Restaurant alert! Remember that post I wrote a while back about the amazing taco salad? Well, in downtown Palo Alto, Mendocino Farms, which this great food item, just opened. Go and check it out!

I’m back! Over the course of my school Spring Break, I visited Cuba with my family and had an amazing experience, especially when it came down to food. Right away we got into the classic Cuban cuisine with the Mojito cocktail…

If you didn’t recall, a Mojito is a very traditional Cuban drink that consists of lime juice, sugar, soda water, mint, and rum. On our second day in Havana, my family and I had the opportunity to make this popular cocktail. It was unusually fun and quite satisfying to add all the ingredients and then mix it all up. Did you know that the mint flavor comes from the root and not the leaf? Our bartender made sure that we did a good job of crushing bottom part of the mint, we could fully experience the flavor it brought. To top off our Mojito, the local café gave us sugar canes to put into our finished drink. For Sophie and I, we obviously didn’t add any rum, but trust me, it still tasted amazing. I had probably no experience with cocktails/bar drinks before that, and that made the experience a whole lot better.

Based off of the fact that I ordered a Mojito at almost any chance my time in Cuba, I think that we can say that this special cocktail was real something for me. It’s sort of like a sprite with mint, but fresher and a bit healthier. It’s one of those “balance” items where every ingredient plays a role that contributes to the overall drink. That tangy lime flavor with the soda water make a very tasty combination. The sugar doesn’t block out everything else. It’s a work of art! My favorite part of the Mojito, though, has got to be the mint. This ingredient is the highlight of the Mojito. It pulls the cocktail together. Lemonade type drinks have a very strong sugar and lemon (or lime) flavor, so adding mint balances those two out. It’s this amazing add on that makes you think: “How have I not tried this before?” It’s one of those mind blowing food discoveries that almost feels addicting. The feeling can sort of be compared to someone finding their new favorite hot sauce brand. I don’t make/drink lemonade or limeade too often, but if I do and there’s mint around, I’m totally going to add it in.

If anyone’s ever in Cuba, you’ve got to try the Mojito. It’s a classic, signature drink that’s great for visitors of all ages. You’re not going to want to miss it! The Mojito is available in basically every restaurant and bar, so it’ll be hard to miss. Looking back on my time in Cuba, the Mojito making experience is probably one of the top moments. Besides getting to drink a tasty, fresh cocktail, I can also say: I made a Mojito!