Cuban content creator El Henry (@itss_henryyv_) has reconnected with his audience on TikTok thanks to a viral video in which he prepares homemade Cuban buñuelos, infused with a generous dose of humor and irony that depicts the everyday life of the island.
Under the title “How NOT to Make Buñuelos in Cuba…”, the clip just over a minute long showcases the entire recipe process: from peeling the cassava and sweet potato to kneading and frying the mixture, all narrated with a style rich in double meanings and references to the shortages faced by Cubans.
"I went with the cats to wait for the cassava to grow, but since it was taking too long, I ended up buying it," she says at the beginning of the video. She then describes how to soften the tubers, grind them with "the little device that Batista gave to my grandmother through the ration book," and mix the ingredients with flour "of questionable origin."
The recipe doesn't include eggs because, as she laughs while explaining, “the neighbor put a surveillance camera on the chickens.” And when it comes time to fry, she adds, “In the pan, you put 500 pesos worth of oil… in my case, I only added 400 because the pan already had 100.”
The icing on the cake is the participation of the already famous "primo," a recurring character who tests the final result while moving in a peculiarly humorous way. For many, his brief appearance is the most anticipated part of each recipe. One user wrote: “I always just wait for the primo to see what he does.” Another commented that “between the narration and the primo, it's impossible not to laugh,” while someone else claimed that “the part with the primo is epic, content one hundred percent.”
The reactions to the video show how the creator's humor connects with a wide audience both inside and outside of Cuba. One viewer confessed, “I died, the cousin is my son, I don’t know where he got that craziness from.” Another wrote, “The device Batista gave to grandma for the ration book and the questionable flour… new follower.” There was even someone who commented, “The fritter is strange because the cousin got stuck in the Maykel Jackson hallway,” while another person said, “The recipe is good, but the part with the cousin is better.”
Beyond entertainment, the video also serves as a satirical portrait of Cuban reality, where creativity in the kitchen blends with ingenuity to overcome shortages. In the words of a follower: “With necessity, that without eggs, little sugar, and generally little of everything is unique... for vegans, for people on a diet... that.”
With this video, El Henry reaffirms his place among Cuban creators, demonstrating that in Cuba, even a recipe can be an opportunity to laugh and, at the same time, reflect.
Filed under:
