Every world cuisine has evolved from a sum of basic parts. Italian cuisine evolved from the unification of the different regional cuisines of its many principalities and what was handed down from Roman, Etruscan and Greek beginnings. Chinese cuisine evolved from the regional cuisines of its varied provinces and its humble beginnings from the Mongol hordes and the many influences from Korean, and Japanese invaders. Spanish cuisine evolved from the melding together of Basque, Catalan, Galician, Andalusian and...yes, Arab influences amongst many others. Cuban cuisine, on the other hand, evolved from influences that were imprinted by the islands Spanish, French, English colonists, as well as the Chinese and African populations that later came to contribute to the islands culture and life. Cuban food is savory, not spicy as many seem to think and there are some very basic components. Aromatic vegetables and herbs are very prominent. The one major component of Cuban cuisine is the sofrito. Much like the bouquet garni or a court bouillon give French cuisine its definitive base, the sofrito in Cuban cuisine is probably its most important foundation. A sofrito starts with onion and/or garlic, bell pepper, cumin and olive oil. These are the major elements and there are variations, some containing other herbs or spices, and some containing anato as a colorant. The onion, garlic and bell pepper are gently sauteed and sweated in the oil and herbs/spices until the sofrito releases its elemental perfume, which is so characteristic of Cuban food. A good sofrito can awaken an entire neighborhood and have people asking you what delicious dish you are preparing. Another two very basic staples in Cuban food are rice and beans. Every Cuban mother and grandmother has her own recipe and method for making the perfect bowl of rice. And of course, when you mention Cuban food you almost always expect to see black beans at the table. But there are also lentils, kidney beans, garbanzos, navy beans and even black-eyed peas. Beans are everywhere to be found in the Cuban pantry. The other basic elements of Cuban cuisine are tropical fruits and vegetables, sugar and coffee. Where would Cuba be in history without the production of sugar and coffee! Every forthcoming recipe will contain these elements or a combination of them. I welcome comments, as well as variants of the recipes I post. It will be interesting to see how Cuban cuisine evolves in the process.