Soul de Cuba Café founder Jesus Puerto was visiting family in Cuba in 2006 when a cousin offered him a bite of something delightfully familiar. "What are you cooking?" he asked. "Frituras de malanga," she replied. Puerto's eyes widened, realizing it was the Cuban variety of taro. Boiled and mashed malanga is a popular baby food, she told him. "I said man, that is so interesting, because that is the same recipe as poi!" Puerto laughs. But another connection hit Puerto, a former Samoa...
