Food policy and its influence on popular language in Cuba

Abstract

One of the main daily concerns of Cubans is what to eat; what to eat today, tomorrow, next week or next month. When we walk the streets of the island, conversations revolve around "what did they take out" in such and such a place, "what donations are they handing out in the bodega", "what number is in the queue" for such and such a food. There are groups on WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, by neighborhoods, municipalities and provinces, that alert about the arrival of some product, or that allow the sale or barter of food, or that share information about donations and recipes for cooking them. In short, food is one of the most present elements in Cuban daily life, one of those that demand more energy, time and creativity, and this makes it also have more presence in the popular language.