Congrí Oriental: Cuba's Red Beans and Rice from the East

In Cuba, the eternal question isn’t whether you eat rice and beans — that’s a given — but which beans. If you’re from Havana, the answer is black. If you’re from Santiago, the answer is red. And that dish of rice cooked together with red beans has its own name: congrí.

East vs. West: one island, two pots

Cuba is a long, narrow island, and its two ends cook differently. In the west — Havana, Pinar del Río, Matanzas — moros y cristianos reign supreme, the black beans and rice dish named after the coexistence of Moors and Christians in medieval Spain.

In the east — Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguín, Baracoa — the dish is called congrí and it’s made with red beans (smaller than kidney beans, known in Cuba as frijoles colorados). It’s not just a different ingredient: it’s an entirely distinct culinary tradition rooted in the Francophone Caribbean.

A name that came from Haiti

Where does the word “congrí” come from? Cuban historian Fernando Ortiz documented it: it comes from Haitian Creole, where congo means bean and riz (from French) means rice. Congo + riz = congrí.

The connection is no accident. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, thousands of Haitians — both French colonists and enslaved people — migrated to eastern Cuba fleeing the Haitian Revolution. They brought coffee cultivation, the tumba francesa (a musical and dance tradition), and of course, their way of cooking rice with beans.

Eastern Cuba, geographically and culturally closer to the Caribbean than to Havana, absorbed these influences deeply. Congrí became so rooted that today it is Santiago de Cuba’s signature dish, as quintessentially santiaguero as son music or carnival.

The traditional congrí oriental recipe

Congrí is not simply white rice mixed with beans. The secret is cooking the rice directly in the bean broth, so every grain absorbs color, flavor, and substance.

Ingredients (6-8 servings)

• 2 cups dried red beans (soaked overnight)
• 3 cups long-grain rice
• 200g bacon or pork cracklings (chicharrones), chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 cubanelle pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons oil or lard
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. The beans first. Cook the soaked beans in plenty of water with the bay leaf until tender but not falling apart (45-60 minutes in a regular pot, 20 in a pressure cooker). Reserve the broth — it’s the soul of the dish.

2. The sofrito. In a large heavy pot (cast iron is ideal), heat the oil or lard. Fry the bacon or chicharrones until they release their fat. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper. Cook until the onion is translucent and the sofrito fills the kitchen with its aroma.

3. The union. Add the cooked beans to the sofrito. Add cumin and oregano. Mix well and let everything come together for 2-3 minutes.

4. The rice. Measure the bean broth: you need twice as much liquid as rice (6 cups of broth for 3 cups of rice). If you don’t have enough broth, add water. Pour the rice and broth into the pot. Raise the heat until it boils.

5. The cooking. When the liquid drops to the level of the rice, lower the heat to minimum. Cover and cook without lifting the lid for 20-25 minutes. The rice should come out fluffy, every grain tinted a characteristic pink-brown.

6. The rest. Turn off the heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork before serving.

The Santiago touch

In Santiago, many cooks add a piece of dried shredded coconut to the broth — a direct inheritance from Haitian and Afro-Caribbean cooking. Others use lard instead of oil, and honestly, the flavor is incomparable. The crispy chicharrón on top isn’t decoration: it’s an integral part of the dish.

Congrí at the Cuban table

Congrí is the star side dish of eastern Cuban celebrations. On Christmas Eve, while Havana serves roast pork with moros y cristianos, Santiago sets the same pork next to a steaming pot of congrí. At birthdays, saint’s day parties, and Sunday family gatherings, congrí sits at the center of the table.

It’s served alongside:

• Masitas de puerco fritas — the classic Santiago combination
• Fried sweet plantains — sweetness to balance the savory
• Tomato and avocado salad — tropical freshness
• Yuca con mojo — another essential side

More than a dish: eastern identity

Congrí is a declaration of identity. When an eastern Cuban says “I’m making congrí,” they’re affirming where they come from. It’s not just food — it’s geography, history, and belonging cooked together in a cast-iron pot.

In a country where rice and beans is the national dish par excellence, congrí oriental reminds us that Cuba isn’t one single tradition but many, woven together like the grains of rice and red beans in the broth.

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Does your family make congrí with a secret ingredient? In eastern Cuba, every household has its own version. Tell us yours.