Ay Val, I can smell the the mojo from here, where it is very hard to find naranja agrias. I know of a store where they know a man who has a tree. But you have to time it just right to get some before they are gone, and they are not the same here.

In the interest of fairness, I have to say, that having been raised in Puerto Rico, there too can you celebrate Noche Buena the Cuban way...however, not that many caja chinas. There you either order the pork, or build in your huge backyard (God how I miss this) a roaster, stick and all - lechon a la vara. Oh well, I will have to be happy with my Paleta in the oven, that's what I get for living in a New England town - no vianderos, or afiladores, or ferreterias with cajas chinas, but my God, the Christmas decorations of the houses here, they go all out.....the town, the homes, the street, there's no outcry here about Xmas decorations in public places....and everything is soooooo beautiful; its like a postcard. Sorry, I had to get my mind off of that lechon a la vara somehow!

Co~no, Man, I am completely overwhelmed with jealousy!
Julio
P.S. But I am *real* glad to hear the ole man is doing so well after the runaway truck incident!
PPS. Do you think that, somehow, we can blame that on the embargo? Just kidding...

ño Val! I'm green with envy - or that may just be el frio que esta haciendo aqui. Mantendre a tu Papa en mis oraciones even though I know he'll make a full recovery.

Folks,
Just for your information: cost of ONE naranja agria here in Maryland, IF and WHEN you can find one at one of the small Latin markets* is... 99 cents. Yes, for one tiny, little naranja agria.
Cooooooo~n'o!!!
Our family had a naranja agria tree in the backyard of our house in Guines, Cuba.
I used to *hate* that tree, because after all, the oranges it produced were "horrendous" when you tried to taste them... until, of course, it came time for my mother or some other relative to cook something with them.
And you know what?
I *really* miss that tree nowadays...
I doubt that tree still exists, though with the Cubans panache for the art of "resolver," whoever "inherited" our house in Guines might have found a way to keep that tree hale and hearty, even though they may not have a lot to marinade with the sour oranges it produces.
I'll have to check on the status of that tree *when* I return to Guines. And I will.
Meantime, there are NO orange trees, of any kind, here in Maryland, where I live now. For a brief while, I kept a small citrus seedling in a small tub, one that grew out of a seed I "carelessly" spit out upon some fertile soil, and when it sprouted, I immediately recognized it for what it was and transplanted it to its very own tub.
Is there anyone else out there who does the same type of thing? Sort of a rather feeble attempt at capturing a piece of the past in a small tub of potting soil?
I used to crush a small portion of one leaf of my little citrus seedling, just so I could smell that heavenly fragrance. Ah, que maravilla... I would think. Just heavenly.
After a while, that seedling died. Not enough sunlight, probably, or maybe it was one too many leaf crushings from me...
I think it's getting to be time to plan our family's move to the (holy) land of orange trees... particularly in view of the fact that the grounds here in Maryland, as I type this message, are covered with the remnants of a three-inch snowfall. And there's more snow in the forecast for the next week or so. Ay, Dios m'io!
It may be a White Christmas here in Maryland this year, but to be perfectly frank, I'd rather enjoy a *sunny* Christmas --probably closer to what it must have been like in Bel'en two thousand years ago-- one when I'd be able to go scuba diving in the morning and fishing in the afternoon.
And of course, I'd go "a pegarle la gorra a los Prietos" on Nochebuena night.
Feliz Navidad a todos!
Julio

When I first moved to California 15 years ago, we used to drive 2 hours into Los Angeles just to buy platanos. And we are still waiting for naranja agrias to arrive, but I do own a Caja China shipped directly from Miami.

离心机
化工设备
油漆涂料设备

Hell man, I go out, hunt up, blast, gut and skin my own wild "lechon"!

Much better flavor, just like "free-roaming chickens"--because of the varied diet and lower fat content-- became hip with yuppies a few years back, free-roaming swine ("wild-hogs") are where it's at favor-wise and fat-wise come "noche-buena" time!

Feliz navidad amigos!
Humberto

take that jock. sell outs...
http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/5168056

poor fidelo, no ball for commies.
yer out!

Ah! Love this post - brings back some more memories...I am sorry to have such a hyperactive NG (Nostalgia Gene) - guess it is the aging process; even in urban, cosmopolitan Havana "back then" you would get a lot of your staples from individual vendors. My most interesting experience was the time "el huevero (the eggman)" showed up at our apartment in Focsa with 2 live chickens - I followed him to the patio, where there was a sink. Then I watched in ghoulish amazement, as boys will, when he grabbed each chicken by the neck and proceeded to whirl and twirl the birds, breaking their necks in the process - chickens crappin' and all...couldn't get 'em any fresher than that. Perdue, eat your heart out!

Hope this don't put anybody "off" chicken...

Julio, at least you can get the naranja agrias...I got a tip from a Cuban in Boston for last Xmas, mix orange juice with lemon, voila naranja agria. Don't knock it till you tried it....worked pretty well

Alberto - It doesn't put me off chicken, but it does remind me of the time my family had a small chicken coop on the patio. This was ages ago when we lived on the other side of the globe. My mom & the housekeeper performed the slaying of the chickens...the chickens that actually reached adulthood after my brother and I thought it was a good idea to give the chicks a bath.

But anyway, Noche Buena sounds like it'll be fabulous. Have a wonderful time!