A real Cuban mojito does not contain mint!
This tidbit of information totally threw me off, seeing that the mojito is one of my favorite cocktails and I’ve been drinking it with mint for many years now. In Cuba they use an herb called yerba buena which is widely available on the island. After further research upon my return to the States I’ve discovered that yerba buena is in fact a type of mint grown in Cuba, similar to spearmint.
Knowing that it was one of my faves, my Cuban family made mojitos many a nights during my stay. I also had a mojito at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba for $4, which I thought was a fair price (coming from NYC where they can cost you up to $15 or so.) However, my brother-in-law later commented that for $4 he could make ten mojitos at home.
Es muy barato!
