Culinary history of Caja China and delicious recipe ideas

There is apparently as much mystery surrounding the origins of the “Chinese box” as there is about how to use one for those unfamiliar with the toaster. Stories have been told about the approximately 150,000 Chinese workers who arrived in Cuba in the 1850s and brought the style of cooking to the island, hence the term “caja china.” Research, however, indicates that there is no known record of the roasting box dating that far back. In fact, there seems to have been relatively little mixing between Chinese and Cuban cuisines. So where did the box originate and where did the name “the Chinese box” come from?

According to food anthropologist Sidney Mintz, a more likely scenario is that the term “china” or “chino” does not represent the country in this case, but is actually a common Hispanic term that describes something as exotic, mysterious, or clever. Using this interpretation, “la caja china” would be translated as “the smart box” instead of “la caja china”. This hypothesis is reinforced by renowned Cuban chef Maricel Presilla of Zafra restaurant in New Jersey when she states: “Cubans like to call anything unusual or clever Chinese. And this is true throughout the Caribbean. Almost any culture there Whether you’re Cuban or Puerto Rican or Dominican, they’ve got some kind of thing like this somewhere, a Caja China.” (Sifton) Variations on the box can be found in a number of countries and have a variety of names. In Peru there is the “criollo Chinese box”, in the Cuban community the “roast box” and the “Cuban grill”.

In the Louisiana Cajun community it is known as “Cajun Microwave”. The reality is that all of these roasting boxes are very similar in their cooking style, using the heat from charcoal and the pressure of an enclosed roasting box to cook large amounts of food in an incredibly short period of time. Not only is cooking time reduced from eight or more hours for a large pig to just four, but the meat is incredibly tender. It is, in my opinion, the best kept secret in the American barbecue community today. You can buy one, along with its accessories, at http://www.shoplatintouch.com. Once you have one, you’ll wonder why it took so long.