Bombers and volunteers
At that time the conquistadors called the son of a European born in the overseas provinces, "creole" and, consequently, they began to call creole everything that belonged to this new world, be it the natural elements, fauna or flora and, of course, the ingenuity of the natives.
Congrí, this jewel of Cuban and Caribbean cuisine, is a word that comes from Haiti; where red beans are called congó; and rice, as in French. Congrí; it is therefore the voice of Haitian Creole which means "congos with rice". Congrí is not however the exact equivalent of Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians), as in Cuba they call rice with black beans, which also seems to be the dish of a Creole cook of African origin.
Even today, the word congrí, although it appears in the encyclopedia, we still do not find it in the dictionary.
In the decade 1868-1878, some criollos, instead of speaking of a plate of congrí, said instead: a plate of Bomberos y Voluntarios (volunteers and firefighters), in allusion to the fact that the volunteer soldiers of Spain were white and the firefighters were all black (slaves or not) and wore red collars and sleeves.
Bomberos y voluntarios also refers to a more complete and very typical dish among the Cubans of yesteryear.
The words bomberos and voluntarios are intended to convey the contrast of colors in the dish.
At the base, there will always be white rice and frijoles dormidos, which is a very thick red or black bean soup, or congri instead; with then picadillo, which is habanera-style minced meat, fried ripe plantains, or just a ripe banana, plus a slice of avocado with white onion and a fried egg. A true Cuban completa.
Our ancestors testify that it was typical to see, even in the 1950s, middle-class Cuban families gathering on Sunday to share such a delicacy always served in copious quantities.
It is undoubtedly a very rich meal that deserved a siesta, and it is a shame that such a tradition has practically disappeared these days.
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