Florida – Sunshine State
With over 1780 kilometres of seashore, and more than 650 pristine white-sand beaches, the state of Florida is aptly named the ‘Sunshine State’. From the Cape Canaveral Space Coast that is home to the Kennedy Space Centre to the wetlands of the Everglades, Florida has many unique features, exotic wildlife, and centuries of captivating history. Established by the Spanish in 1565, it remains a thriving and vibrant community to this day.
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Caribbean Cousins
The southern peninsula is home to the Florida Keys and reaches far into the tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea. Key Highway which covers a distance of 182 kilometres joins many of the hundreds of keys together and stretches like a string of fine pearls to the southern-most point of the US, Key West.
This southern point is a mere 150 kilometres from the northern coast of Cuba, and as a result, over the last few decades, the Cuban-American population in Florida has risen to over 1.5 million people. Cuban and Caribbean influences have found their place in Florida cuisine, even earning its own name – Floribbean Food.
One of the most well-known of these favourites is the Cuban sandwich, a variation of a ham and cheese classic. This delicious grilled sandwich is made with a combination of ham, citrus-marinated pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, Cuban bread, and sometimes salami. What gives the Cuban sandwich its point of difference is the grill method; grilled from the top and bottom simultaneously, the crusty Cuban bread becomes crisp on the outside, with a soft, melting inside.
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Floridian Fruitbowl’
Abundant sunshine and a tropical climate produce a wealth of fruits and vegetables all year round, from watermelons and tomatoes to lychees and papayas. However, the pride of Florida’s agriculture is certainly its citrus crop! Oranges are the most plentiful, and 75 per cent of American oranges are grown here. Added to this is a steady supply of grapefruit and tangelos and limes.
Which brings us to the Key lime – While we may have heard of Key Lime Pie, the fruit behind the recipe is not commonly available. The majority of limes sold in our grocery stores, are Persian limes and are larger and more tart than their Floridian cousins. Key limes are significantly smaller with thinner skins, and their juice is markedly more aromatic. Every Floridian will tell you that hand-squeezing these little green gems is always worth the extra effort.
Although we may never get to visit Florida, we can be transported to the Sunshine State through their colourful cuisine with its hints of the Caribbean and their Spanish past.
