Nuevo manual del cocinero cubano y español
A cookbook published in Havana in 1864, when the island was still under Spanish rule, that brings together Cuban creole recipes and dishes of peninsular origin. It matters because it is one of the earliest cookbooks devoted to the cuisine of Cuba.
History
It was written by J. P. Legran and contains 728 recipes, including traditional Cuban dishes such as mondongo a la criolla, buñuelo de ñame and vaca frita, alongside Spanish preparations. Its title also promises a section on confectionery, pastry and drinks, that is, sweets, baking and beverages.
It was not the first book on the island's cooking. It followed Nuevo manual de la cocinera catalana y cubana by Joan Cabrisas, published in 1858. A year later, in 1859, its success prompted El cocinero puertorriqueño, a similar recipe collection that shows how the model spread across the Spanish-speaking Caribbean.
Culture
The book reflects the mixed character of nineteenth-century Cuban tables, where stews of African heritage sat alongside recipes from Spanish tradition. Today it is consulted as a record of domestic kitchens of the period and of the emergence of a distinctly Cuban cooking.