The influence of Cuban food on Tampa city is like the frock to the clergy – inseparable and immutable.
That’s not to say that clergymen don’t dress in secular clothes, but that most often, it's what you’d associate with them.
And that’s much like Cuban food and Tampa, i.e., you can’t think of one without the other.
In this article, I’ll explore this relationship and the long legacy of the relationship between Tampa and Cuban food.
Cuban Food in Tampa
There are many Cuban dishes that are popular in the state. The Cuban Sandwich (of course), Arroz Con Pollo, Cafe Con Leche, Crab Enchiladas, and Tapas are well-known dishes that each Tampan has tasted and loves.
You can’t talk about Cuban food and its influence on Tampa without talking about the Cuban Sandwich. Typically, the sandwich is made with Cuban bread with mustard spread on it and the other ingredients layered on top. The ingredients are ham, roasted pork, salami, Swiss cheese, and pickles – salami is a unique Tampa twist.
According to historians, the sandwich was probably brought stateside by Cuban immigrants who came to Tampa to work in its burgeoning cigar factories.
Another Cuban dish that deserves special praise is Arroz Con Pollo. The simple dish has rice with chicken as ingredients. But trust me, the ingredients might sound simple, but its flavors are complex and layered.
The Rise of Cuban Influence
Cuban food in Tampa really started to appear around the time the city was established, around 1880–1890s.
At this time, there was a mix of immigrant communities in Ybor city and Tampa. However, the most dominate of these was the Cuban community.
Everything in the Ybor city, from the cigar factories, the food, and the culture, emanated from Havana. So, the influence on the food culture of the city starts right from there.
The Spread of Cuban Ingredients
Initially, as the cigar industry expanded in Tampa, the Cuban diaspora started coming to the state. And with them, they brought their cuisine.
They started bringing the rice and beans and other ingredients they need from Cuba. With the increase in Cuban immigrants the demand for these ingredients grew. And before long, local traders were setting up export houses and importing many of these ingredients.
Soon grocery stores that needed to carry these ingredients had a steady supply and by the 1900s, when people came from Cuba, they would probably find most of the ingredients here already.
Mainstreaming of Cuban Cuisine
It was during and after World War II that Cuban cuisine became mainstream in Florida and the rest of the country.
Florida was a transit point for GIs during the war, and it was natural that they explored the Cuban quarters and their cuisines. This helped spread Cuban culture throughout the rest of the country and the proliferation of Cuban dishes on menus all over the city.
Also, Shipbuilding became a big industry with the war effort during that time. And it was predominately women employed as workers in these industries. All the women who were working in these industries form all over the country were exposed to the same Cuban food and culture.
So, by the 1940s and 1950s the best Cuban food in Tampa was available in even wayside cafes and became mainstream. And the rest is history!
From then to Now!
When Tampa City was just starting out in the late 1800s, there were other immigrant communities as well. However, their influence was not as ubiquitous as the Cubans’ on the city’s food culture.
The Spanish and Italian influence even affected the famous Cuban sandwich in some ways. But over time, their influence dwindled in the city due the abundance of Cuban cafes and restaurants.
In recent times, the city is seeing a greater influence of Columbia food. But for now, it's Cuban culture that pervades every morsel of food the city and will, I think for some considerable time still.