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Platillo Moros y Cristianos |
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Platillo Moros (or simply moros, moro, congri, or
arroz moro)
is the famous dish of Cuba, their version of the
rice and beans combination found throughout
the Caribbean and in Brazil. |
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Left: A Cuban dinner: Arroz Moros
with maduros on the left, and
ropa vieja on the right. |
Rice and bean dishes are also found throughout the entire
Caribbean and expatriate communities of all of these cultures.
"Moros" translates to English
as "Moors and Christians". The "Moors" refer to the black beans, and
"Christians" to the white rice - a reference to the early settlers of Cuba for
whom the Reconquista of Spain was a recent memory.
The cooking of moros generally involves cooking black beans in a good amount of
water, and then cooking the rice in some of the water (soup) of the beans in
another dish. The rice may also be cooked separately with beans simply served
alongside or on top of the rice, although this is not the dish moros y
cristianos. Onions, garlic, bell pepper, oregano and bay (laurel) leaf are
common flavorings for this dish, generally cooked as a sofrito
(a base for beans) beforehand.
