Founded in Puebla, Mexico, cemitas contain fresh ingredients and juicy meat, and are loved for their complex flavor packed in every bite.
Cemitas are one of the most popular Mexican sandwiches, but what makes them deliciously unique compared to other sandwiches?
A cemita is a Mexican sandwich traditionally served on a sesame seed bread roll. Unlike other types of breads, cemita rolls are baked without eggs. They are loaded with various fillings, such as Oaxaca cheese, onions, avocado, meats, jalapeños, and papálo – a fragrant, but essential, Mexican herb.
To learn more about cemitas, the history of how they were created, and how to make a delicious Mexican sandwich at home, read on.What Are Cemitas?
A cemita, also known as cemita poblana or cemitas in the plural form of the Spanish word, is a popular Mexican sandwich that originated from Puebla, Mexico.
Not only does the word cemita refer to the bread roll, but it also refers to the sandwich that is made with the roll.
The cemita bread roll is made without egg and is covered with sesame seeds.
There are many different variations of the cemita sandwich.
The ingredients used include avocado, cheese, onions, jalapeños, papalo, and a type of meat layered on top of the cemita bread roll.
In Puebla, staple ingredients in cemitas can include local produce such as chipotle peppers, and Oaxaca cheese.
While the proteins in cemitas are usually chicken that has been breaded and fried, different proteins can also be used, such as pork or beef.
It is crucial to note that an authentic cemita always has a couple of leaves from the fragrant herb papalo.
When eaten, the papalo can cut through all the sandwich’s rich flavors due to the pungent and minty taste of the herb.
Cilantro is usually substituted if there is no papalo available.
The History of Cemitas
The cemita’s immediate ancestors eminently descended from two different types of bread supplied to the Spanish Crown by Puebla.
The different types of bread were a long and rough salt sponge cake and some biscuits/muffins similar to the French bread pambazo.
Both of the breads could last from four to eight months, if properly stored, and were eaten during sailing trips to the Philippines and Spain.
Puebla delivered tons of bread to Madrid multiple times a year to feed crews in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
The famous Mexican bread is derived from semita and unleavened Jewish bread produced in Spain by the Jewish-Spanish Sephardic community since the Roman Empire.
The cemita emerged when the cake and biscuit were fused and appeared as a unique type of bread in the mid-nineteenth century when the textile, artisanal glass, and Talavera pottery industries consolidated in the Puebla Valley region.
Since beef, pork, and chicken were unavailable to artisans and workers at the time, cemitas there were made at home and loaded with beans, cactus, and potatoes.
Later, an establishment began selling them to the public with meat from a bull’s feet, herbs, chili peppers, and onions in the Mercado Victoria market.
Avocado was soon added to the cemita with a splash of oil and salt to offset the hard bread.
The cemita’s popularity resulted in many numerous variations, especially in the United States.
The most common meat in a typical cemita is beef or chicken milanesa, a thinly pounded and deep-fried cutlet of meat.
Additionally, mozzarella is substituted for quesillo, and panela (a type of unrefined sugar) can be substituted for brown sugar as it can be easier to find and more widely available.
How To Make Cemitas
This recipe makes one cemitas. You will need:
- One chicken cutlet (approximately 4 ounces or 133 grams)
- ⅛ teaspoon or 0.2 grams of kosher salt or sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon or 0.2 grams of black pepper
- ½ cup or 64 grams all-purpose flour
- One whole egg, beaten
- ½ cup or 64 grams of panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup or 32 grams of olive oil, with more for drizzling
- One cemita roll or you can substitute with a sesame seed bun
- ½ lightly mashed avocado
- ¼ cup or 32 grams shredded Oaxaca cheese, or you can substitute with shredded mozzarella cheese
- One canned roughly chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce
- One tablespoon of diced raw white onion
- ¼ cup or 32 grams of pápalo leaves or you can substitute with substitute cilantro
Instructions to make authentic cemitas:
- To make the milanesa, combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using paper towels, pound the chicken cutlet to a thickness of 14 inches (35.6 cm). Salt and pepper to taste.
- In a small dish, combine the rice, egg, and breadcrumbs. Dredge the chicken cutlet in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs in that order.
- Pour olive oil in a pan until it shimmers in medium to high heat. In a large pan, heat the oil and fry the breaded chicken cutlets until golden brown, around 3 minutes per side.
- Remove the milanesa to a baking sheet or plate lined with paper towels and season with a pinch of salt.
- Cut the cemita roll in half and spread the slightly mashed avocado on the bottom half, and place the chicken on top. Add shredded cheese, chipotle, white onion, and pápalo on top of the chicken milanesa. Drizzle with olive oil and finish by placing the other half of the cemita roll on top.
Conclusion
The cemita is packed with a selection of fresh ingredients and savory meats.
The unique bread roll used to create this delicious Mexican dish originated from different kinds of breads brought over from Europe during the Spanish colonial era.
You can find these famous sandwiches everywhere in Mexico; at most Mexican restaurants or sold throughout the streets of Mexico.
And now you can also make them easily at home!
Sources
- Men’s Journal: Battle of the Mexican Sandwiches
- Ricky Panesar: Cemita
- Puebla: Cemitas poblanas
- Masterclass: Mexican Cemita Sandwich Recipe
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Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.