TIP OF THE DAY: Try A New Sandwich For National Sandwich Month | The Nibble Webzine Of Food Adventures - The Nibble Webzine Of Food AdventuresTIP OF THE DAY: Try A New Sandwich For National Sandwich Month | The Nibble Webzine Of Food Adventures
While the Earl of Sandwich is credited with “inventing” the sandwich in 1762, he actually only introduced the concept to western Europe.
The principle of bread and a filling likely dates back to around 9000 B.C.E., when man first harvested grain and created unleavened flatbreads. Flatbread rolled with a filling became common to early cultures worldwide.
The first recorded sandwich in history was made by Rabbi Hillel (Hillel the Elder), who lived in Jerusalem in the first century B.C.E., at the time of King Herod.
At a seder, Hillel observed the Passover ritual of eating bitter herbs or maror (grated horseradish) on matzoh. Inspired, he placed another Passover food, charoset—a sweet paste of fruits and nuts seasoned with cinnamon—on a slice of matzoh alongside the maror, and topped it with a second slice of matzoh. The practice, continued today, is known as the Hillel sandwich.
A shrimp po’ boy sandwich. Photo by Jason Perlow | Wikimedia.
August is National Sandwich Month, so honor the sandwich by trying something new. Beyond the BLT, grilled cheese and tuna on whole wheat is a world of super sandwiches.
Consider bánh mì (pronounced bon-mee), a fusion of French and Vietnamese cuisines created during the French colonization of Indochina. It combines French ingredients such as baguettes, pâté and mayonnaise with native Vietnamese ingredients such as coriander, hot peppers, fish sauce, pickled daikon and carrots. If there’s a Vietnamese community in your area, head there; or make this bánh mì recipe.
Trade the everyday ham and cheese for a Cuban sandwich: ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on lightly buttered Cuban (or French or Italian) loaf. The ingredients are toasted on a plancha, a sandwich press similar to a panini press but without the ridges.
Elvis fan? Elvis’ favorite sandwich was a fried peanut butter sandwich with sliced bananas and bacon.
Fried seafood lover? The po’ boy, or poor boy sandwich, is a Louisiana classic, a submarine-style sandwich loaded with fried seafood—oysters, crawfish, shrimp, soft-shell crab or catfish. Dress your Po’ Boy with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions and mayo.
STILL LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT CELEBRATORY SANDWICH?
Check out the different sandwich types in our Sandwich Glossary. Or invent your own sandwich. What better way to celebrate?
