Home / August

A little reason to celebrate

National Cuban Sandwich Day

Food · August 23

A day for the Cuban sandwich: roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on Cuban bread, pressed hot until crisp and melted.

National Cuban Sandwich Day falls on Monday, August 23, 2027. That is 300 days away.

A Cuban sandwich is a pressed sandwich built in layers. Roast pork and ham go on Cuban bread with Swiss cheese, dill pickles and yellow mustard, and the whole thing is flattened in a hot press until the crust turns crisp and the cheese melts into everything around it.

The bread matters more than people expect. Cuban bread is a long white loaf with a thin, crackly crust and a soft middle, and it takes well to being squashed. Buttered on the outside and pressed, it goes flat and golden without turning hard. A good one shatters a little at the first bite.

The sandwich is closely tied to Florida, especially Miami and Tampa, where Cuban cafes and bakeries have served it for a long time. Tampa versions often add a few slices of salami, and people there will tell you so. Arguments about this tend to be friendly and to go on for a while.

Making one at home is not hard. If there is no sandwich press, a heavy skillet set on top of the sandwich in a hot pan does the same job; turn it once so both sides crisp. Leftover roast pork works well, as long as it was cooked through and kept cold until it goes in the pan. Heat the finished sandwich until it is hot in the middle, not just warm at the edges.

Cut it on the diagonal. It is easier to hold that way, and the layers show.

Ways to celebrate

• Look for a local Cuban cafe or bakery and order a pressed sandwich.
• Try pressing one at home with a heavy skillet on top.
• Taste one with salami and one without, then pick a side.
• Share a sandwich cut on the diagonal with a friend.

Dates

All national days on August 23

Also on August 23

• National Sponge Cake Day
• National Ride the Wind Day

Categories: Food days