In April 2010, I organized a photography trip to Cuba for the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. One of the photographers on the trip was food photographer Ellen Silverman, who would frequently go missing only to be found in the kitchen of whatever house, apartment, or restaurant we might be in.
Right off the bat, Ellen’s curiosity about where and how Cuban food got its roots and flavors became the focus of her week’s explorations. Ellen went on to be one of the creators of the Cuban Table, a cookbook nominated for a James Beard award. Travel with us through Santiago, Cuba, to Baracoa, a small city on the northeast coast of Cuba and the arrival port of Columbus in Cuba.
It was here that Columbus encountered the Tainos, the indigenous people, and the inhabitants in the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and Cuba. Primarily nomadic, these people traveled according to the seasons and the bounty offered by the seas and the lands.
They were known to have canoes capable of carrying 150 persons. In Baracoa and its immediate vicinity, there are seven rivers, three of which are significant in size. These rivers provide for the ecosystem of fishing and farming. The riverbanks and steep hillsides are planted with bananas, sugar cane, cacao, coffee, yucca (taro), boniatos, and coconut p alms, which are blessed with ample rain. This combination made Baracoa a haven for the Tainos.
Restaurant Ortiz is a small haute cuisine restaurant in Baracoa where Chef Ortiz uses all these original ingredients in the most mouth-watering combinations, to take traditional foods in new and unexpected directions. The plot line of this trip will be to explore the sources of the chef’s ingredients and learn who, what, and where this food comes from, while at the same time teaching why Chef Ortiz chooses the combinations for each dish. Most importantly, we get to eat the final product. Each day, we will take excursions well beyond the standard tourist venues into the city and environs to sample the bounty of the Oriente. So please join Ellen Silverman, Chef Ortiz, and the EyeCuba as we get lost and found in Baracoa, Cuba.
This trip is ideal for participants who want to experience the Cuban culture away from Havana. The Oriente (The East) is decidedly different from the central and western parts of the country. The Haitian influence is indelibly stamped into their arts, music, religions, and foods. The last vestiges of the Tiainos can still be found here, and it is worth noting that this is where the Cuban Revolutions originated. Participants can expect to do a fair amount of walking, including wading across a river, muddy trails, sandy beaches, and/or a cable bridge or two. There will be small boat rides to otherwise inaccessible locations, but rest assured that the crew from EyeCuba will prioritize your comfort and safety above all else.
Lodging and breakfasts will be in private homes that are comfortably appointed and equipped to deal with Cuba’s challenging utilities. Eight dinners and eight lunches are included with your trip’s fee, as well as all in-country transportation and location fees. Once you arrive in Santiago, the EyeCuba crew will be there to welcome you and make you comfortable.
The first two nights will be in Santiago in a very comfortable hotel. On day three, we will make the long (3.5 hr) drive on the La Farrola road across the Sierra Maestre Mountains to Baracoa, where we will stay for the next five nights, after which we will return to Santiago for two more nights while we explore the city, its bay, and small towns around the bay. Our trip will culminate here with a final dinner and a celebratory video before returning Stateside the following day.
To sign up, please send an email to [email protected] stating which trip you are interested in joining. We will contact you with particulars and send you a registration form with details. We will tentatively hold your spot until we receive a deposit of $1500, and your place will be reserved.
This is a private photo/cuisine/cultural trip with closed enrollment; however, a waiting list is available for any open spots (8-10 participants). Spouses are encouraged to attend.
