Elisa Kelly
Throughout this deep dive of Nitza Villapol, I gained a profound appreciation for her influence on Cuban culture and how her remarkable journey shaped my own connection to her. Despite being born in the US, her Cuban roots and subsequent return to the island played a pivotal role in establishing her as a cultural icon. She has made vast contribution to Cuban culture, identity within the socio-economic issues through her culinary arts. She was what Cuba needed, especially during the times of the Cuban revolution Including food shortages and disappearances of certain items altogether. She was first and foremost a teacher for the culinary arts and an inspiration of resourcefulness.
Her expertise stands the test of time. Even to this day her work, including books shows, and overall notoriety amongst the public is a testament to her everlasting impact. I knew of her through my mom. She would constantly rave about how good a cook her grandmother was. Her grandmother, my great grandmother, was like Nitza known for her culinary creativity. She at one point made croquetas out of fish and my mom’s cousins still rave about it at almost every family event. who was inspired by Nitza Villapol. I remember my mom’s excitement the day she got her hands on a printed copy of the cookbook. She even annotated her adjustments to our infamous flan recipe so she can pass that exact copy down to me.
How did she get this popular to last generations? In large part, it was due to her show “Cocino al minuto”. It was a televised show in Cuba than ran for over 4 decades. She offered recipes that were easy to make and fast to make. Fun Fact about Nitza, her mom considered herself a feminist and believed a woman should not in the kitchen longer than what she needs to. We can see how that has impacted the woman we see today. It is because of her notoriety that I chose to delve into learning more about her and creating this project.
Nitza was a culinary exert but she also considered herself a teacher, above all else. She taught the Cuban masses about nutrition, weaning them off the carb and meet diet. She embedded non-Cuban cuisine into Cuban cuisine televising it on her show. Her cookbook, named after the show, featured sections on appetizers, protein, starches, veggies, bread, butter, dessert, and coffee, embodying a holistic and occasionally Western approach to cooking.
However, after the Cuban revolution things changed. Nitza slowly started to see less of the foods they were used to, some gradually and others all at once. It was then she decided she needed to adapt to the socio-economic environment. From there she had her assistant go and grab foods that she saw at the grocery store and cooked with what was available that day and used the most out of what she had with as little scraps as possible. She encouraged the population to cook with a wider variety of native products as farmers were growing more native and long -neglected food such as yuca, or as they say in English, cassava. Her show lasted for over 4 decades.
Nitza’s role as a teacher remained paramount, guiding individuals in the realms of nutrition, food, and ingenuity. She even reshaped perceptions around staple foods, encouraging a shift towards increased consumption of carbs and vegetables over meat and fat. Nitza’s influence transformed congri, once viewed as poor people’s food, into a common culinary staple. Her body of work pays homage to the inventive spirit of Cubans, particularly in the face of food scarcity.
As I delved into Nitza’s upbringing and the evolving climates she navigated while transcending her era, her natural talent became evident, extending far beyond the confines of the kitchen. Nitza Villapol, a timeless teacher and culinary trailblazer, remains a beacon of inspiration, showcasing the enduring impact one individual can have on culture and cuisine.
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