Cuban Sandwich
Fri July 5th, 2019
The Cuban sandwich is a different take on the ham and cheese sandwich. It originated around 1831. Made popular by Cuban cigar factory workers in Key West, Florida. In 1886, Cuban exiles and expatriates brought the Cuban sandwich to Tampa (Ybor City). In the 1940's the sandwich became popular in Miami.
Cuban sandwich ingredients include ham, roasted pork, swiss cheese, pickles, mustard and variations of Cuban bread. They Key West version of the Cuban sandwich includes shredded lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise. In Tampa, salami is added because there was a large Italian population during the time the sandwich was introduced in Ybor City.