The situation is tricky: It’s actually not long until dinner, but it’s too long for the stomach, which is already grumbling in a bad mood. Snacks are then saviors in times of need. Praise be to the good old Earl of Sandwich. What sounds like a sandwich lover’s nickname is, according to the story, the actual name of the inventor, John Montagu, (fourth) Earl of Sandwich. Montagu is said to have told his butler to serve him a slice of beef between two slices of bread.
The result must have been a revelation. The sandwich dish became a popular snack among noblemen. At least that’s what the author Edward Gibbon documented in 1762. It would be a few more years before the ladies of high society could also enjoy it. The rest is history. The sandwich has now become the epitome of a snack.
Cuban-Sandwich
The Cuban sandwich, also known as Cubano or Cuban mix, was created long before the 60s, but it was in the 60s that it had its big breakthrough. According to history, the sandwich, as the name suggests, was invented in Cuba and later brought to the USA by emigrants, where it is said to have been refined over time. Today you can find ham, roasted pork, sometimes salami, cheese and pickled cucumbers.
Philly Cheesesteak
The Philly Cheesesteak is a specialty from Philadelphia. As is often the case, it is not clear who first came up with the idea of putting thin strips of steak meat in a wheat bun, but there is some evidence to suggest that it was the brothers Pat and Harry Olivieri who first introduced one in their restaurant in the 1930s Philly Cheesesteak served. Back then, glazed onions were probably still included.
Reuben-Sandwich
Sauerkraut, pastrami or corned beed and cheese on rye bread – the Reuben sandwich has been very popular for almost 100 years. According to rumors, it was invented while filming a Charlie Chaplin silent film. It is said to have been prepared by a certain Arnold Reuben, whose specialty was this variation. At least it was described as the Reuben sandwich in a newspaper article a few years later, in 1927. Others, however, attribute the invention to the Jewish retailer Reuben Kulakofsky, who is said to have served the sandwich during poker games at the Lackstone Hotel in the 1920s and 1930s.
Lobster Roll
The customer is king. Even if he orders a dish in a restaurant that isn’t on the menu. We have the so-called lobster roll to thank for just such a special request. In the late 1920s, a customer wanted lobster without the carcass and tossed in butter on a roll. Restaurant owner Harry Perry quickly realized that the sandwich could become a gold mine and literally made it his flagship product. So he advertised “The Home of the Lobster Roll” on his facade.
Sandwich
The Tramezzino is world famous. A first version of the sandwich is said to have been invented in the small Caffè Mulassano in Turin in 1925. There are many variations of Tramezzino, but what they have in common is that they are all prepared with crustless toast and mayonnaise. Vegetables of any kind are usually used as a filling. The writer Gabriele D’Annunzio gave the Tramezzino, usually used in the plural Tramezzini, its name to replace the English term sandwich.
Fluffernutter
Behind the Fluffernutter there is – there is hardly any other way to put it – a sweet sandwich perversity. Peanut butter is combined with Marshmallow Fluff, which is a marshmallow cream. The invention is attributed to Emma Curtis. The Fluffernutter gained popularity, particularly during World War I, when food was scarce.
Croque-monsieur
Everyone knows the ham and cheese sandwich. It’s okay, but not a culinary highlight. However, the French variation, to which the sandwich was refined in the Belle Epoque by bistro owner Michel Lunarca around 1910, is completely different. For the Croque Monsieur, thin slices of cooked ham and Gruyère cheese are placed between buttered white bread, then the sandwich is placed on the grill or sandwich maker until the cheese is liquid and chewy. A bit of Dijon mustard is served with it.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
If you really think about it, the foundation of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich success was laid at the World’s Fair in Chicago. Peanut butter was introduced to the public there for the first time in 1893. It didn’t take long for it to find its way into kitchens. By the turn of the century, peanut butter was so established that it was mentioned in cooking textbooks. The peanut butter and jelly sandwich was first mentioned in 1901 in the “Boston School Cooking Magazine of Culinary Science and Domestic.”
Club Sandwich
The club sandwich is a real evergreen, considering it was so popular back in 1889 that it was featured in The Evening World. It is traditionally prepared with toast, mayonnaise and two other ingredients such as fried bacon, turkey steak or chicken breast as well as tomato and lettuce. In 1894, a club sandwich recipe was first featured in a cookbook by Sarah Tyson Rorer.
Butter bread
It is no longer possible to say exactly when the Danish smörrebröd was actually invented. What is certain, however, is that it has been prepared for at least 800 years. This is proven by various historical sources. To put it simply, smörrebröd is slices of brown bread topped with whatever the fridge can provide.
Quelle: 100 Years of Sandwich Taste Test, Bon Appetit, PhillySandwiches, Taste of Home, Taste of Toulouse, Food und Co
