The traditional practice of casabe took center stage at a discussion this Friday regarding its 2024 inscription on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The panel was presided over by Anne Lemaistre, Director of the Regional Office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; Dulce María Buergo, President of the Cuban UNESCO Commission; and Sonya Virgen Pérez, President of the National Council of Cultural Heritage.
Also participating were Ángel Michel Aleaga, a specialist from the latter institution; and Julio Núñez, a casabe producer from the western region of Cuba.
"Culture is dynamic, and the dossier presented by the five countries (Haiti, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Cuba) demonstrates the power of multinational cooperation and, at the same time, cultural diversity," said Anne Lemaistre during her speech.
She emphasized that in countries like Haiti and the Dominican Republic, casabe has already become a substitute for bread in eating habits, while in Cuba it is a product of gastronomic appreciation and a tourist attraction.
The meeting took place at Yucasabi SRL, a restaurant in Havana specializing in casabe. Its president, Yudisley Cruz, acknowledged that her project was born from recognizing the patrimonial and historical value of this food.
In another intervention, Buergo highlighted the value that working on this candidacy had for Cuba and for the region, as it became an exercise in accompaniment and learning even for the countries themselves.
Made with cassava flour, in the shape of bread or a flat, round cake, casabe is a traditional dish in several countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
(Taken from Prensa Latina)
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