When asked what the greatest evidence of an emerging economic recovery might be, one thoughtful Cuban observer told me, “The return of the mamey and the health of our puppies.” Similar to the Catalina avocado in its fiber-free texture but sweet and cantaloupe-like in taste, the Cuban mamey combines with milk, sugar and ice to make the world’s greatest morning smoothie. Because mamey trees take from ten to twenty-five years to produce large, good quality fruit, this native Caribbean delicacy has always been notoriously hard to come by, even in prosperous times. Similarly, Cubans’ longstanding pet-owning and dog-loving culture took many brutal hits over the decades of scarcity followed by austerity. The sight of starving, mangy street dogs was traumatic to islanders and foreigners alike. Yet by the 2010s, legalization of licenses and general improvements in access and variety of foods put Cuban dog-breeders like this gentleman back in business.
