Cuban cuisine is as varied as the origins of the country itself, where it has been influenced by African, Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese and Spanish cultures. Traditional Cuban dishes are made from readily available, inexpensive, simple ingredients and are usually prepared and spiced to make them more flavorful. Most Cuban cooking relies on the use of a few basic spices, such as bay leaves, cumin, garlic and oregano. Most of the food is cooked slowly over a low flame and you won't find many dishes that are deep fried or covered with creamy or heavy sauces.Many dishes have a sofrito base. A typical sofrito is made from garlic, green pepper, onion, oregano and is quick fried in olive oil. The sofrito base gives the food its flavor and it is used when cooking black beans, many meat dishes, stews and tomato-based sauces. Root vegetables such as boniato (Cuban sweet potato), malanga and yucca are flavored with a marinade, called Mojo (pronounced MO-ho), which includes cumin, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, sliced raw onions and a little water.We've had numerous requests to come up with this dry Mojo Seasoning and we've finally given in. This ultimate salt free Cuban spice blend is best used to season roasting chicken or pork. But you can also make restaurant quality home made Cuban Panini sandwiches by making a flavorful Mojo dipping sauce! We've made this Mojo sauce to drizzle over some fish tacos - spectacular! Hand blended with a fragrant combination of garlic, cumin, black pepper, orange and lime. Use it as a dry rub on the meat or add some beer and/or orange juice to the roasting pan. Cover and roast until the meat is done...it'll be juicy and loaded with flavor!Often referred to as "Spanish Barbecue Sauce", use this Mojo Seasoning to make your own Cuban Mojo dip, sauce or marinate for chicken, fish or pork by simply mixing 3 tablespoons of Mojo Seasoning with the juice of 3 limes (about 1/2 cup), 1 orange (approximately 1/2 cup) and ¼ cup of olive oil.You can also use this Mojo Seasoning on grilled seafood, grilled chicken, boiled yucca and fried green plantain chips.Two of our favorite recipes using Mojo Seasoning are Carne Asada Marinade and Baked Fajitas.If you're a fan of Caribbean flavors then you'll want to be sure to check out our Sazon Seasoning, Jamaican Jerk, Caribbean All-Island Seasoning , Colombo Powder (a Caribbean curry powder), Adobo Lime Rub and one of my favorites - Caribbean Turkey Rub
