Paladar

Paladar

Paladar (plural: paladares) is the popular name given to a small, family-run, private-owned restaurant in Cuba. The Cuban socialist government allows families to start and keep control of these small businesses in exchange for very high taxes. Paladares are limited to 12 seats only (although they usually have more than that) and must cook local food, such as rice and bean, pork and seafood.

The paladares are known for the simplicity and authenticity of their food and for having very good prices compared to the good quality of the food. They don't have particular names or even plates at their doors to inform passers-by that they exist. Being owned by poor families, they also have little to no advertisement. Some paladares use the services of "guides", people who receive a commission for bringing new customers to the place. These people usually approach tourists and offer themselves to "guide" them to nice off-track places, such as the paladar for which they work.

History

Private owned small restaurants have always existed in Cuba, even during the socialist rule of Fidel Castro. Until the 1990's they were illegal, but the fall of the USSR and consequent economic crisis in Cuba forced the local government to make the economic reforms of 1993. One of the items in these reforms was the legalization of private owned restaurants. Even with the very high taxes demanded by the Cuban authorities, the paladares grew in number, thanks to the number of tourists visiting the country and the honesty of the food that is served.

Origin of the name

Paladares have their name after the 1988 Brazilian soap opera "Vale Tudo", one of the biggest TV audiences ever in Cuba. In this story, Raquel Accioly, mother of the villain Maria de Fátima, moves to Rio de Janeiro after her daughter had sold their house in the country and left her almost homeless. She starts to make a living by selling sandwiches on the beaches of Rio. After much struggle she manages to open her own business, a restaurant called Paladar (Portuguese for taste, flavor). The association with the Cuban reality was immediate and people started calling their own restaurants Paladar.

External links

* [http://www.cuba-junky.com/cuba/cuba-paladars.htm] Cuba Junky - A guide to Cuba.
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0149539] IMDB website with information on the soap opera Vale Tudo.
* [http://memoriaglobo.globo.com/Memoriaglobo/0,27723,GYN0-5273-224151,00.html] - Memória Globo - Information on Brazil's Globo TV soap operas, in Portuguese.


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  • paladar — m. anat. Bóveda de la boca formada por los dos maxilares y los palatinos, recubierto el conjunto por una mucosa gruesa. Se pueden distinguir dos porciones, el paladar duro y el blando. El paladar duro está constituido por la porción ósea y… …   Diccionario médico

  • paladar — (De una forma vulg. en āre, del lat. palātum). 1. m. Parte interior y superior de la boca del animal vertebrado. 2. Gusto y sabor que se percibe en los manjares. 3. Gusto, sensibilidad para discernir, aficionarse o repugnar algo en lo inmaterial… …   Diccionario de la lengua española

  • paladar — sustantivo masculino 1. Parte interior y superior de la boca con forma de bóveda. velo* del paladar . 2. Sensibilidad de una persona para apreciar el sabor de los alimentos: Adela tiene un paladar muy exigente, sólo quiere vinagre de manzana. A… …   Diccionario Salamanca de la Lengua Española

  • paladar — s. m. 1. Parte superior da cavidade bucal. 2.  [Figurado] Sentido do gosto. 3. Sabor …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • Paladar — (Del lat. vulgar palatare < lat. palatum.) ► sustantivo masculino 1 ANATOMÍA Bóveda ósea y membranosa que separa la boca de las fosas nasales. 2 Sensibilidad para apreciar el sabor de las comidas: ■ es un gourmet de exquisito paladar. SINÓNIMO …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • paladar — (m) (Intermedio) parte interior y superior de la boca Ejemplos: Carlos debe estar enfermo, le duele la garganta y su paladar está muy rojo. Si te duele el paladar, deberías ir al médico. Colocaciones: paladar duro/blando Sinónimos: gusto (m)… …   Español Extremo Basic and Intermediate

  • paladar — {{＃}}{{LM P28668}}{{〓}} {{SynP29365}} {{［}}paladar{{］}} ‹pa·la·dar› {{《}}▍ s.m.{{》}} {{＜}}1{{＞}} {{♂}}En la boca,{{♀}} parte interior y superior que separa las fosas nasales y la cavidad bucal. {{＜}}2{{＞}} Capacidad o sensibilidad para apreciar y …   Diccionario de uso del español actual con sinónimos y antónimos

  • paladar — Techo de la boca, dividido en dos secciones principales, el paladar óseo, situado por delante y formado por dos huesos paladiales, y el paladar blando detrás que consiste de tejidos musculares y termina en la úvula o campanilla …   Diccionario ecologico

  • paladar — s m 1 Parte interna y superior de la boca, en forma de bóveda, compuesta por los huesos del maxilar superior y los huesos palatinos, los cuales están cubiertos por una mucosa gruesa que se prolonga en la parte posterior en una membrana llamada… …   Español en México

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