Cuisine of Florida
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The cuisine of Florida is a diverse blend of Southern, Caribbean, Latin American, and seafood-based culinary traditions found in Florida, reflecting the state's multicultural population, subtropical climate, and coastal geography.
History
The native Timucua culture farmed and fished in north central and northeast Florida. They prepared a black tea called "black drink" (or "white drink" because of its purifying effects), which served a ceremonial purpose, and was a highly caffeinated Cassina tea, brewed from the leaves of the yaupon holly tree.
The Spanish first brought citrus to Florida in the 16th century, and orange groves started being an important commercial industry for the state in the 1870s.[1]
The arrival of several waves of Caribbean, Hispanic, and Asian immigrants to Florida since the late 19th century has played an important role in the development of its cuisine.
In the 1950s, following the Cuban Revolution, a significant influx of Cuban refugees came to South Florida and influenced the food scene, especially in Miami.
Dishes
Seafood
- Conch, prepared as conch fritters, conch salad, or conch soup.
- Deviled crab, a crab meat croquette, originated in Tampa.
- Oysters from Apalachicola Bay, which previously accounted for 90% of Floridian oyster consumption.[2]
- Florida stone crabs[3]
- Smoked fish, prepared for example as smoked mullet dip.
- Shrimp, especially Atlantic white shrimp from areas such as Mayport near Jacksonville or Daytona Beach. Also popular in south Florida as coconut shrimp.
- Grits and grunts
- Minorcan clam chowder, a dish from St. Augustine made with locally grown datil peppers.
- Grouper sandwich, popular in Tampa.[4]
Other
- Cuban sandwiches, originating in either Tampa or Key West, are also popular in Miami. Other Cuban foods, such as Cuban coffee and pastries with guava, are especially common in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami.
- Alligator meat, such as fried gator, gator bites, or gator tail.
- Floribbean-style barbecue
- Key lime pie made with the juice of Key limes that are found throughout the Florida Keys and a graham cracker crust. In 2006, it became the official state pie.
- Boiled peanuts are commonly sold by roadside vendors in north and central Florida.
- Swamp cabbage, a Florida cracker dish made with sabal palm.
- Coconut patties, a type of candy made from shredded coconut pressed into a round or square shape and coated in chocolate.
Oranges
Citrus fruit, especially oranges, are a major part of Florida's economy. Orange juice became the official state beverage in 1967. Oranges are also Florida's state fruit and the orange blossom is the state flower.[5] According to the Florida Department of Citrus, the citrus industry employs over 32,500 people and provides an annual economic impact of $6.9 billion to the state.[6]
Restaurants
Versailles is a famous Cuban restaurant and Bakery in Little Havana, Miami.
Columbia in Ybor City is the oldest continuously operated restaurant in the state as well as the nation's oldest Spanish restaurant.
Pollo Tropical, a chain restaurant specializing in Floribbean-style grilled chicken, originated in the Miami area, and has since spread internationally.
Miami Grill is a restaurant chain, with the majority of restaurants in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties of Florida.
Other
Publix is a major grocery store throughout the state of Florida with headquarters in Winter Haven, where the grocery chain originated. Publix subs, or Pub subs, are popular submarine sandwiches that can be made at the stores' deli counters.[7]
Miami Beach is an American cocktail, made from gin, pineapple juice, and cane syrup, named after the resort city in south Florida.
Old Sour is a sauce and salad dressing used in the Bahamas and Key West, Florida.
Florida is home to major red mango cultivars, such as the Haden variety.
The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is an annual food festival at Epcot, in the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida.
Gallery
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Deviled crabs, originally from Tampa Bay
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Fried gator tail
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Conch salad
See also
- Media related to Cuisine of Florida at Wikimedia Commons
- Floribbean cuisine
References
- ^ "The Citrus Industry in Florida - Division of Historical Resources - Florida Department of State". dos.fl.gov. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ Wellock, Bill (5 March 2024). "An ecosystem roadmap: Apalachicola Bay System Initiative Community Advisory Board's recommendations provide guide to sustainable fishery". Florida State University News. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- ^ "FAQ". Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- ^ Kite-Powell, Rodney (28 November 2022). "The History of the Iconic Grouper Sandwich". Tampa Magazine. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ "Florida State Beverage | Orange Juice". statesymbolsusa.org. 17 May 2014.
- ^ "Who We Are". Florida Citrus. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ Sherman, Skye. "9 Iconic Foods Everyone Needs To Eat On A Florida Vacation". Southern Living. Retrieved 7 June 2025.