Robbie Storen
Spanish
October
My Country: CUBA
5 Facts about CUBA:
1. The Land:
 Cuba has many different habitats, from mountain forests to jungles and
grasslands. There are even small deserts. These different ecosystems are home to
unique plants and animals found only in Cuba.
2. Favorite Sport:
 Unlike most countries in Latin America, Cuba's favorite sport is not soccer. It's
baseball! Baseball came to Cuba from the United States in the 1860s. Many
international baseball stars have come from Cuba, and the Cuban national team is
one of the best in the world.
3. The Government:
 Cuba is a socialist state run by the Cuban Communist Party. Cubans vote for their
leaders, but the communist party is the only legal party. Fidel Castro was
president, prime minister, and commander of the armed forces until February
2008, when he stepped down due to a lengthy illness.
4. The Economy:
 Industry: Sugar, petroleum, tobacco, chemicals
 Agriculture: Sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee; livestock
 Exports: Sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products
5. Education:
 Every since the Cuban revolution in the 1950s, the country’s education system
has improved fundamentally. As is the case with healthcare in Cuba, education is
public and free for all citizens and literacy is at 99.8%.
Cuban Recipe:
Cuban Pork “Lechon”
Cuban pork roast or Puerco Asado is a popular dish in Cuba
prepared on special occasions.
This is quick and easy recipe that allows my family to enjoy
Lechon throughout the entire year.
1 Boston Butt Pork Roast
2-3 limes
6 garlic cloves or 2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp oregano
¾ tsp Salt
¾ tsp Pepper
Place your roast in the crock pot and begin by squeezing a lime on each side of the roast. Now
you are ready to season the meat. Cuban’s are not shy with seasoning; the amounts I provided
are estimates. Sprinkle the dry ingredients evenly onto the entire pork roast. Your part is now
done.
Cover your crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. There will be a lot of left over juices,
remove the majority of the juice. Separate the pork with a fork and add some of the juices to
keep the mean moist.
Enjoy the pork as a sandwich, with white rice or with black beans and rice. I find that Zataran’s
black beans and rice mix is a nice substitution for the traditional Cuban black beans and rice.
Melinda Storen, quick and easy Cuban Lechon Asado
Sources:
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/find/cuba/
http://www.funtrivia.com/en/Geography/Cuba-20426.html
http://www.internations.org/cuba-expats/guide/life-in-cuba-15677/healthcare-and-education-incuba-2