From its frugal beginnings—when it was put together by
the 4th Earl of Sandwich as a quick-n-easy hunting trip snack to its
various gourmet avatars available today—the ubiquitous sandwich sure has come a
long way. As gourmands across the world prepare to celebrate the annual
International Sandwich Day on the 3rd of November, we bring you a
serving of a few famous sandwiches from around the world
By Raul Dias
The
Philly Cheesesteak, USA
As its name suggests, this iconic submarine-style sandwich has its origins in the state of Philadelphia and the city of Boston to be more specific. So, what we have here is a long hoagie bread roll holding within its soft center, thinly sliced slivers of meat and grilled sweet, white onions all slathered with the luridly yellow coloured Cheese Whiz cheese sauce. And while the rest of America and even the world has produced several, rather ersatz iterations of the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich, the original is a true-blue Bostonian. Right down to legendary ‘war’ between two rival cheesesteak sandwich shops Pat’s and Geno’s, located bang opposite each other at the triangular intersection of 9th St, Wharton St and Passyunk Ave. in the city’s South Philly neighbourhood.
As its name suggests, this iconic submarine-style sandwich has its origins in the state of Philadelphia and the city of Boston to be more specific. So, what we have here is a long hoagie bread roll holding within its soft center, thinly sliced slivers of meat and grilled sweet, white onions all slathered with the luridly yellow coloured Cheese Whiz cheese sauce. And while the rest of America and even the world has produced several, rather ersatz iterations of the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich, the original is a true-blue Bostonian. Right down to legendary ‘war’ between two rival cheesesteak sandwich shops Pat’s and Geno’s, located bang opposite each other at the triangular intersection of 9th St, Wharton St and Passyunk Ave. in the city’s South Philly neighbourhood.
The
Bánh Mì, Vietnam
As a lasting ‘legacy’ of its French colonial past, Vietnam’s most iconic street-side snack the Bánh Mì has more than a few elements that reference the, well…French connection! A mini French baguette also called a bánh mì is split lengthwise and layered with a fusion of meats and vegetables from Vietnamese cuisine such as chả lụa sausage, fresh coriander, cucumber ribbons, and pickled carrots and daikon radish, combined with condiments from French cuisine such as pâté along with jalapeño chillies and a sweet-spicy mayonnaise. A typical Saigon dish, the Bánh Mì came into being after the 1954 Partition of Vietnam when migrants moved from North Vietnam to South Vietnam, putting their stamp on Saigon’s local cuisine. Today, one of the best places in Ho Chi Minh City, as Saigon is known as today, to try a Bánh Mì is at the Bánh Mì Bùi Thị Xuân restaurant in the Phạm Ngũ Lão backpacker ghetto.
As a lasting ‘legacy’ of its French colonial past, Vietnam’s most iconic street-side snack the Bánh Mì has more than a few elements that reference the, well…French connection! A mini French baguette also called a bánh mì is split lengthwise and layered with a fusion of meats and vegetables from Vietnamese cuisine such as chả lụa sausage, fresh coriander, cucumber ribbons, and pickled carrots and daikon radish, combined with condiments from French cuisine such as pâté along with jalapeño chillies and a sweet-spicy mayonnaise. A typical Saigon dish, the Bánh Mì came into being after the 1954 Partition of Vietnam when migrants moved from North Vietnam to South Vietnam, putting their stamp on Saigon’s local cuisine. Today, one of the best places in Ho Chi Minh City, as Saigon is known as today, to try a Bánh Mì is at the Bánh Mì Bùi Thị Xuân restaurant in the Phạm Ngũ Lão backpacker ghetto.
The
Torta Ahogada, Mexico
Like most great sandwiches, the Torta Ahogada has extremely humble underpinnings as a working man’s lunch. Here the porous, yet firm birote bread which has a thick, crunchy crust and softer interior is filled with slices of fried meat or chicken along with cheese and beans. The sandwich is then dunked into a vat of sauce made from vinegar, arbol chilies, garlic, oregano, and other spices and served in its soggy state with a side of tortillas, onion rings and slices of cooling avocado. Invented in the early 1900s in the Mexican city of Gudalajara—with the word ‘torta’ meaning sandwich and ‘agohada’ meaning drowned—several theories abound as to its genesis. One such belief is that the sandwich maker accidentally dropped his freshly made torta into a pan of chilli salsa and his customer loved it so much he kept repeating his ‘mistake’ to remarkable success. But whatever be its origins, one thing is clear: this spicy, messy sandwich is a multisensory treat!
Like most great sandwiches, the Torta Ahogada has extremely humble underpinnings as a working man’s lunch. Here the porous, yet firm birote bread which has a thick, crunchy crust and softer interior is filled with slices of fried meat or chicken along with cheese and beans. The sandwich is then dunked into a vat of sauce made from vinegar, arbol chilies, garlic, oregano, and other spices and served in its soggy state with a side of tortillas, onion rings and slices of cooling avocado. Invented in the early 1900s in the Mexican city of Gudalajara—with the word ‘torta’ meaning sandwich and ‘agohada’ meaning drowned—several theories abound as to its genesis. One such belief is that the sandwich maker accidentally dropped his freshly made torta into a pan of chilli salsa and his customer loved it so much he kept repeating his ‘mistake’ to remarkable success. But whatever be its origins, one thing is clear: this spicy, messy sandwich is a multisensory treat!
The
Balik Ekmek, Turkey
One of the best things about this humble fish sandwich called Balik Ekmek (literally meaning “fish bread”) is that you don’t have to look too hard to find one to treat yourself with when in the Turkish capital of Istanbul. Simply let your olfactory senses lead you to the nearest boat selling this street…err, we mean waterside delicacy! On either sides of the city’s mighty Galata Bridge, in the waterfront neighbourhoods of Eminonu and Karakoy, you can find boats lined up with makeshift grills set up on them dispensing these yummy treats for around 5 Turkish Lira (Rs 56) a piece. What you’ll get is a sturdy round Turkish bread stuffed with a deboned filet of either grilled or fried oily fish such as sardines or mackerel topped with hot sauce and accompanied by sides of raw onion rings, radish, lettuce and a wedge of lemon.
One of the best things about this humble fish sandwich called Balik Ekmek (literally meaning “fish bread”) is that you don’t have to look too hard to find one to treat yourself with when in the Turkish capital of Istanbul. Simply let your olfactory senses lead you to the nearest boat selling this street…err, we mean waterside delicacy! On either sides of the city’s mighty Galata Bridge, in the waterfront neighbourhoods of Eminonu and Karakoy, you can find boats lined up with makeshift grills set up on them dispensing these yummy treats for around 5 Turkish Lira (Rs 56) a piece. What you’ll get is a sturdy round Turkish bread stuffed with a deboned filet of either grilled or fried oily fish such as sardines or mackerel topped with hot sauce and accompanied by sides of raw onion rings, radish, lettuce and a wedge of lemon.
The
Chip Butty, UK
While this aberration of a sandwich might sound like a carb-on-carb keto diet nightmare, let us assure you that one bite of this classic, yet insanely simple British sandwich and you’ll surrender to its charms. Known as a ‘butty’ in the local vernacular, a sandwich is that quintessential British snack whose avatars are numerous, from the dainty cucumber and watercress ones to the cholesterol-rich bacon butty. For a chip butty, you’ll need to pile on two slices of buttered, thick white sandwich bread with another classic, chips—that we know of as thick cut fries—and slather it all with bright red pumpkin and tomato ketchup. And voila, you’ll be staring down at a typical post binge drinking treat that can be found at almost any fish and chip shop across the country.
While this aberration of a sandwich might sound like a carb-on-carb keto diet nightmare, let us assure you that one bite of this classic, yet insanely simple British sandwich and you’ll surrender to its charms. Known as a ‘butty’ in the local vernacular, a sandwich is that quintessential British snack whose avatars are numerous, from the dainty cucumber and watercress ones to the cholesterol-rich bacon butty. For a chip butty, you’ll need to pile on two slices of buttered, thick white sandwich bread with another classic, chips—that we know of as thick cut fries—and slather it all with bright red pumpkin and tomato ketchup. And voila, you’ll be staring down at a typical post binge drinking treat that can be found at almost any fish and chip shop across the country.
The
Po’ Boy, USA
Shrimp, crawfish, lobster, oyster you name it and it can be found in a typically New Orleans, Louisiana style Po’ Boy sandwich. A corruption of the term ‘poor boy’ as it was the most preferred meal of the striking streetcar conductors in 1929, the sandwich evolved from the1800s fried oyster sandwiches on French loaves to include any breaded, deep-fried mollusc or crustacean loaded onto French bread and dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayonnaise. Though essentially a seafood sandwich, places like Texas have been known to put own their spin on a Po’ Boy with versions that come stuffed with BBQ meat and chicken. But for the real deal, head down to joints like Avery’s On Tulane along New Orleans’ Tulane Ave. for a taste of the divine that defies explanation.
Shrimp, crawfish, lobster, oyster you name it and it can be found in a typically New Orleans, Louisiana style Po’ Boy sandwich. A corruption of the term ‘poor boy’ as it was the most preferred meal of the striking streetcar conductors in 1929, the sandwich evolved from the1800s fried oyster sandwiches on French loaves to include any breaded, deep-fried mollusc or crustacean loaded onto French bread and dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayonnaise. Though essentially a seafood sandwich, places like Texas have been known to put own their spin on a Po’ Boy with versions that come stuffed with BBQ meat and chicken. But for the real deal, head down to joints like Avery’s On Tulane along New Orleans’ Tulane Ave. for a taste of the divine that defies explanation.
The
Smørrebrød, Denmark
Proving to the world of casual cuisine that a sandwich isn’t always about two pieces of bread holding forth fillings, this Danish classic open-faced sandwich may be a mouthful to pronounce, but the sheer mind-boggling varieties of Smørrebrød will leave you salivating. A typical Smørrebrød is usually constructed out of a slice of buttered rye bread called rugbrød, known for its dense crumb and deep brown hue. Called pålæg, which translates as “lay-on”, the toppings range from cold cuts, slivers of meat or fish, cheese or spreads. But hands down the most popular of all pålæg has got to be cured salmon called gravad laks that’s further topped off with a frond of dill, a splodge of sweet mayonnaise and sent off with a squirt of lemon juice.
Proving to the world of casual cuisine that a sandwich isn’t always about two pieces of bread holding forth fillings, this Danish classic open-faced sandwich may be a mouthful to pronounce, but the sheer mind-boggling varieties of Smørrebrød will leave you salivating. A typical Smørrebrød is usually constructed out of a slice of buttered rye bread called rugbrød, known for its dense crumb and deep brown hue. Called pålæg, which translates as “lay-on”, the toppings range from cold cuts, slivers of meat or fish, cheese or spreads. But hands down the most popular of all pålæg has got to be cured salmon called gravad laks that’s further topped off with a frond of dill, a splodge of sweet mayonnaise and sent off with a squirt of lemon juice.
Oddities
of the Sandwich World
* At $214 a pop, the title of the World’s Most Expensive Sandwich would have to go to “The Quintessential Grilled Cheese Sandwich,” that’s made by New York City’s legendary Serendipity 3 restaurant. Besides holding unfathomable bragging rights within its folds, the sandwich is made up of two slices of French bread that has Dom Perignon champagne and 23-karat gold baked into it. It is stuffed with caciocavallo podolico, a rare cheese imported from southern Italy and brushed with white truffle oil and gold leaf before it meets the grill.
* Ever heard of the ‘Candwich’? An American company produces these rather bizarre sandwiches in a can! Yes, each tin contains a bread roll and an assortment of flavours, including Peanut Butter and Jelly and Honey BBQ chicken. ‘nuff said.
* As an homage to the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, The Elvis sandwich is stuffed with an odd assortment of ingredients Elvis was particularly partial to all his life. So, we have peanut butter, banana and bacon ensconced within slices of commercial white bread and grilled with dollops of butter slathered onto the whole thing.
* In Japan, one of the most popular kinds of sandwiches is the Fruit Sando where sweet, soft white cake-like bread is stuffed with whipped cream and a whole ‘orchard’ of fruits from the most popular being strawberries to the downright strange persimmon and musk melon.
* At $214 a pop, the title of the World’s Most Expensive Sandwich would have to go to “The Quintessential Grilled Cheese Sandwich,” that’s made by New York City’s legendary Serendipity 3 restaurant. Besides holding unfathomable bragging rights within its folds, the sandwich is made up of two slices of French bread that has Dom Perignon champagne and 23-karat gold baked into it. It is stuffed with caciocavallo podolico, a rare cheese imported from southern Italy and brushed with white truffle oil and gold leaf before it meets the grill.
* Ever heard of the ‘Candwich’? An American company produces these rather bizarre sandwiches in a can! Yes, each tin contains a bread roll and an assortment of flavours, including Peanut Butter and Jelly and Honey BBQ chicken. ‘nuff said.
* As an homage to the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, The Elvis sandwich is stuffed with an odd assortment of ingredients Elvis was particularly partial to all his life. So, we have peanut butter, banana and bacon ensconced within slices of commercial white bread and grilled with dollops of butter slathered onto the whole thing.
* In Japan, one of the most popular kinds of sandwiches is the Fruit Sando where sweet, soft white cake-like bread is stuffed with whipped cream and a whole ‘orchard’ of fruits from the most popular being strawberries to the downright strange persimmon and musk melon.
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the October 2018 issue of Jetwings Domestic in-flight magazine of Jet Airways http://www.jetairways.com/EN/IN/jetexperience/magazines.aspx)
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