Forbidden Feasts

Cuban Heritage & Forbidden Feasts

Chef David Guas is a first-generation Cuban-American chef, explorer, and storyteller who has researched his family’s Cuban heritage through food, history, and documentary storytelling.

His personal journey led to the creation of the docu-series Forbidden Feasts, which retraces the path of his exiled Cuban family using archival photos, historical records, and his father’s memories of life in Cuba more than 50 years ago.

Exploring Cuban Family History

Each episode of Forbidden Feasts serves as a window into Cuban culinary culture and family legacy. The series follows the history of Guas’ family, including his father, Mariano Guas, and their ancestral roots in Cuba.

Through this exploration, Guas connects family history with the broader story of Cuban heritage, exile, and identity.

Food, Memory, & Cultural Identity

Filmed alongside his father, Forbidden Feasts blends travel, history, and food, using traditional Cuban dishes as a way to preserve memory and cultural identity across generations.

For Guas, cooking becomes a connection point—linking past and present through ancestral recipes and shared experience. The series reflects how Cuban cuisine continues to evolve while honoring its roots.

A Personal Culinary Journey

Through Forbidden Feasts, Chef Guas explores not only his family’s political and cultural history, but also the resilience of Cuban food traditions and the people.

The project reflects a broader theme found throughout his work: how food preserves identity, tells stories of migration, and connects generations across time and distance.