The Cuban Sandwich is as much a part of Tampa as the sea—distinct and ever present. Infact there’s no way you can miss it if you’re in Tampa. It even has the title of Tampa’s Official Sandwich!
For a dish to captivate so much attention in a city is thrilling to consider. So, in this article, I’ll explain the origins of the Cuban sandwich, its cultural significance for Tampans, and its contemporary evolution in the city’s food lore.
The Origins of Tampa’s Cuban Sandwich
The Cuban Sandwich was not imagined in Cuba. It was created in Tampa (Miami lays claim to the best recipe, but I’ll talk about that in more detail later).
It’s called the Cuban Sandwich because it was made in Ybor City which was made by Cubans (even Miamians agree with that timeline).
It’s a hot-pressed sandwich made with mustard spread on Cuban and layered with smoked ham, roasted pork, salami, cheese, and pickles.
Ybor City
Tampa, and especially Ybor City, was home to thousands of Cuban immigrants in the early 1900s. Back then the cigar industry shifted to Tampa when a guy named Vicente Martinez-Ybor founded Ybor City.
Soon it became known as the cigar capital of the world and produced hundreds of thousands of fine, hand-rolled cigars every year, for the next 50 years or so.
Initially Cuban and Spanish cigar artisans populated the area and then the area also saw the arrival of Italians and Jewish immigrants. Soon Ybor city was a booming cacophony of economic progress
First Sightings of the Cuban Sandwich
It’s said that the first Cuban Sandwiches were sighted in cafes frequented by cigar factory workers around the early 1900s.
The key distinction between Cuban cuisine at the time and the Cuban Sandwich was the addition of ham, salami, and other ingredients which weren’t common in Cuban cuisine at that time.
In fact, for historians and Tampans, the Cuban sandwich represents the coming together of distinct cultures and a watershed moment for Cuban food in Tampa.
Cultural Significance
Tampan historians and restauranters see the Cuban sandwich as quintessentially Tampan and even American. To them, it’s stands for the coming together of separate immigrant cultures and tells the story of working together in harmony for prosperity.
For Tampans the different cultures are represented distinctly in each part of the sandwich: The Spanish with the ham, the Cuban with the bread, mojo, a spiced sauce, and the roasted pork. The Italians with the salami. And the cheese, mustard, and pickles from the Jews.
It’s beautiful!
What Makes Tampa’s Cuban Sandwich Unique
The Cuban Sandwich is listed among the best Cuban food in Tampa. And it’s different from anything you’ll find in the rest of the country.
The use of Geona salami is what makes Tampa’s Cuban Sandwich distinct. Geona salami is simply dried, cured, and unsmoked salami.
Tradition has it that it was the Italian influence that introduced the salami into the recipe for the sandwich. It has survived and is an essential part of the authentic Tampa Cuban Sandwich.
The Tampa and Miami “Rivalry”
According to Linda Stradley 2004 book, “History of Cuban Sandwich, Cubano Sandwich,” Cuban exiles and expats brough it to Miami as they shifted further south.
Since then, there’s been a friendly debate ragging between the two cities centered on the (in)famous sandwich.
The friendly banter between community leaders of Tampa and Miami over which place has the best Cuban Sandwich has caused many a parody bout in the editorial sections of weeklies and online chatrooms.
It’s a long running rivalry between the two cities. If you have a Cuban Sandwich in Miami, you’ll find Salami missing from the recipe.
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A Dish for All Times and for Everyone
You can have the Cuban Sandwich for breakfast, lunch, or as a snack. You can find it in New York and many other parts of the country with Cuban communities.
You can find it (minus the Salami) in Miami. And you can find it with mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato in Key West.
Whenever I bite into a Cuban Sandwich, I get a taste of the legacy this humble dish has. And it’s what the best part about it!
