Cuban sandwich among the 20 best in the world, according to CNN

The Cuban sandwich, a dish that originated in South Florida and whose ingredients can vary between cities, is among the 20 best in its category, according to a CNN list.

“Originally a luxury item in Cuba, according to Andy Huse, the author of a forthcoming book on the Cuban sandwich, this Florida favorite is cause for constant debate in Miami and Tampa, where purists spar over its fundamental ingredients as well as its origin,” the list explains. 

“Whether you take yours with salami (à la Tampa) or not (à la Miami), this sandwich layered with boiled ham, roasted pork, pickles, mustard, Swiss cheese and butter and pressed between pieces of fluffy Cuban bread is a simple, hearty and most often affordable feed,” the article continues.

The Cuban sandwich is a very popular dish in the United States, where it has not only expanded to different parts of the country but also to other countries.

The TV network's selection includes 23 sandwiches from different countries such as France, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Tunisia, South Africa, Denmark, and Vietnam, among others. The Cuban sandwich was ranked 13th on the list.

The first snack on the list is the pambazo sandwich, originally from Mexico. “One of the country's most famous antojitos (street snacks or appetizers) is the pambazo, a favorite street food sandwich from Veracruz and Puebla said to have been inspired by the shape of a Mexican volcano,” CNN said.

“It's a seriously filling thing featuring bread tinted red thanks to a soak in slightly spicy guajillo sauce. Open up wide for the potatoes and Mexican chorizo inside, topped with lettuce, cheese, and cream,” it added.

Last on the list is the lobster roll, a dish from New England, which the TV network describes as “a summertime coastal treat piled with big chunks of steamed lobster meat that's usually mixed with lemon juice, mayonnaise, and herbs and tucked into a roll resembling a hot dog bun.”

“You can find them at seafood restaurants across the United States. But a classic lobster shack on the stretch of coastline from Maine to Connecticut will make for a scenic backdrop that's hard to beat,” the article concludes.