Two American Cities Compete for the Title of Inventor of the Cuban Sandwich.. What's the Story?

- The cities of Miami and Tampa in the state of Florida, USA, enjoy wonderful weather, a vibrant Cuban community, and beautiful beaches, each claiming to be the birthplace of the famous Cuban sandwich. Therefore, attempting to determine which city was the true cradle of this multi-layered sandwich sparks a heated debate among the residents of both cities.

Andrew Tambuzzo, born in Tampa and of Sicilian and Cuban descent, recalls eating the Cuban sandwich since childhood during Christmas, family gatherings, and even funerals. At his café and artisanal meat shop "The Boozy Pig," he offers a version of the Cuban sandwich he calls "mixto," which is the old Cuban name for this type of sandwich.

Tambuzzo believes that Tampa is the place where the sandwich evolved into its known form today, thanks to the migration of Cuban workers associated with the cigar industry, along with the traditions of Cuban bread-making in the city. About 450 kilometers southeast of Tampa, Chef Michelle Bernstein, owner of "Café La Trova" in the "Little Havana" neighborhood of Miami, has different but equally strong memories.

She grew up in Miami near a Cuban grocery and butcher shop, and her mother would order her the Cuban sandwich and a banana shake while shopping. She says that the sandwich in Miami is not just food, but part of the city's identity and culture.

But which of the two cities invented the Cuban sandwich? And how did the differences between the Tampa and Miami versions arise, such as the addition of salami in Tampa and the difference in the texture of the bread?

According to the authors of the book "The Cuban Sandwich: A History in Layers", the roots of the sandwich undoubtedly trace back to Cuba, although the details of its beginnings are not well documented. Researcher Barbara Cruz, a Cuban American and professor at the University of South Florida, explains that the earliest versions in Cuba were similar to the traditional Spanish "bocadillo" sandwich, which consists of bread, cheese, and a type of meat.

In the late nineteenth century, this sandwich evolved into what was known as "mixto", meaning "mixed", because it contained more than one type of meat. Research in old Cuban newspapers indicates that bakeries in Havana sold "mixto" sandwiches, which did not have a fixed recipe, as people used whatever meats and ingredients were available to them.

With the migration of Cubans to the United States in the nineteenth century, the sandwich made its way to cities like New York, Key West, Tampa, and South Florida, and began to vary from community to community. Historians say that the form the sandwich has taken today particularly developed in Tampa during the late nineteenth century.

A large wave of Cubans arrived in Key West around 1868, coinciding with the start of the Ten Years' War against Spanish rule, and parts of the Cuban cigar industry then moved from Havana to the city. In 1885, Spanish cigar maker Vicente Martinez Ybor moved his operations to Tampa due to labor issues and a lack of fresh water in Key West.

With the cigar industry thriving, the Cuban sandwich found an ideal environment to spread. In Tampa, the sandwich was sold as food for workers from small windows or at bars, as it was easy to carry and eat, allowing a worker to eat half and save the other half for later.

Cigar factory workers were paid based on the number of cigars they produced, so sandwiches were a practical meal that could be eaten quickly while working. Miami did not witness a large wave of Cuban immigration until after 1959, following Fidel Castro's rise to power, and immigration increased during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

Historians believe that the difference in the timing of immigration may partially explain the differences between the two cities' versions of the sandwich, as Miami's bread may have retained characteristics closer to the original Cuban bread due to the more recent arrival of immigrants. One of the most notable differences between the two versions is the addition of Genoa salami to the Tampa sandwich, but experts believe that the bread is the most significant difference.

In Tampa, the bread is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, while Miami's bread features a thinner and more delicate crust, which is why the sandwich is often pressed to achieve the desired crunchiness. Tampa is closely associated with the "La Segunda" bakery, which was established in 1915 and has been run by the More family for four generations.

The bakery produces more than 20,000 loaves daily, using an old tradition of placing a palm leaf over each loaf to keep it moist. Several historic restaurants in Tampa use this bread to prepare the Cuban sandwich.

Over time, the Cuban sandwich has spread across the United States and the world, reaching cities like Toronto, Helsinki, and Seoul. At the International Cuban Sandwich Festival in Tampa, a restaurant from South Korea won the people's choice award for two consecutive years after adding kimchi to its version of the sandwich.

Some chefs have also created new versions of the sandwich in different ways. Michelle Bernstein in Miami presented an "empanada" dough that includes the ingredients of the traditional Cuban sandwich with a mustard aioli sauce, while Andrew Tambuzzo in Tampa adds his own touch by smoking meats and preparing pork in a way inspired by his Cuban and Sicilian roots.

Despite the global popularity of the Cuban sandwich, researcher Barbara Cruz says that the American version known today is almost nonexistent in Cuba due to a lack of resources. However, feelings remain strong about the "right" way to prepare it.

Cruz humorously recounts that her sister, who lives in Miami, sometimes insists on bringing her own bread when she visits Tampa, highlighting the ongoing rivalry between the two cities to this day.