The Cheeses Of Cuba: A Cultural Culinary Adventure

The Cuban sandwich, or Cubano, is a variation of a ham and cheese sandwich that likely originated in cafes catering to Cuban workers in Tampa or Key West, Florida. The sandwich is made with ham, mojo, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and sometimes salami on Cuban bread. The Tampa version of the Cubano typically includes a layer of Genoa salami, whereas the Miami version does not.

The best cheese for a Cuban sandwich is Gruyere Swiss cheese

The Cuban sandwich, or "Cubano", is a variation of a ham and cheese sandwich that likely originated in cafes catering to Cuban workers in the early Cuban immigrant communities of Tampa and Key West, Florida. The "true" Cuban sandwich is a hotly debated topic, with the main regional disagreement involving the inclusion of salami. However, most agree that the traditional Cuban sandwich starts with Cuban bread, yellow mustard, roast pork, glazed ham, Swiss cheese, and thinly sliced dill pickles.

While the type of cheese used in a Cuban sandwich is also a matter of contention, many sources agree that the best cheese for a Cuban sandwich is Gruyere Swiss cheese. This is because Gruyere is a semi-hard, pale yellow Swiss cheese made from whole milk, giving it a slightly sweet and slightly salty taste. As a consummate melting cheese, it adds a creamy, nutty texture to the Cuban sandwich, and its strong flavour cuts through the richness of the other ingredients.

When making a Cuban sandwich, it is important to start and end with the cheese. This is because the cheese acts as the "melty glue" that holds all the sandwich components together. To achieve the perfect Cuban sandwich, the bread should be compressed to about a third of its original volume, and the cheese should be melted.

The sandwich is grilled on a plancha or panini press

The Cuban sandwich, or Cubano, is a grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich variation that was likely invented in cafes catering to Cuban workers in Tampa or Key West, Florida. The sandwich is grilled on a plancha or panini press, which heats and compresses the sandwich, creating a super crispy exterior and a cheesy interior.

A plancha is a sandwich press similar to a panini press but without grooved surfaces. The plancha is the traditional method for grilling a Cuban sandwich, giving it a crispy exterior without the grooves that would be left by a panini press. However, a panini press can also be used to achieve a similar result.

To grill a Cuban sandwich on a plancha or panini press, first assemble the sandwich by spreading yellow mustard and mayonnaise on Cuban bread, then layering sliced ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, and dill pickles. Next, lightly coat the cooking surface of a griddle or skillet with cooking spray and heat the pan for about a minute. Place the sandwiches on the hot surface and put a clean, heavy skillet on top of the sandwiches to flatten them, pressing down until the bread is about a third of its original size. Leave the skillet on top and grill for 1-2 minutes, then lift the skillet, turn the sandwich over, and grill the other side. The sandwich is ready when the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown.

The Cuban sandwich is a popular and delicious dish that can be easily made at home with the right ingredients and equipment. Grilling the sandwich on a plancha or panini press is a key step in creating the perfect Cubano, giving it a crispy exterior and warm, melted cheese.

The sandwich originated in cafes catering to Cuban workers in Florida

The Cuban sandwich, or "Cubano", is a variation of a ham and cheese sandwich that likely originated in cafes catering to Cuban workers in Florida. The sandwich was created in two early Cuban immigrant communities in Florida: Tampa and Key West. These communities were centred around the cigar industry, with tens of thousands of Cuban immigrants moving to the area to work in the cigar factories. The sandwich was a common lunch food for these workers, and its exact origin is still disputed. However, it is believed that the Cubano was "born in Cuba and educated in the US", with a basic version existing in Cuba as a ham and cheese sandwich.

The Cubano was brought to the US by Cuban immigrants who needed a transportable yet filling lunch to take to work. The sandwich was amped up with various fillings, including mojo roast pork, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. The first recorded mentions of a distinct Cuban sandwich come from descriptions of workers' cafes in Ybor City and nearby West Tampa from around 1900. A travel article published in 1934 listed Cuban sandwiches among the city's "signature foods", further reinforcing the belief that Cubanos were "born in Cuba and educated in the US".

The Cuban sandwich has since spread across Florida and beyond, becoming a staple in homes and cafes. It has also sparked a long-running friendly rivalry between Miami and Tampa, with each city claiming to have the best version of the Cubano. The main regional disagreement involves the inclusion of salami, with Tampa's version including it due to the influence of Italian immigrants, while Miami's version typically does not.

The Cuban sandwich is at the centre of a long-running rivalry between Miami and Tampa

The Tampa Cuban sandwich reflects the city's rich multicultural history. The inclusion of salami is a nod to the Italian immigrants who worked in Ybor City's cigar factories alongside Cuban and Spanish labourers. At the heart of this tradition is Columbia Restaurant, Florida's oldest restaurant, established in 1905. "The addition of Genoa salami is what sets us apart," says Richard Gonzmart, a descendant of the restaurant's founders. "It's not just a sandwich — it's a story on bread."

In Miami, the Cuban sandwich takes a more minimalist approach, focusing on honouring traditional Cuban flavours. The emphasis is on simplicity. "The Miami Cuban sandwich is all about authenticity — no distractions, just the essentials. There's no need for salami," says Eddie Ulloa, a West Miami native.

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 rivalry. While salami is not added to a South Florida Cuban sandwich, in Tampa, Genoa salami is traditionally layered with the other meats. This is probably due to the influence of Italian immigrants who lived side by side with Cubans and Spaniards in 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.

The first recorded mentions of a distinct Cuban sandwich survive in descriptions of workers' cafés in Ybor City and nearby West Tampa from around 1900, leading other historians to theorize that the sandwich as now constituted first appeared there. However, some believe that the sandwich was a common lunch food for workers in both the cigar factories and sugar mills of 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 medianoche is a similar sandwich that originated in Havana

The name medianoche, which means ""midnight" in Spanish, suggests that the sandwich originated as a late-night snack, likely in the nightclubs of Havana.

The Cuban sandwich, also known as a Cubano, is a grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich variation that was likely created in cafes catering to Cuban workers in Tampa or Key West, Florida. It is made with ham, mojo, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and sometimes salami on Cuban bread. The sandwich is grilled and pressed to create a super crispy exterior and a cheesy interior.

The exact origin of the Cuban sandwich is disputed, but most historians agree that it was "born in Cuba and educated in the US". A basic version of the sandwich existed in Cuba, but the ultimate Cubano was created in Key West and Tampa, Florida by Cuban immigrants who needed a transportable yet filling lunch to take to work.

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