Monday, February 21, 2011

Sandwiches

Sandwiches are amazing. Two pieces of bread, an assortment of meats and cheeses, and some vegetables and condiments to pull it all together. The sandwich offers an infinite amount of culinary possibilities, and I’m glad to say for the most part it gets the appreciation it deserves.

Oftentimes the Earl of Sandwich gets credit for inventing the item—something about avoiding dirty hands while playing cards—but in the multitude of possible sandwich-categorized food items, it seems to me that every culture has come up with some variation of a sandwich, and no one person can be credited with its discovery.

Let’s examine what qualifies something as a “sandwich.” I’d call it an item with some form of meat and/or cheese accompanied by optional condiments and vegetables, and wrapped or contained between one or more pieces of surrounding bread or similar starchy solid. So we have the typical sandwich, and of course, our beloved American hamburger (which isn’t really American, but alas…). In Mexico there are tacos—which if you accept my above definition do qualify as a sandwich item. Meat, cheese, vegetables, and condiments contained by some form of bread. While oftentimes considered more sophisticated, Japanese sushi can also fit this definition as long as you consider rice a bread-like product. Then there are Greek gyros, Italian pizza, Chinese egg rolls (I’m stretching it there, I know), Middle Eastern Falafel… the list goes on.

There’s no real point to this. Just something somewhat interesting I pondered as I devoured my standard turkey and cheddar.

8 comments:

  1. Now I need to make a sandwhich lol

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  2. I define a sandwich as two slices of bread with something in between. Not only meat, vegetables or cheese, but also, say, chocolate flakes or something similar.

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  3. I love to put meat from todays/last nights dinner & cheese on my sandwich then put them into the microweave. Then cut them into triangles. So good T.T

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  4. Haha I love sandwiches and I actually don't think they get all the credit they deserve. We just take them for granted! Supporting and following.

    Follow me at
    http://finallytwenty-one.blogspot.com/

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  5. Hmmm... I want me a grilled cheese.

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  6. i didnt like sandwiches as a child haha

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  7. Really feels like eating a sandwich now.

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  8. ok, now I'm hungry, thanks for that!

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