Cuban · soup

Ajiaco Cubano

Name: Ajiaco Cubano
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 21 min
Cuisine: Cuban
Ingredients: 1 lb beef (flank, cut into chunks; 1 lb pork ribs; 1/2 lb yuca, cubed; 1/2 lb malanga, cubed; 2 ears corn on the cob, cut into rounds; 1/2 lb pumpkin, cubed; 1/2 lb boniato (Cuban sweet potato), cubed; 1 plantain, sliced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 onion, diced; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp ground cumin; salt to taste; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp lime juice

Ajiaco Cubano reads umami 7.5, sweetness 6.7 and fruity 5.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Cuban soup, about 21 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 7.8 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 8.4 / 10
Sour & Bright — 6.1 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 3.0 / 10
Rich & Fat — 5.8 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 3.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.5 · Sweetness 6.7 · Fruity 5.9 · Richness 5.6 · Sourness 4.7 · Citrus 4.4 · Allium 3.2 · Floral 2.6 · Salinity 2.5 · Smoke 2.5 · Earthy 2.3 · Warm Spice 1.6 · Herbaceous 1.0 · Bitterness 1.0 · Nutty 0.9 · Heat 0.6

What's in it (16)

1 lb beef (flank, cut into chunks
1 lb pork ribs
1/2 lb yuca, cubed
1/2 lb malanga, cubed
2 ears corn on the cob, cut into rounds
1/2 lb pumpkin, cubed
1/2 lb boniato (Cuban sweet potato), cubed
1 plantain, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
salt to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp lime juice

Time & effort: about 21 min (20 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 84.2 kcal, 8.8 g protein, 1.8 g fat, 8.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Simmer the meats in salted water with garlic, onion, tomatoes, oregano, and cumin until partially tender, about 1 hour.
Add the harder root vegetables and corn first, then the softer pumpkin and plantain, staggering additions so everything finishes at the same time.
Season generously and finish with a squeeze of lime; serve in deep bowls with plenty of broth.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Lechon (Whole Roasted Pig) — Filipino
Grilled Pork Chops with Peach-Bourbon Glaze — American
Sheet-Pan Sausage, Potatoes, and Peppers — American
Svíčková na Smetaně (Marinated Beef in Root Vegetable Cream Sauce) — Czech
Boliche (Cuban Pot Roast) — Cuban

Keep reading: what umami, sweetness, fruity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.