When it comes to my family, Christmas Eve (or Noche Buena) is far more important than Christmas Day.
On Christmas Day, we rarely gather together except for immediate family.
It actually wasn't until a few years ago that we would even have more than my parents, sisters, and I on Christmas Day. All of our planning and parties go into Noche Buena, a time that is devoted to family, friends, and food.
(I'd almost say it is how I imagine Thanksgiving dinner for people who actually full out celebrate it, but I don't really know what that's like.)
Typically, when we lived in the same state as the majority of our family, everyone would drive over to my grandparents' house for Noche Buena.
People would begin arriving anywhere from 2 to 4 PM, so naturally that meant we would have to be there to help out by 11 AM.
As soon as guests begin to arrive, people typically separated into their little groups for the next few hours.
The women and my grandfather took control of the kitchen.
The great uncles and older cousins all bunkered down in the living room.
The younger kids immediately raced to the toy room.
My cousins and I would chill in the back until we are eventually roped into helping with preparing the table or making food.
By the time 6 comes, we all gather round the table, immediately digging in once the blessing has been said. The food we eat is mostly Cuban with one notable exception.
Some of the more traditional foods we eat include:
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| Lechon |
This is pork and often the main course for the meal. However, we sometimes roast an entire pig to feed everyone. I don't know if it's because of how Cubans cook it, but this is one of the few times I enjoy pork. The meat is very juicy and full of flavor.
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| Ropa vieja |
Ropa vieja has a bit of a deceptive name considering it basically translates to "old clothes"
It's shredded beef, most typically flank steak, combined with bell peppers, onion, Spanish olives, and a ton of herbs. All of it is then slow cooked over a few hours.
This stuff is delicious and another main dish we have though not all the time.
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| Black beans and rice |
No Cuban meal is complete without rice and beans.
The only thing better (though saved for less busy occasions) is rice and beans with a wonderful fried egg on top of it. Another thing Cubans love to do is mix everything, so this also tastes delicious mixed with the lechon.
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| Yuca con mojo |
Yuca is technically a starchy root, but to me it tastes like a baked potato, but sweeter.
(And no, that does not mean a sweet potato)
Mojo, on the other hand, is a sauce of garlic, salt, lime, and olive oil. By itself, the sauce seems a bit tasteless and like nothing's there, but as soon as it's added to the yuca, it completes it.
I personally hate these. It didn't matter how they were cooked.
Plantains are a close relative to the banana that we immediately think of. However, they are never eaten raw, taste less sweet by far, and are often treated as a vegetable instead.
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| Plantains |
Plantains are a close relative to the banana that we immediately think of. However, they are never eaten raw, taste less sweet by far, and are often treated as a vegetable instead.
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| Tamales |
Now this is the only real Mexican food we have during Noche Buena. Nobody can say no to a tamale in my family. My sister could be checking a million times that it's not spicy while still piling three onto her plate.
Typically we get pork or chicken as well as a vegetarian option, and most are gone by the end of the night.
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| CUBAN flan |
The only flan I like is Cuban flan. Mexican flan in my opinion is to eggy tasting while Cuban flan is very smooth and creamy.
My mother got her recipe from my great grandmother and will likely hand it off to me next. This is one of our traditional desserts for any family gathering. It could be Thanksgiving and we'll have pumpkin pie, apple pie, and flan.
Once dinner is finished, we gather in the living room. We have a tradition for Noche Buena. Everyone is allowed to open one present before we leave for the night. Once this is all done, people finally begin to leave around 11 PM. When we get home and before we get into bed, we leave Santa a slice of flan and some Cuban coffee.
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| Poinsettias are indigenous to Mexico and can cover our house during the holidays |
When it comes to Christmas Day, we just have a simple brunch with the great uncles, my grandparents, and us. This is where the more Mexican side comes out.
We have tortillas, fruit, and only three main dishes:
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| Chorizo con huevos |
Chorizo is a kind of pork sausage. We mix it with eggs and put it in tortillas.
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| Nopales con huevos |
Nopales is basically cactus. It's also mixed with eggs and put into tortillas.
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| Mexican style beans |
Yes, the next morning we eat even more beans. It's a Hispanic thing...
Fun fact: this is the only dish I actually eat cause I hate chorizo and nopales.
I'll just have beans, tortillas, and scrambled eggs. I'm set with that.
Soon enough brunch is over and we open the rest of our presents until Little Christmas.
Love you all and adios!
*not my images
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