Street Cart Classic · Fresh-Pressed Cane Juice
Guarapo
Photo: Dtarazona / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Cubans call the stands that press it guaraperas, and some add a shot of rum to turn the juice into a cocktail.
Guarapo is the pale green juice extracted by crushing fresh sugarcane stalks through a roller press, served over ice, sometimes with a splash of lime. Street stands with visible cane presses are a common sight in Cuban towns, pressing juice fresh for each customer rather than pre-bottling it.
Why it's made this way: Sugar has shaped Cuba's economy and landscape for centuries, and guarapo is the most direct, unprocessed way that history shows up as something you can drink on the street.
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Part of World of Street Food — 3443 dishes from 118 countries.
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