Cuban sandwich

ACuban sandwich(Spanish:Sándwich cubano) is a variation of aham and cheese sandwichthat likely originated in cafes catering to Cuban workers inTampaorKey West,two early Cuban immigrant communities in Florida centered on thecigar industry. Later on, Cuban exiles and expatriates brought it to Miami,where it is also very popular. The sandwich is made withham,mojo,roasted pork,Swiss cheese,pickles,mustard, and sometimessalamionCuban bread.Salami is included in Tampa, but is not usually included in South Florida.
The Cuban sandwich is at the center of a long-running friendly rivalry between Miami and Tampa.As part of that rivalry, the "Historic Tampa Cuban Sandwich" was designated the "signature sandwich of the city of Tampa" by theTampa City Councilin 2012.
As withCuban bread, the origin of the Cuban sandwich (sometimes called a "Cuban mix," a "mixto," a "Cuban pressed sandwich," or a "Cubano") is murky.In the late 1800s and early 1900s, travel between Cuba and Florida was easy, especially fromKey WestandTampa, and Cubans frequently sailed back and forth for employment, pleasure, and family visits. Because of this constant and largely undocumented movement of people, culture and ideas, it is impossible to say exactly when or where the Cuban sandwich originated.
Some believe that the sandwich was a common lunch food for workers in both the cigar factories andsugar millsof Cuba (especially in big cities such asHavanaorSantiago de Cuba) and the cigar factories of Key West by the 1860s.Historian Loy Glenn Westfall states that the sandwich was "born in Cuba and educated in Key West."
The cigar industry in Florida shifted to Tampa in the mid-1880s, when the immigrant community ofYbor Citywas founded by cigar manufacturerVicente Martinez-Ybor. Tens of thousands of Cuban, Spanish, and Italian workers moved to the area over following decades, jumpstarting the growth of Tampa from a village to a bustling city. The first recorded mentions of a distinct Cuban sandwich survive in descriptions of workers' cafés inYbor Cityand nearbyWest Tampafrom around 1900, leading other historians to theorize that the sandwich as now constituted first appeared there.A travel article published by theMason City Globe Gazettein 1934 said that Tampa's cooking was "much more distinctive than elsewhere in the state" and lists Cuban sandwiches (along with Cuban bread) among the city's "signature foods".Researcher Andrew Huse states that "the old 'mixtos' coalesced into something more distinct – the Cuban sandwiches we know and love – an original Tampa creation."
By the 1960s, Cuban sandwiches were also common on Miami cafeteria and restaurant menus, as the city had gained a large influx of Cuban residents afterFidel Castro's 1959rise to powerin their native land.The Communist Revolution caused a wave of Cuban expatriates to settle in other locations as well, and they brought their culture and cuisine with them. Cuban sandwiches and variations thereof are now served in variousCuban exilecommunities in places such as New York City,New Jersey, Chicago, andPuerto Rico, among others.
Although there is some debate as to the contents of a "true" Cuban sandwich, most are generally agreed upon. The traditional Cuban sandwich starts withCuban bread. The loaf is sliced into lengths of 8–12 inches (20–30 cm), lightly buttered or brushed with olive oil on the crust, and cut in half horizontally. A coat ofyellow mustardis spread on the bread and themeatsare added in layers:roast pork(Pernilor sometimes marinated inmojo),glazed ham, andsalami.Swiss cheeseand thinly sliceddill picklescomplete the traditional ingredients.
Once assembled, a Cuban sandwich can be toasted in a sandwich press called aplancha, which is similar to apaninipress but without grooved surfaces.Theplanchaboth heats and compresses the sandwich, which remains in the press until the bread surface is slightly crispy and the cheese has begun to melt.It is usually cut into diagonal halves before serving.
The main regional disagreement regarding the Cuban sandwich involves salami, and its inclusion or lack thereof is a major point of contention in the Tampa-Miami Cuban sandwich rivalry.While salami is not added to aSouth FloridaCuban sandwich, in Tampa,Genoa salamiis traditionally layered with the other meats, probably due to the influence ofItalian immigrantswho lived side by side with Cubans andSpaniardsin Ybor City at the beginning of the 20th century.Tampa's recipe has been consistent for decades; a 1934 travel article described a Tampa Cuban sandwich as a "complete meal" consisting of ham, lean pork, Swiss cheese, soft salami, dill pickle and a "liberal moistening of mustard" served on "very crisp and crusty"  Cuban bread.These ingredients were reiterated twenty-seven years later in the first and all subsequent editions ofThe Gasparilla Cookbook(1961), a still-popular collection of Tampa cuisine.
Another regional variation involvesmayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato. These additions are frowned upon by most traditionalists in Tampa and Miami, but are usually included in the "Cuban mix" variant popular in Key West.
The Florida-based grocery chainPublixsells both ready-made Cuban sandwiches to go and hot pressed Cuban sandwiches made to order in their delis. The Publix deli recipe uses Boar’s Head brand ham and pork unless otherwise specified along withFrench breadrather than traditional Cuban bread. This Cuban variation is consistently one of Publix’s bestselling sandwiches in its Florida stores.
The Cuban sandwich is at the center of a long-running semi-serious rivalry between Tampa and Miami, with various community leaders claiming to be home of the best.The debate has been covered by several national and international news outlets,and a related content dispute on the English Wikipedia article about the sandwich was the subject of a 2007 column in theTampa Tribune.
During a 2012 flare-up of the debate, theTampa City Councilvoted to name the "Historic Tampa Cuban Sandwich" as the city's official "signature sandwich", leading to several more rounds of banter between public figures in Tampa and Miami.
A similar sandwich is themedianoche("midnight") sandwich; as the name suggests, the sandwich originated as a late-night snack, likely in the night clubs of Havana. The medianoche contains the same ingredients as the Cuban sandwich, but is smaller and, unlike a Cuban, is served on yellow-colored egg bread (similar tochallah), which is softer and sweeter than Cuban bread.
This dish and its origin are also mentioned in: