History of the Cuban Sandwich, Tampa vs. Miami

If you live in Tampa, you know that the Cuban Sandwich is a very popular menu item in many Tampa restaurants and is an item that is uniquely Tampa.   Here is a little history of the Cuban Sandwich.

I was just reading an article in the Florida Trend Magazine that interviewed Richard Gonzmart, the president of the Columbia Restaurant chain.

According to Gonzmart, the Cuban Sandwich is not really a Cuban food item.  It is really a Tampa sandwich.  In Miami, they also do a Cuban Sandwich, but they do it a little different:  they leave out the salami. The sandwich is really a combination of different influences that formed the Tampa community back in the 1800's.

Italian influence - Salami
Spanish influence - Ham
Cuban influence - Pork
German influence - Mustard and Pickles

And he even mentioned that in the 1940's, it was actually called a "Mixed Sandwich".

Below is a picture of a Cuban Sandwich (photo source:  wikipedia.com)