Cuba
Population: 11,318,616
Capital City: Havana
Food/Culture: Cuban cuisine is a blend of African, Spanish, Native Taino, and other Caribbean cuisines. Ropa Vieja translated as “old clothes,” is inherited from the Spanish Canary Islands and is considered a national dish of Cuba. Legend tells us that a poor older man once shredded and cooked the clothes off his back to feed his hungry family. As the clothes simmered away, the man prayed, and they transformed into meat and vegetables that would cure his family’s hunger.
Fun fact: Cuba has nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Seven are cultural, and two are natural. These sites are considered to be of value and importance to present and future generations of humanity in education, science, and culture.
Dominican Republic
Population: 10,878,246
Capital City: Santo Domingo
Food/Culture: Meals tend to favor meats and starches over dairy products and vegetablesproducts and vegetables. Many dishes are made with sofrito, a mix of local herbs used as a wet rub for meats and sautéed to bring out all of a dish’s flavors. Throughout the south-central coast, bulgur, or whole wheat, is the main ingredient in quipes or tipili (bulgur salad). Other favorite Dominican foods Include chicharrón, yuca, casabe, pastelitos (empanadas), batata, yam, pasteles en hoja, chimichurris, and tostones.
Fun fact: Musically, the Dominican Republic is known for the world popular musical style, and genre called merengue. This is a lively, fast-paced rhythm and dance music consisting of a tempo of about 120 to 160 beats per minute (though it varies). Musical elements include drums, brass, chorded instruments, and accordion, as well as some elements unique to the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, such as the tambora and güira.
Mexico
Population: 130,508,579
Capital City: Mexico City
Food/Culture: The popular traditional breakfast dish, Chilaquiles features lightly fried corn tortillas cut into quarters and topped with green or red salsa (the red is slightly spicier). Scrambled or fried eggs and pulled chicken are usually added on top, and cheese and cream. Chilaquiles are often served with a healthy dose of frijoles (refried beans).
Fun fact: The ancient city of Cholula, not Giza, is home to the world’s largest pyramid. The Great Pyramid of Cholula, aka Tlachihualtepetl, is the largest in the world by volume. Coming in at 4.45 million cubic meters, it’s almost twice the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Nowadays, the pyramid hides underneath the famous church of Shrine of Our Lady of Remedies, whose grounds you can explore to get a sense of the site’s ancient history.
Puerto Rico
Population: 3,285,874
Capital City: San Juan
Food/Culture: Seafood, especially crab, lobster, prawns, octopus, red snapper, and mahi-mahi, are native to Puerto Rico and are common on the island. Desserts are another point of pride in Puerto Rican cuisine. Many desserts center around the coconut, such as coconut pudding and bread pudding and a custard dessert known as flan de coco.
Fun fact: El Yunque is the only rainforest in the U.S. Forest System and is in Puerto Rico. The forest receives over 120 inches of rain every year.
Spain
Population: 46,775,387
Capital City: Madrid
Food/Culture: Paella is perhaps the most famous Spanish dish of all. Authentic paella originates from the region around Valencia and comes in two varieties: Paella Valenciana, with rabbit and chicken, and seafood paella. Saffron gives the rice its color, and the base should be left to crisp into a mouth-watering black crust, called the socarrat – always eaten at lunchtime.
Fun fact: Spanish is the world’s second-most spoken native language: With over 570 million Hispanophones, Spanish is second only to Mandarin Chinese. In addition, Spain, like most Latin American countries, and Equatorial Guinea have Spanish as (one of) their official languages. A total of 21 nations speak Spanish daily.