Volcanoes in Cuba were usually fueled with wood or charcoal, although some people made volcanoes that used kerosene. Lighting the kerosene-fueled volcano is not an easy task. A pump pressurized the kerosene. It looked a little like a bicycle pump and the user had to pump this handle several times before lighting the stove. You added a small quantity of alcohol to a tray in the center of the gas ring.
You lit the alcohol on fire, waited awhile to make sure the flame was steady and then you opened a little valve to release the kerosene gas. If you were lucky, the kerosene gas would pop to life with a steady blue flame. If not, the gas would fizzle and smoke and you had to go through the entire procedure all over again.
The volcano was a common sight in backyards in Cuba, and today many Cuban Americans carry on the tradition. It's basically an outdoor single-burner stove. The burner is sized to fit a large cooking pot. The pot can be filled with oil for deep frying or water for boiling. Many people prefer to fry fish outdoors – it keeps the smell out of the house, and some people think the abundance of fresh air outside actually makes the fish taste better!
For parties, a volcano and a large pot of water could be used to boil up a huge batch of yuca! Volcanoes in Cuba were usually fueled with wood or charcoal, although some were made to use kerosene.
Lighting the kerosene-fueled volcano was not an easy task. There was a pump that was used to pressurize the kerosene. It looked a little like a bicycle pump and the user had to pump this handle several times before lighting the stove.
A small quantity of alcohol was added to a tray in the center of the gas ring. You lit the alcohol on fire, waited awhile to make sure the flame was steady and then you opened a little valve to release the kerosene gas.
If you were lucky, the kerosene gas would pop to life with a steady blue flame. If not, the gas would fizzle and smoke and you had to go through the entire procedure all over again!
Many volcanoes in use today - like the one pictured above - use propane.
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Drinks | Appetizers | Salads | Main Dishes
Soups | Side Dishes | Desserts | Index
