The inner workings of sandwhiches

Legend has it that John Glynn, who taught English in Ellendale for many years before I arrived, ate a turkey sandwich for lunch every single day of his career. I like turkey and I like sandwiches, but that’s really sticking to a theme.

 

Quite often, I create a sandwich to bring for my lunch, but I like to vary the inner workings. I’ll go between ham and turkey and chicken and roast beef, depending on what’s on sale and what I have a hankering for. There are many different varieties even among those types of meat, with smoked or rotisserie or many others. 

 

Mayo and cheese are important on my sandwich. And yes, I’m a mayonnaise guy, not Miracle Whip. The cheese also varies. I very much enjoy muenster and havarti, but cheddar or colby also adds good flavor. 

 

One can toast the bread on their sandwich if they want. That’s good to do when the loaf of bread is nearing the end of its shelf life and has started to get crusty anyway. Or maybe you enjoy a bagel as the bread of choice. Bagels have more heft than a couple slices of bread. Even with the bread - Do you want white or wheat? Do you like seeds on top of your bread?

 

So many choices. You can add lettuce or tomato to fill out your sandwich. If you go to a sandwich shop or deli or sub place, there are tons of items to add. Maybe you prefer spinach to lettuce. Pickles can be good on there; I’ve taken a particular liking to banana peppers. And you might like butter instead of mayo. Perhaps you add some mustard or oil. 

 

How did we get to this utopia of sandwiches? Even though people point to the 4th Earl of Sandwich for an origin point, this handheld food has been around much longer than 1762 when John Montagu, the aforementioned earl, wanted to eat while he was at a gambling table. According to History.com, this story may be made up, but somehow, sandwich became what we called a couple pieces of bread with a variety of fillings in between. 

 

The first recorded instance of a sandwich dates back to the first century B.C., when Hillel the Elder, who was a rabbi, used lamb, herbs, and unleavened bread, a tradition the Jewish people still use during Seder.

 

Sandwiches gained popularity in the United States early in the 20th century. People were eating sloppy joes and po’ boys, but it also became a time when sandwiches did not have to just have meat in them. After all, one of the most popular types of sandwiches today includes two things for the inside: peanut butter and jelly. We all know that creamy peanut butter is the way to go, right? That chunky stuff just tears the bread apart.

 

There is sometimes an argument about what a sandwich has to include to be considered a sandwich. There are even legal definitions for the purpose of restaurants and what can officially be called a sandwich. It is generally accepted that it must have either two slices of a type of bread with filling in the middle, or one slice of bread covered with food. An example of the latter would be an open-faced sandwich where you might even include gravy and need a fork to eat it instead of using your hands. Or not, I guess, up to you.

 

But where does that leave an ice cream sandwich? Can we even call it that? There is no bread involved. 

 

And by the definition, is a hot dog a sandwich? Bread - check. Filled with meat and condiments - check. 

 

When I make a sandwich for school, I will usually heat it up in the microwave for a little bit. That takes the chill out of the meat and melts the cheese a little. The only exception might be for a summer sausage sandwich; they are amazing when cold and are for sure my favorite type of cold sandwich.

 

As far as favorite hot sandwiches go, that’s easy. My mom has been making Reuben sandwiches for Christmas for as long as I can remember. The key to a good Reuben is the meat to sauerkraut ratio. Too much meat, and the flavor combination just doesn’t work.

Places like Arby’s have way too much corned beef on their Reuben. Mom’s is done just right, and I look forward to that every Christmas.

 

Whether it’s a hamburger or a tuna melt or a good old ham and cheese sandwich, the possibilities are endless. But don’t be afraid to try a new combination or new topping or new condiment. You may discover a new world of taste.

 

Or, like Mr. Glynn, you can have a turkey sandwich every day and love it.

 

Word of the Week: This week’s word is piquant, which means pleasantly pungent or spicy, as in, “She really enjoyed the piquant mustard on her sub as it added just the right amount of kick to her taste buds.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!