Cuban sandwiches in Florida reflect regional diversity, particularly between Miami, Tampa, and Key West. Miami's version features five key ingredients: sweet ham, mojo-roasted pork, dill pickles, yellow mustard, and Swiss cheese on buttered Cuban bread, toasted until melty. Tampa adds salami, causing disputes, especially after the 2012 crisis when Tampa declared a salami version their official sandwich. Meanwhile, Key West favors lettuce, tomato, and mayo, though this variation is often ignored. The Cuban sandwich embodies an evolving cultural identity rooted in Havana's origins, serving as a means to preserve Cuban heritage in America.
In Miami we expect a Cuban sandwich to have only five ingredients: sweet ham, mojo-roasted pork, dill pickles, tangy yellow mustard, and pungent Swiss cheese on Cuban bread.
Tampa insists on adding salami to the Cuban sandwich, which has led to many hurt feelings and even political disputes.
The Cuban sandwich represents a lifeboat of a lost Cuban culture, trying to preserve memories of the past as it evolves across regions.
A group of scholars wrote that the Cuban sandwich originated in Havana and transformed in various US cities, symbolizing its American adaptation.
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