Traditional Cuban sweets persist amidst economic inflation

A resident in Havana, Cuba, sells homemade torticas from a home at number 3145 to navigate the country's ongoing economic crisis.

A simple sign on a wrought-iron gate advertises the treat for 100 pesos, a price that reflects the current reality of high inflation in the city. The scene captures a local microenterprise where residents maintain tradition despite the scarcity of resources. The tortica is a pale, crunchy cookie with roots in Moron, Ciego de Ávila.

Doña Serafina Echemendía, known as Fina, is credited with creating the recipe around 1926 or 1927. She adapted a sweet of Andalusian origin by replacing nuts with lemon zest. The cookie relies on basic, accessible ingredients like flour, sugar, salt, and solidified lard, making it a practical choice during periods of limited supply. While the name tortica is used in Havana, different regions of Cuba use different terms for the same treat.

People in Camagüey often call them mantecaditos or mantecados, while residents in Santiago de Cuba and Villa Clara use the term mantecado. In Sancti Spíritus, people call them polvorones. Historian Hector Izquierdo Acuña notes that original torticas from Moron typically feature a center of guava or mango jam, whereas mantecados and polvorones are usually plain. These sweets serve as a cultural link to family memories and Sunday afternoons.

For many Cubans, the tradition of baking these cookies represents a way to preserve a sense of identity and community fabric. The act of making or buying a homemade sweet remains a method for people to maintain a connection to their heritage despite the challenges of the current economy.