This is sandwich month, and I hope you have as much fun reading some facts and folklore about this common, unassuming and convenient food as I did researching them. What is a sandwich? When used as a verb "to sandwich" has the meaning of to position anything between two other things of a different character, or to place different elements alternately. When used as a noun, a sandwich is a food commonly consisting of two or more slices of bread, crackers or other appropriate products that can hold one or more fillings between them. Flat breads of varying kinds have long been used to wrap food throughout Western Asia and northern Africa; from Morocco to Ethiopia to India bread is baked in flat rounds. Many South American countries such as Mexico use corn to make flat, round tortillas, which serve the same purpose. In Europe and most countries influenced by European cuisine, a loaf or dome shape is usually traditional. In this country bread, whether loaf or dome shaped is the most popular in some geographic locations such as the East coast and Midwest. Whereas in the Southwest, flatbreads such as pita and tortillas are one of the most common breads to use for wraps in a popular version of the sandwich. But then, so are cookies! Which do you prefer?
Most every English speaking country credits Sir John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich, England, for this popular creation. But alas! it was his Chef who actually created the first known sandwich, following his master’s request to come up with a food that he could eat during 24 hours gambling binge while keeping one hand free to continue playing the game. Although I've never known if this is a true fact or a myth, I do know that different forms of sandwiches in many different forms and names were documented in the history of many other cultures. Although the now famous Earl was not the inventor of the sandwich, he adopted the concept during his many trips in the Mediterranean where he observed that the Greek and Turk tribes were eating proteins and other foods served on pita and canapés during their mezes. These were adapted to the available foods in England during 1972 when the concept first became reality. There were other differences between concept and execution; a canapé is flat and intended to be eaten in one or two bites. Trapping the ingredients inside two slices of bread or other firm food easy to hold in one hand and making it a sizable portion doubles the convenience as it then becomes a portable complete meal. That is a sandwich.
Among the thousands of sandwiches you can include appetizers, snacks and desserts in their numbers. There is no limit on what you can insert in a sandwich, or what you can use to trap ingredients in the middle. The important factor is that whatever you use is fresh, nutritious and delicious.
Most every English speaking country credits Sir John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich, England, for this popular creation. But alas! it was his Chef who actually created the first known sandwich, following his master’s request to come up with a food that he could eat during 24 hours gambling binge while keeping one hand free to continue playing the game. Although I've never known if this is a true fact or a myth, I do know that different forms of sandwiches in many different forms and names were documented in the history of many other cultures. Although the now famous Earl was not the inventor of the sandwich, he adopted the concept during his many trips in the Mediterranean where he observed that the Greek and Turk tribes were eating proteins and other foods served on pita and canapés during their mezes. These were adapted to the available foods in England during 1972 when the concept first became reality. There were other differences between concept and execution; a canapé is flat and intended to be eaten in one or two bites. Trapping the ingredients inside two slices of bread or other firm food easy to hold in one hand and making it a sizable portion doubles the convenience as it then becomes a portable complete meal. That is a sandwich.
Among the thousands of sandwiches you can include appetizers, snacks and desserts in their numbers. There is no limit on what you can insert in a sandwich, or what you can use to trap ingredients in the middle. The important factor is that whatever you use is fresh, nutritious and delicious.
For recipes that provide delicious and nutritious food check out Flavorful Fortified Food – Recipes to Enrich Life at www.flavorfulfortifiedfood.com
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