A view of Havana, capital of Cuba. Photo: Xinhua

Cynthia Alfonso, a 10-year-old girl from Havana's Plaza de la Revolution district, has found taking online cooking classes a wonderful way to spend her leisure time during the COVID-19 epidemic.

She has learned to cook rice, beans, chicken and pork, as well as make vegetable salads. "This is fun. I like cooking. Indeed, I like making breakfast at home," she told Xinhua.

Such classes require parents to supervise students' learning process and doing homework.

Alfonso's mother, Bertha Ortiz told Xinhua that in the very beginning, she was reluctant to let her daughter cook, but she changed her mind after a few weeks.

"It is very import for children to get insights into the basics of (the) Cuban cuisine," she said. Students are also instructed to record videos and share them on social media and other digital platforms.

So far, the island nation has been striving to contain increasing confirmed cases, deaths and hospitalizations due to COVID-19.

Cuban chef Yoandry Perez, who has taught cooking classes to children since 2015, told Xinhua that the momentum has been very positive at present. "We want to teach these classes to more children once the sanitation emergency is over," he said. During the classes, which usually last for about an hour, participants discuss how to cook productively and eat healthily.

Alina Martel, president of the Culinary Association in Havana, said that Cuban cuisine is an essential part of local identity. "We have many projects involving children, adolescents and grandmothers," she said.

Meanwhile, Diego Mark, an 11-year-old boy from central Havana, hopes to become a well-known chef in the future.

"I do not like baseball or soccer," he said. "I want to operate my own restaurant in the future and have people enjoy my dishes."