The thick soup called "ajiaco" is a major dish in Cuban cuisine. Its name has indigenous roots and it's cooked mixing diverse types of meat (jerked beef and pork spareribs, head, and hoofs), plantains, yucca, pumpkin, sweet potato, corn. Large quantities of lemon juice and chili or pepper are also essential ingredients. According to the legend, it was always eaten with casabe (a type of unleavened bread - cassava bread). Ajiaco has become so popular throughout the country that now any plate mixing different ingredients is called "ajiaco", from a delicious, dense noodle soup to a nutritional watery one.

It was originated as the mixture of the Spanish stew with the Cuban roots cooked along with ham and garbanzo beans. At the beginning of the colonial era, the lack of basic provisions from the metropolis made the conquerors change some of the ingredients of the stew. So they used whatever they had accessible. With time, they even used beans. Many think the real Creole food was born the day they stopped adding garbanzo beans to the stew. Based on the preparation and the types of spices they used, there were several types of "ajiaco".

Nowadays, the Creole "ajiaco" is preserved in some provinces in Cuba. In some other, it has been just circumstantial. Las Tunas, for instance, has its own variant "la caldosa", made with hen meat and not all types of tubers. The meat is ground and the roots are cooked till they are a paste. The most famous of all is the "Ajiaco camagueyano".

The tradition of "ajiaco" has been going on since Colonial times, especially during Saint John's and Saint Peter's parties at the end of June. By June 24th, earthenware pots were placed there or circles were drawn on the soil where neighbors and passersby made money and roots and vegetables collections. The kids were in charge of crying "Un quilito pa' la olla" (one cent for the pot!). Thus they joined the money to buy the roots and cook the "ajiaco".

Today, the "ajiaco" has turned into the main dish for popular celebrations, especially on September 28th every year, Cubans celebrate throughout the country the anniversary of the CDR (Committees for Defending the Revolution), a community organization born in the first years of the Revolution. The night of September 27th, in every neighborhood, neighbors take a huge pot out and place it on the street on a bonfire. All neighbors bring whatever they have at home that could be added to the "ajiaco" and they start cooking it. As it cooks, they dance Cuban popular and traditional music, they play dominoes, or do other things to celebrate, animate, and enjoy the night. If you happen to be around one of those Cuban neighborhoods on that date, you can go for sure to ask for some "ajiaco". They'll be more than willing to have you taste their delicious specialty.