Cuisine Of Florida Research Paper

Michael Andrews

Chef Cook

CUL 1116

25 October 2015

Cuisine of Florida

Juan Ponce de Leon was the first documented explorer to the area in 1513, and started the movement of immigration. Bordering on the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, Florida enjoys a rich bounty of seafood such as conch, grouper, snapper, and grunt. Florida became a US territory in 1822, and a state in 1845. Native Americans inhabited the region prior to any known exploration. Florida has experienced settlements form French, Spanish, displaced Native Americans from the north, and after the civil war, freed slaves who became known as “Black Seminoles.” Spain and Great Britain enacted colonial rule in Florida in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The cuisine of Florida is referred

One simple, yet popular dish is the “Cuban Sandwich.” A Cuban sandwich (or Cubano) is a sandwich consisting of roasted pork, glazed ham, Swiss cheese and yellow mustard. The ingredients are stacked between two slices of Cuban bread and traditionally heated in a plancha sandwich press. It was originally brought to Florida as a blue collar workman’s dish. Its origins are believed to have come from Cuban workers working in the cigar manufacturing industry. There is also a smaller version called a medianoche or “midnight sandwich.” This variation was made popular as a late night snack in the Cuban club

This combination leads to lighter fare with a heavy emphasis on fresh, locally grown ingredients. The conch has had a huge role in the cuisine of Florida. The locals of the Florida Keys have even taken to calling themselves conches or the conch republic. The conch itself is a giant sea snail. All the meat harvested from a conch is edible, however some only prefer the white meat. Conch meat is often served in a chowder or as a conch fritter (conch meat that is battered, seasoned and fried). Besides the culinary attraction to conch, the shells are prized for their decorative appearance and can also be used as a musical instrument. For greens, swamp cabbage is a classic Florida dish that is not in high demand today. Made from the hearts of palms, taken from the sabal palm trees, native to Florida, it is a classic southern vegetable dish. Introduced to immigrants by Native Americans, the dish was usually boiled to create a softer texture. Most recipes for swamp cabbage include bacon, and are boiled or sautéed much as you would for other types of greens. The Sabal Palm is currently a protected tree and because of this, most hearts of palm are imported. Another popular Florida hybrid dish is “grits and grunt.” A fusion of traditional southern grits and the