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What's the origin of the Cuban sandwich? Researchers set out to settle the debate.
Alejandra Marquez Janse, Producer, All Things Considered - NPR

Andy Huse had heard the arguments over the origin of the Cuban sandwich for years. It's been a long-standing debate between Tampa and Miami, which both claim ownership of the popular meal. So he and two other researchers set out to find the final answer and settle the debate. And they landed on one conclusion: the sandwich's origin is, well, Cuba.

Huse is a librarian at the University of South Florida and explored these topics in a new book he co-wrote, The Cuban Sandwich: A History In Layers.

The book unpacks these layers of history like those of the sandwich itself – Cuban bread filled with seasoned pork, sweet ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard – to understand where it came from and how it has evolved. It weaves together research and profiles of artisans who are making the sandwich in different parts of the world today.

"Havana conceived [the sandwich], it's safe to say, but Tampa really curated it for a long time," Huse said. "I think that's a good descriptor. You know, they tinkered with the sandwich, but they came upon, I'd say by the '40s and '50s, a fairly stable creation that often included turkey and almost always included salami."

The inclusion of the salami, like other additions and changes to the sandwich's recipe, can be a sore subject. But Huse said that when they looked at records of sandwiches in Cuba back in the '50s, they found the exact same one Tampa is known for – with salami included. Read more >