The irresistibly aromatic, coffee is as much a part of Cuba as are the all time famous cigars.

A beverage that is present at all times in the day, from breakfast to after every meal, coffee is almost a must in business meetings, get- togethers and all kinds of social events and situations. It is even considered a ritual in Afro-Cuban religions.

Originally chocolate drinkers due to the Spanish customs, Cubans later replaced this with coffee when traders brought coffee beans to the island in 1748. Today many coffee plantations cover large portions of Cuba’s mountainous terrain and fertile soils and ideal climatic conditions make these plants thrive.

The most popular kind of coffee cultivated in Cuba is known as Arabic, and is commercialized under some of the following brand names: Turquino, Cristal Mountain, Serrano, Cubita and Caracolillo, among others.