A simple meal of bread drizzled with oil and sprinkled with salt, accompanied by a glass of water mixed with sugar, is what content creator Lesyanis Portilla ironically refers to as a "millionaire's breakfast" in a TikTok video. The clip quickly gained traction, amassing over 153,700 views in less than a day.
"This is how a Cuban has breakfast, and yet many can't even manage that," Portilla remarks at the start of the video, where she demonstrates how to prepare this meager meal using a scant number of ingredients.
From her TikTok account, "Historias de una cubana," Portilla begins by spreading a small amount of oil on a slice of bread. With a touch of sarcasm, she warns, "Be careful," before adding a pinch of salt.
To accompany the bread, she prepares a glass of sugar water, a substitute for milk or chocolate—commodities that are increasingly difficult for many Cuban families to obtain.
Rising Costs and Scarcity
Portilla highlights that a liter of oil can cost between 3,000 and 5,000 Cuban pesos (CUP), a stark contrast to the minimum monthly salary of 3,210 CUP.
White sugar, too, is a luxury for many. "Most of the time, you have to settle for brown sugar, but some Cubans can afford this indulgence," Portilla notes while stirring sugar into the water.
The scarcity extends to basic staples like bread. In Cuba, the rationed bread portion has been cut from 80 grams to 40 grams, and its price has soared from 0.05 to 0.75 CUP per unit, according to reports from Havana.
Official Acknowledgment
The food access challenges are not a secret; even government officials have recognized the issue. In June 2026, the Minister of the Food Industry, Alberto López Díaz, conceded difficulties in distributing products like oil, chicken, and yogurt through the rationing system.
Activist Yamilka Lafita had previously brought attention to the high cost of living. She estimated that a simple breakfast of bread, butter, powdered milk, and chocolate could cost 7,250 CUP, more than double the minimum monthly wage.
"Water, sugar, and bread with oil and salt—this is a millionaire's breakfast for today's Cuban," Portilla concludes, using humor and irony to underscore the severe hardships many families face in securing even the most basic meal.
The State of Food Scarcity in Cuba
What is the "millionaire's breakfast" in Cuba?
The "millionaire's breakfast" refers to a simple meal of bread with oil and salt, paired with a glass of sugar water, highlighting the irony of calling such a basic meal luxurious due to its cost and scarcity.
Why are basic food items so expensive in Cuba?
Basic food items are expensive in Cuba due to economic challenges, including inflation, scarcity of resources, and inefficiencies in the distribution system.