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Historical
Museum of Southern Florida |
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Traditions:
South Florida Folklife Foodways
Little Havana and other predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods in Miami are dotted with open-air fruit and vegetable stands. These businesses mirror the markets of Latin America and the Caribbean where people shop daily for fresh produce. Tropical fruits and vegetables such as mamey, mangoes, guayabana, malanga, yucca, plantains, and calabasas are available. In addition, small local grocery stores stock staples such as black beans, rice and Cuban coffee. During hot afternoons, street vendors ply their wares from brightly painted hand- or bicycle-driven carts, the backs of trucks, or small stationary stands. Their products are those common throughout Latin America and the Caribbean: peeled oranges, pineapples, or melons; granizados, or snowcones, with exotic flavors such as tamarind, coconut, and mamey; churros, or long, crisp fried dough strips dipped in sugar; traditional pumpkin or coconut candies; and roasted peanuts in paper sacks. Some of these itinerant vendors announce their presence with traditional cries. In homes and restaurants, Cubans continue to cook traditional dishes. Roast pork, chicken, seafood, rice and beans form the basis of their diet. These foods are prepared in diverse and delectable ways, often with plantains and tubers such as malanga and yucca as side dishes. Nevertheless, many claim that sweets are the best part of Cuban cuisine. A particular specialty is the traditional merengue cake, created for weddings, quinces, and other festive occasions. The merengue, or egg-white frosting, is so stiff that it will hold the most fanciful shapes. Whether an expression of a particular theme, or merely baroque decoration, merengues are true works of art. European ethnic groups have also brought their culinary skills to South Florida. Miami's Greek community dates back to the early twentieth century, when many families sought refuge from persecution in Asia Minor. Greeks and Greek Americans have since settled in South Florida in a slow but steady stream, so that today there are four Greek Orthodox churches in the Miami area alone. Many everyday and secular holiday foods are made available to the public through bake sales, church festivals, or restaurants, but Greek regional and sacred foodways remain unknown to outsiders. Prosforo is the bread used in Greek Orthodox services. Like bread in earlier times, it is made with only the very basic ingredients: flour, yeast, water, and salt. Each loaf is stamped with a sfragida, a wooden seal carved with a design that contains a cross, symbols of the nine orders of heaven, the Virgin Mary, and Greek letters signifying “Jesus Christ Conquers.” Several women in the Miami area bake prosforo weekly and contribute it as an offering to the church. With the prosforo, they also bring wine, oil, and lists of those for whom they wish to have prayers said. The priest divides the prosforo, reserves the part stamped with the seal for communion, and distributes the remaining portion to the other parishioners.
 
Folk Arts | Arts
& Crafts | Architecture | Foodways
www.historical-museum.org
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The
preparation and function of traditional foods is an important part of
the folklife of any ethnic group. Through this fundamental aspect of life,
group members retain strong ties to their folk heritage. Hispanics have
transported many foods and food events to Miami, thereby establishing
an unmistakable Latin ambiance in many sections of the city.
