Did he play cards too much? Or worked too long? It is not known exactly why John Montagu took so little time to eat. In any case, in the middle of the 18th century, in order to shorten the meals, he had slices of toasted white bread with beef stuck between them. His guests also liked it, and because Montagu was the fourth Earl of Sandwich, the snack was given the name: Sandwich.
It wasn’t humanity’s first quick meal. The Greeks and Romans already knew about food stalls where pork or fish dishes could be consumed quickly. But the sandwich ennobled the snack; it was part of every picnic. Without sandwiches, burgers and kebabs would probably never have achieved their triumph.
Access to all STERN PLUS content and articles from the print magazine
ad-free
Already registered?