There are several kinds of cemitas in Latin American cuisine.
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A cemita, also known as a cemita poblana, is sometimes known as a Mexican sandwich, originally from the city of Puebla. [1]
It is distinguished from a torta by the fluffy sesame-seeded egg roll that it is served on. Additionally, the ingredients usually are restricted to sliced avocado, meat, white cheese, onions and red sauce (salsa roja).[2] Recently it has appeared on the streets of New York, Los Angeles, and other cities with Mexican food vendors.
The most popular meat in a cemita is beef milanesa, a thinly pounded and deep-fried piece of beef. Cueritos (pickled pig skin), queso de puerco (pork head cheese), and carnitas (stewed pork) are also popular. The cheese is often panela, a bland white cheese with the consistency of fresh mozzarella. Quesillo, a Mexican string cheese, is also used.
Although the name is the same, there are diverse types of cemitas depending on the region. The cemita of Sahuayo, Michoacán, is a smooth bread, without sesame seeds and including piloncillo. Its flavor is somewhat sweet and very flavorful; usually it is accompanied by a glass of milk, a cornflour drink (atole), or some sort of hot drink. It is not used like a sandwich.
The Real Academia Española,[3] says cemita comes from "acemite" (archaic Spanish for "bran")[4] which in turns comes from Aramaic, and is related to Greek σεμίδαλις (semídalis) ("semolina").
Use of the word may be influenced by a popular belief that the root of cemita is related to semita ("Semite"), referring to the Lebanese immigrants to Mexico who are said to have introduced the particular style of roll that goes into the sandwich, but this is likely a folk etymology due to the obvious similarity between the words.
In northern Argentina the term cemita (also spelled semita) refers to a type of bread made from brown flour, grease and other ingredients.
In El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua the term cemita refers to a kind of cake made with certain tropical fruits, usually caramelized pineapple.
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