As the newsroom’s resident half-Cuban-American from Miami, I’ve been asked more than once to give my stamp of authenticity on Cuban food across the New Orleans area, particularly on Cuban sandwiches.
The classic Cuban sandwich, also known as a Cubano, is a spin on a ham and cheese sandwich, where mojo-roasted pork, pickles and mustard are added to ham and melted Swiss cheese, then placed between Cuban bread that has been buttered and pressed.
While researchers believe the Cubano has its origins in the mixed sandwiches of the Cuban homeland, the sandwich was mostly popularized by the Cuban diaspora in Florida. These days, a deep rivalry exists between Miami and Tampa over which city perfected the craft of a Cubano — Tampa’s adds Genoa salami thanks to its Italian immigrant community…