It’s Croqueta Day in the 305

There’s something crunchy and oh-so-delectable about Miami’s favorite snack: croquetas.

Whether you’re sipping cafecito and munching on croquetas while enjoying time with friends or grabbing a hearty snack to-go right before class, you can never go wrong with a croqueta. The fried fritters (most often filled with ham) are a staple of Cuban cuisine and have become a beloved tradition Miamians of all backgrounds happily bite into.

Today is a special day for all croqueta lovers — it is Croqueta Day in South Florida. The local holiday was started by Sergio’s restaurants a few years ago and by 2021, both Miami-Dade County and Broward County had officially declared Oct. 1 honorary Croqueta Day.

In other words, we all have the best excuse to grab one or two (or maybe three, who’s counting?) croquetas and enjoy a good, old-fashioned Miami snack at 3:05 p.m. (For best results, have your croqueta with a café con leche. You’ll thank me later.)

As South Floridians feed their love for croquetas today, Panthers are ready to feast. The croqueta is a favorite savory snack on campus for students, faculty, staff and visitors alike.

Whether at Vicky Bakery, Bustelo, Sergio’s or the ventanita and the Barnes and Noble Café, Panthers have a variety of options to choose their perfect croqueta. (Or you could just get a croqueta from each place. Croqueta calories don’t count.).

So, what is it about croquetas that keeps us coming back for more?

“It’s definitely one of my favorites snacks,” says Samantha Ruiz, a student majoring in public relations, advertising and applied communications. “I like that it’s fried, I like the ham. It’s small and crispy. It’s just the perfect-sized snack. I eat my croquetas with a café con leche with sugar, always.”

Ivan Lopez, associate teaching professor of theatre, says croquetas hold a special place in his heart.

“My grandfather owned a carnicería [butcher shop] in Cuba,” Lopez says. “He used to make croquetas from scratch. I grew up watching him make croquetas, and I grew up eating croquetas.”

Needless to say, Lopez is a croqueta fan. And he’s happy that he can find an array of croqueta options at FIU.  

“It’s so very Miami that you can get croquetas at four different places in about a quarter of a mile at FIU,” Lopez says. “I realized this on a walk one day. I crossed Vicky Bakery, the ventanita at the bookstore, Bustelo and Sergio’s.”

His favorite spot for a croqueta break? Vicky Bakery, no question about it.

Others are hard-core fans of Sergio’s croquetas (and make sure to grab one at lunch with whatever else they order) and yet others prefer to stop by the ventanita at the bookstore for croqueta fuel on their way to class.

Meanwhile, those like biology major Sophia Nuñez are team Bustelo all the way.

“My favorite is the ham croqueta,” she says. “I always go to Bustelo.” One of her top croqueta-drink combos? Croqueta and hot chocolate.

Miami flavor

Some Panthers love croquetas in all shapes, sizes and flavors. One such croqueta lover is biology major Jonathan Ormaza-Mártir, a student in FIU’s Future Health Professionals (HOSA) club.  

“Whether they’re cold, hot, warm...however you give me croquetas, I love them,” Ormaza-Mártir says. “They’re delicious.”

Ormaza-Mártir comes from a Cuban-Puerto Rican family, and he’s proud to embrace his cultural traditions.

“This is one of the reasons why I love Miami. We celebrate croquetas and our cultural roots. I could never think of moving out of Miami. We are a cultural melting pot.”

Political science major William Castillo breaks the mold: he loves bacalao (codfish) croquetas. While the usual fan favorite is ham croquetas, Castillo says the fish croquetas have that extra something that he absolutely enjoys.

“I’ve always liked fish,” he says. “When I moved to Miami, and I saw how much the Cuban community likes croquetas, I gave croquetas a try. I discovered I really like bacalao croquetas. It’s a quick snack, it tastes good.”

Croquetas transcend cultural backgrounds, says Gina Ciaccio, a student in the physician’s assistant program. Ciaccio, who has Italian roots, is also a croqueta fan.

“I love the jamón [ham] croquetas,” she says. “Croquetas are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. They’re so good.”

We’ll see you at your favorite croqueta spot on campus today at 3:05 p.m. during your cafecito break.