The Cuban Sandwich Thing

In Cuba it is simply called ‘sandwich’.  Cubans call it “Cubano.”  To the rest of the world it is known as a Cuban Sandwich.  I can’t remember the first time I had a Cuban Sandwich.  I’m not sure if it was in Cuba or in New York.  What I do remember, and will never forget, is the taste.  The Cuban Sandwich doesn’t contain any special ingredients, just ham, roast pork, swiss cheese and pickles.  There are many other sandwiches with the same or similar ingredients, but the difference, the real difference, is the bread…, Cuban bread.

With the exception of a stint in the Air Force, I’ve lived most of my life in the New York metropolitan area.  As I have mentioned, Cuban communities in the 1950′s and early 1960′s were small and were usually a part of a much larger Spanish speaking neighborhood.  During this time there were no Cuban “loncherias”, Cuban luncheonettes or sandwich shops.  They didn’t really come on the scene until the Cuban communities became much larger.  I remember eating many a Cuban sandwich at one of these “loncherias” as a teenager.  Today almost any sandwich shop or restaurant in America has Cuban Sandwiches on their menu, it’s that “Cuban Thing” again, but they can’t deliver on its true taste simply because the main ingredient is missing…, Cuban bread.

I think that one of the greatest smells in the world is that of bread being baked.  And just like any other bread recipe, the distinctive taste of Cuban bread is derived from its ingredients – starter, yeast, water and flour.  Yes that’s it.  The secret is in the starter, which is enriched with lard from which the bread acquires its basic smoothness.  It is the taste of the bread that makes a Cuban Sandwich a Cuban Sandwich.

There are many recipes out there for Cuban Sandwiches, each one adding other ingredients to the original recipe.  The original recipe goes back to the early 16th. century and for the next four hundred years the “Cubano” developed into the delicacy that we enjoy today.  You can the see original recipe and learn more about the history of the Cuban Sandwich in an article written by Linda Stradley for What’s Cooking America.

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