Dictionary:

sandwich

  (sănd'wĭch, săn'-)

1. 1. Two or more slices of bread with a filling such as meat or cheese placed between them.
   2. A partly split long or round roll containing a filling.
   3. One slice of bread covered with a filling.
2. Something resembling a sandwich.

1. To make into or as if into a sandwich.
2. To insert (one thing) tightly between two other things of differing character or quality.
3. To make room or time for: sandwiched a vacation between business trips.

[After John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718–1792), British politician.]

Two slices of bread enclosing a filling (meat, cheese, fish, etc.). Invention attributed to the 4th Earl of Sandwich (1718-1792) who spent long periods at the gaming table and carried a portable meal of beef sandwiched with bread.

Decker sandwiches consist of several layers of bread, each separated by filling; Neapolitan sandwiches are decker sandwiches made with alternating slices of white and brown bread. Open sandwiches (smørrebrød) consist of a single slice of bread, biscuit, or small roll.

The bread-enclosed convenience food known as the "sandwich" is attributed to John Montagu, fourth earl of Sandwich (1718–1792), a British statesman and notorious profligate and gambler, who is said to be the inventor of this type of food so that he would not have to leave his gaming table to take supper. In fact, Montagu was not the inventor of the sandwich; rather, during his excursions in the Eastern Mediterranean, he saw filled pita breads and small canapés and sandwiches served by the Greeks and Turks during their mezes, and copied the concept for its obvious convenience. There is no doubt, however, that the Earl of Sandwich made this type of light repast popular among England's gentry, and in this way, his title has been associated with the sandwich ever since. The concept is supremely simple: delicate finger food is served between two slices of bread in a culinary practice of ancient origins among the Greeks and other Mediterranean peoples.

Literary references to sandwiches begin to appear in English during the 1760s, not only in connection with their presumed Englishness, but also under the assumption that they are a food consumed primarily by the masculine sex during late night drinking parties. This connotation does not change until the sandwich moves into general society as a supper food for late night balls and similar events toward the end of the eighteenth century.

That sandwich, the creation of caterers, is amply described by Louis Eustache Ude, an illustrious cook who finished his career as chef de cuisine of the Crockford Club in London, in his French Cook (1818). Ude took particular care to outline a proper supper and the critical execution of the superior sorts of English sandwich that originally gave the food its high status. He explained that bread for sandwiches filled with salads must be specially baked in molds so that the texture is dense, though the crust not dry, to avoid sogginess once the sandwiches are stacked on a silver tray, as they should not bend when held in the hand. Breads for other sandwiches should be baked long and round like a tube so that the slices are even and thus fit neatly together without lumpiness or air spaces between. Furthermore, all crusts on sandwich breads should be rasped so that they acquire the texture of chamois. His sandwiches for two or three hundred persons included fillet of guinea fowl with cold béchamel sauce ("make them towards nine o'clock to serve up at twelve"), fillet of pheasant poached in a fumet, fillet of sole à la Ravigotte, salad sandwiches made of small lettuces and cresses ("cut the salad off which protrudes . . . observe much neatness in the preparing of these sandwiches and do not confide them to any of the kitchen maids.") And finally, anchovy sandwiches: "the pieces of anchovy should not touch each other, as they might then be too salt, unless when eaten to assist wine drinking."

Charlotte Mason was one of the first English cookbook authors to provide a recipe for sandwiches, which she published quite appropriately along side other supper dishes like Welsh rarebit and salmagundi (an elaborate ornamental salad): "Put some very thin slices of beef between thin slices of bread and butter; cut the ends off neatly, lay them in a dish. Veal and ham cut thin may be served in the same manner." Her homey recipe is quite different from the sort of grand fare sent up by the likes of Ude, but far more typical of what happened to the sandwich in the hands of Victorian home cooks.

During the nineteenth century, as midday dinner moved later and later into the day, the need for a hot supper declined, only to be replaced with light dishes made of cold leftovers, ingredients for which the sandwich proved preeminently suitable. Thus the sandwich became a fixture of intimate evening suppers, teas, and picnics, and popular fare for taverns and inns. This latter genre of sandwich has given rise to multitudes of working class creations, such as the butty and sarny of Britain, and the bacon-lettuce-and-tomato sandwich of the American diner. In the home, however, for such meals as English high tea, or the late-night Quaker "tea" parties of nineteenth-century Philadelphia, sandwiches were not usually premade, but rather, sliced bread was provided, enabling diners to assemble a sandwich from the various tidbits laid out for the meal.

Cookbook author Eliza Leslie was one of the earliest American writers to publish sandwich recipes in the United States. Her Directions for Cookery (1837) contained a recipe for what has become a ubiquitous American institution: the ham sandwich. Her sandwich consisted of thinly sliced bread spread with butter and mustard (French mustard flavored with tarragon), and sliced or finely chopped ham, with no other embellishments. "You may either roll them up, or lay them flat on plates. They are used at supper, or at luncheon." The fact that they needed explanation at all may be taken as a sign of their uncommonness outside of urban centers, since the sandwich of the 1830s was still more or less a creature of upper-class cookery; Leslie's use of French mustard gives further evidence of that fact.

During the early years of the railroad, sandwiches proved an ideal form of fast food, especially since they could be sold at train stations when everyone got off to buy snacks. With the appearance of the dining car, the sandwich became a travel-related institution, and it remains so as the typical meal served as lunch on airplanes. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the sandwich came into its own, especially as a response to the Temperance Movement. Taverns and saloons offered free sandwiches with drinks in order to attract customers, which led to the development of many distinctive sandwiches that have endured. In the United States, these include the club sandwich, a multi-layered affair designed to combine two or three types of sandwich into one, a meal in itself, which earned its name through its popularity with businessmen in private dining clubs.

Among working-class men, the submarine loaf became a popular vehicle for hearty sandwiches made with various fillings. This long, narrow Viennese loaf first appeared in the early 1880s as a marketing gimmick in connection with the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta "H. M. S. Pinafore," which features a ditty with sexual innuendos about submarines. The sandwiches made with this type of bread bear different names in different parts of the country: subs, grinders, poor boys, torpedoes, and hoagies, all featuring very localized types of ingredients. For example, the Philadelphia hoagie (derived from "hokeypokey man," the sandwich vendor), contains the essentials of a southern Italian antipasto, including cold cuts, Italian cheeses, peppers, olive oil, and oregano. New England gave birth to the lobster roll: cold, cooked lobster served with mayonnaise in a small toasted submarine loaf (which evolved into hot dog rolls). A hot counterpart to this, the so-called beefsteak sandwich, was first popular in the nineteenth century as fried chipped beef and onions served over toast. Once married to the submarine loaf, it further evolved with the addition of cheese and various hot pepper sauces.

Luncheonettes of the 1920s served grilled cheese sandwiches and the Cuban sandwich, which resembles a hoagie pressed between two hot irons so that it is slightly flattened and hot when eaten. In spite of its association with Havana, this sandwich was created in New York and New Jersey. The most famous of the American hot sandwiches, however, is the Reuben, which was introduced at Reuben's Restaurant in New York City (there was also a branch in Miami, Florida). The restaurant was essentially a Jewish-owned sandwich shop that offered a wide range of creations named after famous personalities of the 1930s and 1940s: Danny Kaye, Hedda Hopper, Judy Garland, Ozzie Nelson, to name just a few. The Reuben Special, the hot grilled sandwich of fame, contained turkey, Virginia ham, Swiss cheese, cole slaw, and Russian salad dressing. The substitution of pastrami and sauerkraut came later, as a courtesy to kosher Jewish customers, who could not eat ham or a mixture of meat and cheese. Reuben also sold steak sandwiches for $2.00 (the most expensive sandwich on the menu), a specialty called Chicken Reubenola, and hamburgers on a roll.

The hamburger, at one time simply a meat patty eaten with bread and gravy, has, in the hands of McDonalds and similar global food chains, become the ultimate industrialized food eaten throughout the world, as well as a dubious symbol of American culture in far-off places. While the Earl of Sandwich might not recognize his finger food thus transmogrified and chef Ude might be appalled by the sloppiness of its presentation, neither could find fault with the hamburger's convenience or its cross-gender, cross-cultural, cross-generational appeal.

Bibliography

Battiscombe, Georgina. English Picnics. London: Country Book Club, 1951.

Leslie, Eliza. Miss Leslie's Directions for Cooking: An Unabridged Reprint of the 1851 Classic. Mineola, N.Y.: Dover, 1999.

Mason, Charlotte. The Lady's Assistant for Regulating and Supplying the Table . . . London: J. Walter, 1773.

Montagu, John, fourth earl of Sandwich. A voyage performed by the late Earl of Sandwich round the Mediterranean in the years 1738 and 1739. London: Printed for T. Cadell Jr. and W. Davies, 1799.

Ude, Louis Eustache. The French Cook. London: John Ebers, 1818.

Wilson, C. Anne. Luncheon, Nuncheon, and Other Meals: Eating with the Victorians. Seventh Symposium on Food History. Dover, N.H.: Alan Sutton, 1994.

—William Woys Weaver

This article is about the food item. For other uses, see Sandwich (disambiguation).

An Italian sandwich.

A sandwich is a food item typically made of one or two slices of leavened bread between which are laid one or more layers of meat, vegetable, cheese or jam. The bread can be used as is, or it can be coated with butter, oil, or other optional or traditionally provided condiments or sauces to enhance flavor and texture.

The modern sandwich is named after the 4th Earl of Sandwich, although the exact circumstances of the invention of the sandwich are still the subject of debate.

Sandwiches are commonly carried to work or school in lunchboxes or brown paper bags (in sandwich bags) to be eaten as the midday meal, taken on picnics, hiking trips, or other outings. In some parts of the world, they are also served in many restaurants as entrées, and are sometimes eaten at home, either as a quick meal or as part of a larger meal. When eaten as part of a full meal sandwiches are traditionally accompanied with such side dishes as a serving of soup (soup-and-sandwich), a salad (salad-and-sandwich), french fries/chips, potato chips/crisps and a pickle or coleslaw.

Origin

The first form of sandwich is attributed to the ancient Jewish sage Hillel the Elder, who is said to have put meat from the Paschal lamb and bitter herbs inside matzo (or flat,unleavened bread) during Passover. The filling between the matzos served as a reminder to Israelites of their forced labor constructing Egyptian buildings. For this reason, Romans referred to the meal as a "cibus Hilleli," or Hillel's Snack. ^[1] During the Middle Ages, thick slabs of coarse bread, called "trenchers", were used as plates. After a meal, the food-soaked trencher was fed to a dog, less fortunate beggars, or eaten by the diner. Trenchers were the harbingers of open-face sandwiches.^[2]

In the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Europe, meals comprising meat, cheese, and condiments sandwiched between bread or pastry existed well before the appearance of the word 'sandwich'. The first written usage of the word appeared in Edward Gibbon's journal, in longhand, referring to "bits of cold meat" as a 'Sandwich.' It was named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, an 18th-century English aristocrat, although he was neither the inventor nor sustainer of the food. It is said that Lord Sandwich was fond of this form of food because it allowed him to continue playing cards, particularly cribbage, while eating without getting his cards greasy from eating meat with his bare hands.

The Earldom refers to the English town of Sandwich in Kent — from the Old English Sandwic, meaning "sand place".

History

Through the 18th century, the sandwich as popularized by Montagu remained an English dish. Initially perceived as food men shared while gaming and drinking at night, the sandwich slowly began appearing in polite society as a late-night meal among the aristocracy. The sandwich's popularity in England increased dramatically during the 19th century, when the rise of industrial society and the working classes made fast, portable, and inexpensive meals essential.^[3]

It was at the same time that the sandwich finally began to appear outside of England. In the United States, the sandwich was first promoted as an elaborate supper meal. By the early 20th century, as bread became a staple of the American diet, the sandwich became the same kind of popular, quick meal as was widespread in England.^[4]

Today, the worlds largest manufacturer of pre-packed sandwiches is Irish firm Greencore.

Sandwich styles

Tuna Salad.

Sandwiches vary greatly both in how they are put together and in their fillings.

Bacon butty Butterbrot Banh Mi Barros Jarpa, Chilean sandwich consisting of melted cheese and fried ham on white bread. Barros Luco, Chilean sandwich consisting of melted cheese and thin fried beef. BLT - bacon, lettuce, and tomato Caprese - mozzarella, tomato, fresh basil Cheesesteak Chip butty, a sandwich that has Chips (french fries) in it Choripán, an Argentinian and Chilean sandwich made with a grilled chorizo Club sandwich Croque-monsieur Cuban sandwich Cucumber sandwich Dagwood sandwich Double-decker Egg Sandwich Fluffernutter, a New England variation the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Grilled cheese Gyros-pita or Souvlaki-Pita, nicknamed 'sandwich' to distinguish them from souvlaki-kalamaki Hamburger Happy Waitress Hero sandwich

Hoagie Hot dog Italian beef Melt sandwich: Tuna melt, Patty melt, etc. Monte Cristo sandwich Muffuletta Open sandwich, or "open-faced sandwich" Panini Peanut butter and jelly sandwich Po' boy (or "poor boy") Primanti sandwich Reuben sandwich Sandwich loaf Sandwich de miga Sausage sandwich Sloppy Joe Smörgåstårta, Swedish. Literally, "sandwich cake". Steamed Sandwich Submarine sandwich Tea sandwich, diminutive sandwiches usually reserved for entertaining Toasted sandwich Torta Treble- or triple-decker Tuna Salad

Reflist

1. ^ And so we find in a fragment of Varro, preserved by Nonnius, that "cibus Hilleli est illa caesna quo panis sive caseum sive carnem sepit buturoque saepe operitur."
2. ^ What's Cooking America, Sandwiches, History of Sandwiches. February 2, 2007.
3. ^ Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, Solomon H. Katz, editor (Charles Scribner's Sons: New York) 2003
4. ^ Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, Solomon H. Katz, editor (Charles Scribner's Sons: New York) 2003

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Sandwich

Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on

Sandwich

• The British Sandwich Association
• The Sandwich Project - over 2,000 recipes
• "Arguments spread thick: Is a burrito a sandwich?" regarding a 2006 United States court ruling.nrm:Sannouiche

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Common misspelling(s) of sandwich

• sandwhich

Dansk (Danish)
n. - smørrebrød, sandwich
v. tr. - klemme inde

idioms:

• sandwich board    dobbeltskilt
• sandwich course    teknisk studium med skiftevis teori og praksis
• sandwich man    plakatbærer, sandwichmand

Nederlands (Dutch)
sandwich, broodje, dubbele/belegde boterham, tussen twee dingen plaatsen, in twee lagen vormen

Français (French)
n. - sandwich
v. tr. - prendre en sandwich, coincer entre

idioms:

• sandwich board    panneau publicitaire porté par un homme sandwich
• sandwich course    (GB) cours avec stage pratique
• sandwich man    homme sandwich

Deutsch (German)
n. - Sandwich
v. - einschieben

idioms:

• sandwich board    von einem Sandwichmann getragenes Reklameplakat
• sandwich course    Ausbildung mit abwechselnd theoretischem und praktischem Unterricht
• sandwich man    Sandwichmann

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - σάντουιτς
v. - στριμώχνω, φτιάχνω σάντουιτς

idioms:

• sandwich board    διαφημιστική πινακίδα στο στήθος και στην πλάτη
• sandwich course    μαθήματα θεωρίας εναλλασσόμενης με πρακτική εξάσκηση
• sandwich man    πλανόδιος διαφημιστής (με διαφημιστικές πινακίδες στο στήθος και στην πλάτη)

Italiano (Italian)
tramezzino, panino

idioms:

• sandwich board    cartellone pubblicitario a due facce
• sandwich course    corso di studio e prova pratica
• sandwich man    uomo-sandwich

Português (Portuguese)
n. - sanduíche (m)
v. - ensanduichar

idioms:

• sandwich board    tábua de pão
• sandwich course    cursos que alternam estágio e estudos
• sandwich man    homem sanduíche

Русский (Russian)
сандвич, бутерброд, слоистая конструкция, вставлять (между), помещать посередине, втискивать, прослаивать

idioms:

• sandwich board    рекламные щиты
• sandwich course    курс обучения, чередующий теорию с практикой, комбинированное обучение
• sandwich man    человек-реклама

Español (Spanish)
n. - emparedado, sándwich, bocadillo, bocata
v. tr. - intercalar, poner entre dos pedazos de pan, poner entre dos cosas iguales

idioms:

• sandwich board    carteles que lleva el hombre anuncio (colgados del pecho y la espalda)
• sandwich course    curso teórico-práctico
• sandwich man    hombre anuncio

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - smörgås, engelsk lunchsmörgås
v. - skjuta in, sticka emellan

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
三明治, 夹在一起的东西, 三明治状物, 把...做成三明治, 将...夹在中间, 挤进

idioms:

• sandwich board    挂在身上的广告牌
• sandwich course    工读交替制课程
• sandwich man    挂广告牌的人

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 三明治, 夾在一起的東西, 三明治狀物
v. tr. - 把...做成三明治, 將...夾在中間, 擠進

idioms:

• sandwich board    掛在身上的廣告牌
• sandwich course    工讀交替制課程
• sandwich man    掛廣告牌的人

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 샌드위치, 샌드위치 모양의 것
v. tr. - 샌드위치 사이에 끼우다, ~을 위하여 시간을 내다, (억지로) 끼우다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - サンドイッチ, サンドイッチケーキ
v. - 挟み込む, 割り込ませる

idioms:

• sandwich board    サンドイッチマンの広告板
• sandwich course    サンドイッチコース
• sandwich man    サンドイッチマン

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) شطيرة, سندويش (فعل) يقحم بين شيئين أو شخصين‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮כריך, עוגת-רבדים, סנדוויץ'‬
v. tr. - ‮הרביד, דחק, הכניס‬

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