Cuba: Food stories

Are farmers essential workers? How is life like under quarantine and under rations? "Traveling to Cuba as a vegetarian is tough" that's the story I heard, when prepping to go. So before leaving both times, I broke my "diet" to prepare my body.When I went the first time a few years back that was my experience. The government rationing of food went beyond the individual, local markets, it also impact restaurants. There were not a lot of variety in vegetarian dishes. Even some "vegetarian" meals had meat. There were not a lot of fresh vegetables. And there was not a lot of salt.    So, the food had a very um...authentic taste.  

 One night we went to a Chinese restaurant.  Outside it had a bright neon sign of its delivery number, with Hun's Garden Delight or some Asain theme named stood out. I had no idea what to expect inside. My stomach wasn't too excited to try their food either, but I was also hungry. Somehow my friends had eaten their for lunch eariler in the week while I was off snapping pictures???...

In any case, walking the Asain theme continued. As you step down into a carpeted foyer, surrounded by tall bamboo plants and water fall planters you felt calmed. Light music played in the background, there seemed to be more staff waiting to assist than patrons.The waiter/waitress were dress in traditional Asian dress even the makeup helped the Cubans to look Asian.

The food was bomb. It was surprising... because pizza in Cuba was a definite miss, so was the french fries, and the ham on the hamburger was still weird, which I was prepared for (thanks Costa Rica) so I was delighted. I will definitely visit again, when I go back. How are farmers and growers doing? Are migrant farmers essential workers?