The Heartwarming Way This 240-Foot Cuban Sandwich Will Be Used
The Cuban sandwich is a delightful creation that many foodies swear by. Per The Spruce Eats, the quintessential Cubano is essentially a sandwich made of ham and cheese. It was first inspired by Cuban immigrants in Florida who made the scrumptious sandwiches for lunch. Of course, this sandwich has several iterations. For example, you can choose to add salami, pork, and ham to your sandwich or keep it simple with just a couple ingredients and omit the salami.
It's a highly satisfying treat topped with ingredients such as mustard, pickles, cheese, and more. A Redditor waxed poetic about their love for the sandwich and wrote that they have loved Cubanos since childhood. They explained, "[I]t's such a perfectly balanced dish and if you treat every individual element as something special you can make a really complex and delicious final product."
Well, it turns out the Cuban sandwich is legendary enough to inspire a special event every year, too. The Cuban Sandwich Festival is an annual event that is attended by scores of enthusiasts. It was founded by Victor Padilla and his wife, Jolie Gonzalez-Padilla. But what does this have to do with a 240-foot Cuban sandwich specifically?
Who gets to eat the 240-foot Cuban sandwich?
Per the New York Daily News, there was an impressive 240-foot Cuban sandwich at the Ford International Cuban Sandwich Festival last weekend. Jolie Padilla was proud of the feat and said that it's a "struggle" to set the wheels in motion every time they organize the festival — but it's always worth it. You see, the sandwich will be used to feed approximately 500 homeless individuals. Padilla said, "[I]t's so rewarding in the end because we know where the food is going to go."
The festival's 10th year included 50 local vendors and was held outdoors on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sandwich itself was massive. For some insight into its true enormity, chew on this: It would take over a minute to walk and look at it from start to finish! What makes this festival so unique is that it welcomes every kind of Cuban sandwich with open arms and celebrates diversity (via My Area Network.) Participants from different parts of the world attend the festival and try to showcase their culinary skills.
What's more, per the festival's official website, the Cuban Sandwich Festival has been reaching out to the homeless since 2012 and has fed more than 550 individuals last year. Amazing!