Ron DeSantis has never been one to back away from a fight.
The Florida Governor has battled Disney, taken on the mainstream media, and stood toe-to-toe with the Biden administration on everything from immigration to COVID mandates.
But Ron DeSantis just broke Florida in half over Cuban Sandwiches.
The Governor Just Started a Food War That Has Florida Split Right Down the Middle
On Wednesday, DeSantis lit the fuse on what might be Florida’s most passionate debate when he posted a simple question on X: “Should a Cuban sandwich include salami?”¹
The poll wasn’t just some casual social media post.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1955632006810972501
DeSantis was wading into a century-old rivalry between Tampa and Miami that runs deeper than any political divide.
Within hours, more than 20,000 Floridians had weighed in, and the post racked up over 250,000 views.
The results? Miami’s salami-free version crushed Tampa’s Italian-influenced recipe 65.8% to 34.2%.²
But those numbers only tell part of the story.
Here’s What Really Started This Culinary Civil War
Look, this goes way beyond who puts what meat between two pieces of bread.
Tampa built their sandwich in the late 1800s when Ybor City was crawling with Cuban, Spanish, and Italian workers all rolling cigars together.
Those Italian workers brought Genoa salami to the traditional recipe of roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread.
The city takes this heritage so seriously that Tampa officially recognized its salami-inclusive sandwich as part of its culinary legacy back in 2012.³
Miami tells a completely different story.
When Cuban exiles flooded South Florida after 1959, they brought with them what many consider the most authentic version – the one that existed on the island before Castro’s revolution.
Their recipe sticks to the basics: ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on water bread, pressed until golden and crispy.
No salami. No mayonnaise. No lettuce or tomato.
Miami’s Cuban community sees any deviation from their recipe as sacrilege – pure and simple.
The Comments Section Turned Into an All-Out Battle
DeSantis dropped that poll question like a match in a gas station.
Tampa defenders came out swinging: “The Cuban was born in Tampa, they have the right to modify it” and “Salami gives it a robust flavor that works.”⁴
Miami loyalists fired back with equal intensity: “It’s not a Cuban sandwich if you add salami, that’s an invention” and “Salami on a Cuban is like putting pineapple on pizza: it might work, but it’s heresy.”⁵
The neutral camp tried to play peacekeeper: “If it’s well-made, I’ll eat it anyway” and “We should enjoy both versions.”⁶
But this isn’t really about sandwiches.
The Real Reason This Poll Matters More Than You Think
Tampa’s sandwich tells the story of immigrants who mixed their traditions together over decades of working the same jobs.
Miami’s version is tied directly to exile and the preservation of pre-1959 Cuba – it’s a symbol of resistance against everything Castro represented.
When someone from Miami sees salami in a Cuban sandwich, they’re not just seeing an extra ingredient.
Miami folks see that salami and think someone’s messing with something sacred.
Tampa residents look at that same piece of salami and see their great-grandfather’s Italian buddy who worked the cigar line right next to him.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for both communities.
Since 2016, Florida has officially celebrated Cuban Sandwich Day on August 23rd – but even that compromise hasn’t settled the fundamental question of what makes a sandwich authentically Cuban.
DeSantis Knows Exactly What He’s Doing
The Governor didn’t stumble into this debate by accident.
The Governor’s gotten pretty good at reading Florida’s cultural map and figuring out which conversations will get people engaged.
By positioning himself as the neutral arbiter of this culinary dispute, he’s connecting with Florida voters on a level that goes beyond traditional politics.
But not everyone appreciated the timing.
Critics jumped on the timing – here’s DeSantis debating lunch meat while Cuban families worry about immigration policies affecting their communities.
“There are more serious issues in Florida to worry about,” one commenter noted, “but I still love this debate.”⁷
Still, DeSantis has managed to do something remarkable – he’s gotten tens of thousands of Floridians engaged in a conversation about their cultural identity and heritage.
What This Really Reveals About Florida Politics
DeSantis just pulled off something most politicians never figure out.
Florida’s got Republicans and Democrats, sure. But it’s also got Tampa Cubans and Miami Cubans, and those differences run deeper than any party line.
The Governor waded right into that cultural divide and got people talking.
He’s showing he understands what makes different Florida communities tick.
The Governor has always been skilled at finding issues that unite Floridians across party lines – and food is one of the most powerful unifying forces in any culture.
Nobody’s arguing about whether Cuban sandwiches are delicious – the fight’s just about which version does it right.
The Results Don’t Tell the Whole Story
Miami crushed Tampa in the vote count, but DeSantis won something bigger.
Over 20,000 people cared enough about this question to weigh in, and another 230,000 stopped scrolling to check out the results.
The debate also highlights something important about authentic leadership – sometimes the best way to connect with voters is to engage with the things they’re actually passionate about.
People care about getting their Cuban sandwich right – that much is obvious.
Take Box of Cubans down in Riverview. They’ve got folks driving from all over the Tampa Bay area because they nail the fundamentals.⁸
Slow-roasted pork, perfectly pressed bread, the works. When you taste something made right, you understand why people get worked up about protecting their version of the recipe.
The Verdict: Both Sides Can Claim Victory
Miami won the numbers game with that 65.8%, but Tampa’s one-third showing proves plenty of people appreciate what they’re doing with that salami.
Here’s what really matters though – this whole food fight reminded everyone that Florida’s got these rich, passionate communities scattered all over the state.
DeSantis figured out how to get people talking, and in Florida politics, that counts for something.
The sandwich debate’s probably over, but don’t be surprised if similar conversations about Florida culture pop up again when the Governor needs to connect with different communities.
¹ Ron DeSantis, “Should a Cuban sandwich include salami? Poll,” X, August 13, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Daniel Colon, “Governor Ron DeSantis Sparks Debate Between Tampa and Miami Over Cuban Sandwich,” CiberCuba, August 14, 2025.
⁴ – ⁷ Ibid.
⁸ David Reeve, “People Drive From All Over Florida To Eat At This No-Frills Sandwich Shop,” Florida Travel Guide, August 15, 2025.
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: rgcory
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://www.desantisdaily.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.
