Over 30% of the land within the City of Havanna is dedicated to urban agriculture. More than 30,000 people work on 8,000 city farm plots to grow the majority of the fruits and vegetables consumed by the inhabitants of the city. City farmers produced more than 540,000 tons of food for consumption by Havana residents last year.
The most widely used vegetable in Cuba, Cuban squash (a hybrid blend of summer squash and pumpkin), is also popular in Hispanic countries throughout the Caribbean. Known by many names, including green pumpkin, West Indian pumpkin, Jamaican pumpkin, toad back, giraumon, calabaza, zapallo, abóbora and crapaudback, this brightly colored and tasty squash is the basis for many Cuban dishes. Firm textured, high in fiber and vitiamin C, Cuban squash is used in soups, baked in meat dishes and used to flavor many baked items such as cookies and cakes.
Cuban squash flourishes in well drained, fertile soil and is very easy to grow. It has a resistance to many plant diseases that often trouble other squash varieties. One pound of Cuban squash will yield two cups of cooked squash.
Root crops such as potatoes, turnips, carrots, beets and parsnips are some other staples in the Cuban diet. Corn, beans of every kind, and tomatoes are also used extensively in Cuban cuisine. Mild temperatures, an abundance of sunshine and fertile soil produce a plethora of fresh vegetables all year.
The National Botanical Garden of Cuba (Jardin Botanico Nacional de Cuba), located in the city of Havana, is a 1,500-acre collection of plants from all around the world. Divided into zones, the Jardin Botanico Nacional features the Jardin Japones (Japanese Garden) with waterfalls, ponds and terraced covered areas. The Pabellones de Exposicion showcases both cacti and tropical plants, while the Caribbean section offers over 3,500 species of plants native to Cuba.
