Cubans Experience Spanish Ham for the First Time: Their Reactions

The Cuban content creator Ariadna Guerra, who now resides in Spain, captured a heartwarming moment on video when her family in Cuba—her father, mother, and brother—tasted Spanish ham for the very first time. This 55-second clip has garnered over 214,000 views on TikTok.

Posted on August 23, the video shows her family simultaneously tasting the ham at Ariadna's cue. Their reactions were swift and filled with delight: "It smells good, it smells good," they remarked, and after tasting it, they enthusiastically exclaimed, "It's delicious, it's really good."

Although Ariadna had previously explained that the ideal way to enjoy it is on toast with avocado, for the sake of the video, she chose to have them try it plain. "Put the whole thing in, so you can really savor it," she instructed, wrapping up with, "If you like it, this is the famous ham from Spain."

This video struck a chord with the Cuban community abroad, as many see their own experiences reflected in these reactions. It is part of a viral trend among the diaspora: Cubans who have emigrated—especially to Spain and the United States—share videos of their families on the island trying foods that are common abroad but often inaccessible in Cuba.

Spanish ham is one such delicacy. In Spain, it's a staple found in bars, supermarkets, and homes alike, while in Cuba, it has almost vanished from state-run markets.

Thus, a Cuban family tasting Spanish ham for the first time, thanks to an emigrated relative, succinctly highlights in under a minute the stark contrast in food availability between the two nations.

This isn't the first time Ariadna Guerra has gone viral with content about her life between Cuba and Spain. Earlier this year, a video she made about experiencing snow for the first time in Barcelona also captured the attention of the Cuban diaspora on social media.