The Cuban sandwich. If it’s made with ingredients different from someone else’s recipe, you might find yourself in an hours-long argument in the middle of Little Havana. In Miami and Tampa, Florida, restaurant owners, historians, and Cuban Americans recount their own memories of the Cuban sandwich, as well as the story of its origins. In this episode of Gravy, reporter Kayla Stewart explores the sandwich’s long-standing origin story, new research about the Cuban sandwich, and how the South influenced the sandwich’s popularity and the current identity of Floridian Cuban Americans.

Gravy thanks La Segunda Bakery, Sanguich de Miami, and author of The Cuban Table, Ana Sofia Pelaez for their contributions to this episode.

Kayla Stewart is a freelance writer and new Gravy podcast reporter who will consider herself a Houstonian no matter where she lives (she lives in Harlem). In normal times, she can be found reading, running, or traveling, often playing Sudoku on a plane or train. This year, she can be found rereading her favorite books, biking, looking at any and all food photos on the internet, and scrolling through Wikipedia to see what’s true or not on The Crown. She hosts conversations on Black Food Folks, and her writing can be found in Eater, The New York Times, and Grub Street.