Cuban Bread and Cuban Sandwiches In Tampa

Unique Old World Taste and Recipe in Ybor City, Florida

Jan 25, 2009

Tampa's Cuban immigrants brought not only their cigar manufacturing skills from Havana to the Latin Quarter of Ybor City, but their bread making as well.

What makes Cuban bread unique? Pan Cubano (Cuban bread) is different from French and Italian bread. Cuban bread is more rectangular and has a hard thin crust and airy consistency yet a full rich dense center. It is seemingly hard to replicate outside of Tampa, Florida (other than perhaps Miami). It is believed the palm frond laid upon the loaf not only preserved the moisture, but gave the typical indentation on top of the loaf. Rolling the bread with the leaf also leaves little blackened crackle lines verifying authenticity. Today some believe an authentic loaf of Cuban bread must still have a dark speck or two.

The Mystery Remains Why Perfect Cuban Bread is Found Primarily in Tampa

The oven is initially a cold oven where the bread rises as the heat rises. Typically the bread quickly becomes stale due to lard in the basic recipe which tends to harden rapidly. Rumors are Tampa’s water is a secret ingredient of this hard to replicate bread but unfortunately Tampa’s terrible tap water cant reap honors for this. It is also believed the special humidity of Florida adds a certain uniqueness to the taste and creation of the bread’s consistency. It is even postulated the low elevation affects the rising in the deep ovens.

The First Bakery of Cuban Bread in Tampa

The Ferlita family’s bakery, known as La Joven Francesca Bakery, began in 1896. It is believed to be the first bakery to make Cuban bread in US, certainly in Tampa. Its hot ovens may have contributed to the destructive fire in 1922. The brick bread oven remained; the bakery was rebuilt and the bread became a major staple of the area. It was delieverd by truck to the small houses (casitas ) owned by cigar workers. The bread was then stuck on a long nail over the door on each house. The bakery, now a museum in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida was actually begun by a Siciliano. Ybor was, after all, an American city of immigrants.

La Segunda Central Bakery (the second bakery after the fire) is now a part of the future since it agreed to forego trans fat. It continues to produce thousands of loaves a day for cuban sandwiches and for the local public schools. It is considered to be authentic Cuban bread, palm frond and all.

Cuban Sandwich

The bread surrounds roast pork,smoked ham, cheese, mustard, and a pickle. Its not a submarine sandwich, not a hero sandwich, nor a poor boy sandwich, all of which can be between French bread or Italian or even Jewish Rye bread. A Cuban sandwich stands on its own merit which is its bread. Usually no mayonaise is added and often not lettuce either. It is often toasted, slightly flattened, and served warm.

Where to Get a Great Cuban sandwich in Tampa

The copyright of the article Cuban Bread and Cuban Sandwiches In Tampa in Culinary Travel is owned by Amy Andersen. Permission to republish Cuban Bread and Cuban Sandwiches In Tampa in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.