A single fried egg. That was the catalyst. Yet, Cuban poet and improviser Sindy Manuel Torres felt compelled to make a public confession. He did so in the way he knows best: through décima espinela, a ten-verse form that, in just 28 seconds, paints a more vivid picture of Cuba in August 2026 than any economic report could.
Torres shared his work on Facebook with a reel titled "Culinary Décima in Times of Inflation," launching into it without any preamble: "I know it’s indulgence, it’s a sin, it’s serious, and my soul knows too, that there’s no salvation for me. I won’t ask for forgiveness, neither spoken nor written. I fully understand it’s a crime, whether you’re Christian or atheist, but today I craved a fried egg."
No further explanation was needed. Those who viewed it instantly grasped the message, as they too comprehend the significant challenges of frying an egg in today's Cuba.
Comments on the reel created a Greek chorus that enhanced the irony. "And you have electricity!!! Haha and oil!!! And egg!!!! You are blessed!" exclaimed one follower, highlighting the elusive culinary trinity in Cuba. Another noted, "Electricity, oil, and egg. The décima is really hitting home." A third appreciated the sensory detail: “That sound of the egg frying!!!” Others pointed out the stark reality with simple elegance: “What a luxury, hahaha, though it seems like a joke.” One commenter concluded with practical philosophy: “Enjoy the crime whenever you can haha.”
The Real Cost of a Fried Egg
The joke is not merely a joke. In Cuba, a single egg has recently cost up to 135 pesos in Las Tunas, and more than 200 pesos in other areas, as reported by online commenters. A carton of 30 eggs can therefore cost thousands of pesos, more than the minimum monthly pension of 4,000 pesos, equivalent to less than seven dollars at the informal exchange rate. Independent estimates suggest that a family requires around 96,000 pesos monthly to meet basic needs.
Oil, another essential ingredient for frying instead of boiling an egg, is equally scarce. Following the removal of price caps by Ministry of Finance and Prices Resolution 150/2026, a liter of oil reached several thousand pesos in August. One Cuban mother posted online that she boiled an egg in water due to lack of oil, lamenting, “Never in my life had I done this... how much longer, God. [...] The sad reality.”
Electricity: A Scarce Resource
Then there's electricity, the third component of that celebrated trinity, which Torres's followers hailed as a marvel. In Cuba, the electricity shortage makes the simple act of turning on a stove a gamble.
Torres is no ordinary improviser. Hailing from Consolación del Sur, Pinar del Río, he won the Justo Vega National Improvisation Contest at the Cucalambeana Festival 2026 in Las Tunas for the sixth time. The décima espinela he employs—a ten-line stanza with an abbaaccddc rhyme scheme, attributed to Spanish poet Vicente Espinel in the 16th century—is the quintessential vehicle for Cuban and Ibero-American repentismo. Historically, it has been used to sing about love, country, and social critique on various topics. Torres now uses it to sing about a fried egg, continuing a tradition.
The Food Monitor Program reports that over 90% of Cubans lack adequate access to nutritious food. In this context, Torres’s “indulgence” is not poetic hyperbole; it’s rhymed journalism.
Understanding Cuba's Economic Hardships
Why is a fried egg considered a luxury in Cuba?
Due to the high cost and scarcity of essential ingredients like eggs, oil, and electricity, a simple fried egg has become a symbol of luxury in Cuba's challenging economic climate.
What is the current economic situation in Cuba?
Cuba is experiencing severe economic difficulties, with inflation driving up the cost of basic necessities like food and utilities, making them unaffordable for many citizens.
How does Sindy Manuel Torres highlight Cuba's issues?
Torres uses décima espinela, a traditional poetic form, to highlight the daily struggles faced by Cubans, employing humor and irony to underscore serious social and economic issues.