The Cuban sandwich’s connection to Florida + where to get one in Lakeland | LALtoday – AVLtoday

Table of Contents

Let’s first consider one potentially surprising debate: The Cuban sandwich did not originate in Cuba. The toasty handheld is said to have originated right here in the Sunshine Statedepending on who you ask, the answer could vary from somewhere in Miami, to somewhere in Tampa.

Cuban sandwiches being made in Ybor City | Photo via Florida Memory

However, Cuban sandwich experts claim that it could’ve actually originated from the Taino tribe in Cuba. Long story short, we don’t really know for sure.

Depending on who you ask in the restaurant scene in Ybor City, it’s said that the first Cuban sandwich of today, was constructed a little over a century ago by regionally famous spots, such as the Columbia. It was engineered within Ybor City to feed the Cuban workers over at cigar factories dotted around the city and then became what we know today (white bread with pork, ham, turkey, Genoa salami, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard)

Strawberry Hut Cubans | Photo via @todaywithrae_

How do they vary?

If the Taino tribe really did build the first Cuban sandwich 500 years ago, it was constructed with a yucca bread called casabe. Back then, pork wasn’t readily available, so the tribe would’ve stuffed fish and bird inside the cracker-like sandwich. 

Meats such as ham and pork weren’t introduced until Spaniards made their way to Cuba, along with softer bread. Fast-forward to Florida in the 1800s, and the tobacco industry was booming, particularly Cuban tobacco in cities like Ybor, which housed Cuban immigrants. Once variations of the sandwich were brought over to Florida, so too were other influences such as Spanish + Italian (hence the salami)

From the beaches of Miami to the antiquated streets of Ybor, one thing’s for certain: the way a Cuban is made is, well, not certain. Historically, Tampanians include salami, among the other meats atop their version of the Cuban, while Miamians feel strongly against the inclusion of the lunchmeat

The Miami version also excludes any lettuce, mayo, or tomatoes, while in Tampa, you might find some, if not all of those additions, atop your sandwich. On top of the meat + toppings debacle, neither side can agree on whether or not the sandwich should be pressed or cold.

Cuban Sandwich at Silver Ring Cafe | Photo via @theaustinwalker

Where can I grab one in Lakeland?

We asked our followers on Instagram where the best Cuban sandwich in Lakeland is and here’s what some of you said:

Poll

Source