caribbean region. In the first year of that conflict, ships commanded by vice admiral Edward Vernon gathered in front of Havana’s Guanabo and the Port of Havana. In 1741, they sailed into Guantanamo Bay and founded Cumberland colony in an effort to launch a ground attack in Santiago de Cuba, which was stopped by the tenacious harassment carried out by Cuban militias and the significant impact of tropical diseases.
Barely two decades later, within the framework of the Seven-Year War, Havana was taken by British troops, after an intense campaign that began on June 6 and finished on August 13, 1762. Havana spent eleven months under British control.
NOT ONLY A MASTERPIECE BY SHAKESPEARE
Romeo y Julieta is the name of one of Cuba’s most famous habano brands, created back in 1875. It is identified with the classic scene in which Romeo climbs up to Juliet’s balcony. This brand engulfs different types of vitolas, with Churchill and Montesco as the most internationally renowned.
BETWEEN LETTERS AND CELLULOID
It is hard to find Cuban people that do not react as connoisseurs, with certain familiarity, when hearing the name of such great British writers as Charles Dickens, William Somerset Maugham, Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. If something is missing, there is always a voice suggesting: Call Sherlock Holmes!
Likewise, the British movie industry took Cuba into account for one of its most anthological productions, Our Man in Havana, based on Graham Greene’s homonymous novel, with Alec Guinness playing the leading role. Its argument reflects the situation in the country during the last year of tyrant Fulgencio Batista’s misadministration.
COCKTAILS & BARS
The so-called “draiquecito, draquecito or drequecito” was part of the drink list on the island. It was probably born from a paired drink, the favorite among British sailors, based on rum, lemon and other liquors. That was the name given to this alleged precedent of Mojito, a blend related to the creation of Drake. It is believed to be the result of an attempt to improve the strong taste and hard-to-drink tafia, eau-de-vie and rumbullion, by adding lemon juice – high level of C vitamin, which was generally taken during sea voyages to counteract the scurvy of crews–, sugar and mint.
Henry Morgan is another cocktail, named after a filibuster. It is Cubanito, the Cuban version of internationally-known Bloody Mary (although it was probably created by the French as a reference to England’s Queen Mary 1st), replacing vodka with light rum and adding tomato juice, lemon juice, spicy sauce, pepper, salt and English sauce or Worcestershire.
HOW ABOUT GASTRONOMY?
Professional cooks use the British Style expression, as a cooking term applied to nearly raw or underdone meats. However, it is not usual to take it when referring to a type of service, as it is internationally used. Two Cuban recipes can be included because, since they stand for respectful purposes and cultural communion.
PENDING CULT
Nobody can forget those unrepeatable 1960s when youngsters used to argue about the best band, The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, but they had actually only seen them in pictures or listened to them through non-formal ways… Fortunately, these young talents were soon assimilated. The progressive insertion in Cuba of the polemic quartet from Liverpool was a sort of wish consummation.
The arrival of the second millennium recalled a pending cult. On December 8, 2000, a bronze statue of John Lennon was inaugurated in a park nestled in Havana’s Vedado, barely 50 m away from Submarino Amarillo nightclub (Yellow Submarine). Two years later, a new statue of Imagine’s author was unveiled in Guardalavaca beach, Holguin province. He was walking on the sand, holding his shoes with a hand.
In the second decade of the 21st century, three theme premises were opened: The Beatles bar-restaurant, in Varadero; Yesterday, in Trinidad City; and The Cavern, in Holguin. The first two properties feature impressive sculptures of these British legends. But this series of materialized remembrances were preceded by the visit paid to Santiago de Cuba by Paul McCartney and his family, on January 14, 2000, at El Morro Cuban traditional restaurant. Such pleasant event was eternalized with an image sculpted in bronze at the premise next to the heritage fortress in this eastern city of Cuba.
«Sopita» inglesa
Ingredients:
» Dry Panatela: 1 unidad o pieza / unit or piece
» Custard: 3 tazas / cups
» Butter: 2 cucharadas / table spoons
» Candied fruits: ½ taza / cup
» Rum: ½ taza / cup
» Cocoa cream or liquor: ½ taza / cup
Preparation:
Cut the panatela into 1 cm-thick pieces. Add hot custard and butter. When it is fresh, add candied fruits. In a rectangular baking tin (approximately 30 x 20 x 5 cm) pour the third part of custard and cover it with the panatela. Bath it with rum and cover it with another layer of custard and the remaining panatela bathed with cocoa cream or liquor. Finally, pour the remaining custard. Let it cool. The entire piece can be covered with merengue and browned in the oven for some minutes. 12 portions. Dejar enfriar bien. Puede cubrirse con merengue toda la pieza ya conformada y dorarlo al horno durante unos minutos. Da 12 raciones.
Henry Morgan Cocktail
In a cocktail shaker, pour 30 mL of milk cream, 30 mL of cocoa liquor, 30 mL of Havana Club rum (golden) and pieces of ice. Shake it vigorously and serve in a cocktail glass. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and decorate with stick cinnamon.
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