A young Cuban woman has taken TikTok by storm with a viral video showcasing her mother preparing a breaded dogfish in a makeshift charcoal kitchen in a rural area of Sandino, a municipality in the province of Pinar del Río. The TikTok user, @karen_glln, captioned the post, “Cooking with my mom. P.S.: improvised kitchen,” which has rapidly gained traction on the popular Chinese social media platform.
The video captures her mother employing traditional methods to cook the fish, utilizing minimal resources and relying on the ingenuity that has become a hallmark of Cuban home cooking. Many viewers expressed curiosity about the family's access to the fish, given the severe food shortages plaguing the island.
Addressing this curiosity, the mother explained, “Benefits of living in a fishing port,” referencing Sandino's proximity to the coast. During the video, she demonstrates how the recipe can be adapted with “whatever spices are available,” a common necessity for Cuban households that often have to make do with limited ingredients.
This video offers a glimpse into the daily life of many families in Cuba's interior. It highlights the creativity required to keep culinary traditions alive amidst scarcity, as families frequently adapt their cooking methods and recipes to whatever resources they can gather.