A Cuban living in the United States sparked a wave of responses on social media by revealing that the one thing he doesn't miss about life in Cuba is the stale, sour, and often moldy bread that defined his childhood in a poor neighborhood. "I honestly don't miss anything about Cuba," began the user cubanito_37_kc in his Instagram video.
Recalling his upbringing, he shared, "I grew up in a really poor neighborhood and had to wait for bread to have breakfast, or save it for lunch. It was almost always sour, without oil, and sometimes even infested with weevils." He continued, "If you were lucky, you could put a fritter inside, which used to cost one peso back then, if you even had the peso, or you'd just sprinkle it with brown sugar."
Everything changed when he arrived abroad. "That's why when I saw the abundance and quality of bread here, I thought, 'Do you think I'm not going to eat bread now? That was pure suffering,'" he recounted in the video.
His story ignited a flood of comments exposing what weighs most heavily on the nostalgia of those who left. "I don't miss anything from that country, except my parents," one user wrote, emphasizing that for many, the emotional disconnect isn't about food, but family. Others mentioned iconic products of scarcity like "the soy yogurt from the ration store," while some listed daily hardships: "I don't miss the lines, the buses, the blackouts, the nosy neighbors..."
There were also those who starkly expressed the trauma left by the country they left behind: "I don't miss the misery, destruction, drudgery, need, and oppression... I left only three years ago, and that place is disgusting."
The memory of the bread—stale, sour, scarce—serves as a metaphor for life in Cuba, characterized by waiting, scarcity, and resignation. For those who managed to emigrate, the abundance of bread in other countries is not just sustenance but a kind of revenge on years of deprivation. Meanwhile, for those who remain on the island, it continues to be a daily reminder of an unsolved problem: the struggle for the basics.
The Cuban Experience: Bread, Scarcity, and Nostalgia
Why is bread a significant memory for Cuban expatriates?
Bread symbolizes the scarcity and hardship of life in Cuba, often being sour, stale, and sometimes moldy. For many Cuban expatriates, the abundance of quality bread in other countries represents a stark contrast and relief from their past experiences.
What do Cuban expatriates miss the most about their homeland?
While food is often not missed, many Cuban expatriates express missing their family members the most, highlighting the emotional disconnect between the struggles of daily life and personal relationships.
How do former residents describe life in Cuba?
Life in Cuba is often described by former residents as filled with misery, destruction, and scarcity, underscoring the challenges they faced in obtaining even the most basic necessities.