The Cuban Sandwich Crisis: Tampa vs. Miami for the win

[The Pontificator]

I'm not familiar with putting salami on one of these but what do I know?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/201...mi-for-the-win

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

I'm not familiar with putting salami on one of these but what do I know?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/201...mi-for-the-win

Salami...mayo...quien es mas macho?

In my opinion, neither has a place in a Cuban Sandwich.

So, Miami gets my vote!!!

“Life is like a sandwich…the more you add, the better it becomes”. Author Unknown

[VANCE723]

i noticed the honey baked ham store near my house has a featured cuban w/ salami on it

[dannymayo]

IMHO. If it has salami on it, it's not a Cuban sandwich.

[LegendofVogel]

I agree with Miami. In fact, until reading this article, I was unaware salami and mayo were options on a cuban.

[saf]

No bueno with salami

[DeusVult]

Never heard of salami on a Cuban sandwich, but I guess I learned something today. Based on the article, it seems that Tampa has a pretty good case for having an authentic sandwich, since they were the original home of Cubans coming to Florida. However, the sandwiches in both cities started from the same basic sandwich, which is the one that still exists in Miami. I'm must conclude that the original sandwich in both cities never contained salami.

[ouch]

IMHO. If it has salami on it, it's not a Cuban sandwich.

+1

[Krona Kruiser]

Having been both in Tampa and Miami as well as having Cuban family, I have to say that the Cuban sandwiches from lil' Havana in Miami get my pick.

[ouch]

Having been both in Tampa and Miami as well as having Cuban family, I have to say that the Cuban sandwiches from lil' Havana in Miami get my pick.

I had some good ones in Miami over the years, but I was in Tampa last summer and couldn't find one worth a damn.

[ackvil]

Having lived on both coasts of Florida and having had numerous Cuban sandwiches, I like the Tampa style best. First, the better shops in Tampa do not use salami - they use mortadella. Apparently this ingredient was borrowed from Italians who settled in Ybor City in Tampa - where the sandwich first appeared. And for you history fans the Tampa version started in the Coumbia Restaurant in Ybor City and could be found in their menus 50 years before it appeared in Miami.

Unfortunately, most of the sandwiches you get in either city skimp on the ingredients. They used boiled ham instead of glazed ham and processed pork instead of slow roasted pork.

[oc_in_fw]

Salami...mayo...quien es mas macho?

In my opinion, neither has a place in a Cuban Sandwich.

I, and the guy who runs the Cuban sandwich shop up the street, agree wholeheartedly with that statement.

[smalltank]

Cubitalian sandwich ;-)

[braucast]

I guess many read over the point that the sandwich known as the Cuban Sandwich was "invented" in Tampa (Ybor City). I think that sort of clinches it. And yes, the mortadella is the real deal. Kinda of like French Fries, the Belgians say that is also a misnomer.

[miamimoe]

Having been born in Cuba, having grown up in Miami, and having worked in Little Havana for many years, I must wade in here. It seems as if the original "Cuban style sandwich" was born in Tampa. However, in Miami, "El Sanwiche Cubano" has been around at least since the late 40's. A Miami Cubano does not have salami, or mayo. A real Miami Cubano is the following: Marinated, slow cooked roast pork, Virginia or Smithfield Ham, sweet, not sour pickles, yellow mustard, Swiss cheese, cuban bread, and a spat of butter, grilled on a sandwich press. That's it, no mayo, no salami, or other cured meats excluding the ham. That said, I have eaten at the Columbia in Tampa a number of times, and while I never had their sandwich, I can testify that they do have authentic Cuban food. I can only conclude that the Cubans in Ybor City developed the sandwich, and then modified it on account of the local Italian community. The Miami Cubano is based on the original. Quite frankly, I don't see what difference it makes if each city claims their own as the original.

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Having been born in Cuba, having grown up in Miami, and having worked in Little Havana for many years, I must wade in here. It seems as if the original "Cuban style sandwich" was born in Tampa. However, in Miami, "El Sanwiche Cubano" has been around at least since the late 40's. A Miami Cubano does not have salami, or mayo. A real Miami Cubano is the following: Marinated, slow cooked roast pork, Virginia or Smithfield Ham, sweet, not sour pickles, yellow mustard, Swiss cheese, cuban bread, and a spat of butter, grilled on a sandwich press. That's it, no mayo, no salami, or other cured meats excluding the ham. That said, I have eaten at the Columbia in Tampa a number of times, and while I never had their sandwich, I can testify that they do have authentic Cuban food. I can only conclude that the Cubans in Ybor City developed the sandwich, and then modified it on account of the local Italian community. The Miami Cubano is based on the original. Quite frankly, I don't see what difference it makes if each city claims their own as the original.

miamimoe:
...no difference except 'kudo's, brownie points, trash talk & bragging rights'!!!

“Life is like a sandwich…the more you add, the better it becomes”. Author Unknown

[Crixus]

Having been born in Cuba, having grown up in Miami, and having worked in Little Havana for many years,

Come on now, we're trying to find somebody qualified to weigh in here...