Really? She is writing about sandwiches today? She must have run out of topics. What’s there to write about some slabs of bread and some toppings? Well, if you are a foodie, you don’t get past sandwiches. And if you love history, you will find some pretty interesting stories around them. Let me share you some.
I grew up on sandwiches. Not peanut butter & jelly ones, for sure. For one, they were usually open sandwiches, buttered on one side and topped with one slice of cold cuts or cheese (maybe two, if they were small) or jam. No grape jelly in Germany back then either. Now you know what my breakfast looks like most days. My mother used to make me buttered sandwiches, a thin layer of cold cuts or cheese between two buttered slices of bread, and wrap them into parchment paper. That, along with a sliced and de-cored apple used to be my school mid-morning food. (We went home for lunch and dinner.)
So, you bet I was flabbergasted when I encountered American sandwiches for the first time. At times you have three or four different kinds of cold cuts piled high, add different kinds of cheese, condiments and veggies – I can’t even wrap my mouth around those high-rises in the finger-food world. I have to admit, even if it’s only one kind of meat and one kind of cheese, it’s usually piled on way too high for me. And I dread the amount of carbs and nitrates I will ingest. Ugh, yeah, the German in me …
But where does the concept of bread with toppings or fillings come from anyhow? Some of you will say, oh, come on, it’s this English 18th century earl who wanted to have clean fingers eating, while playing cards. The generic name certainly derives from the gentleman who, by the way, might just as likely have ordered “bread and meats” from his valet when sitting at his naval office desk, working. Of course, the idea of “bread and games” is more appealing.
In fact, topped bread is already mentioned in Virgil’s Aeneid. The hero of the story, leading the survivors of Troy, is predicted to find his promised new home when eating his own table. Well, it turns out that, at one time, they used bread to place their food on and then ate the bread, too. Italians take this as the point where pizza was invented – a hot version of topped bread. The Greek might point to their pita that can be stuffed – and is therefore another variety of the sandwich. The European Middle ages knew of open sandwiches the Aeneid’s way.
Visit other cultures, and you will soon discover that the Ethiopian Injera sponge-like bread is used as cutlery and plate in one. I ate Chapati for breakfast in India like I would have in Germany – topped with butter and jam. Check out a Vietnamese banh mi, a Mexican taco, or a Danish smørrebrød, which means buttered bread (indeed, the term smörgåsbord is Swedish for the same, but the European culinary world sticks with the Danish term) – the concept is the same anywhere bread has made it into food culture. It is used as the shield between a topping or filling and the fingers. What a wonderful connection between the continents, right?
I remember wonderful evenings at my parents’ when my mother had outdone herself creating platters of decoratively rolled or fanned cold cuts, of sliced and soft cheeses, of fish salads, olives, and pickles. Add a plate of butter and a basket of two or three different kinds of German bread – that would be a festive treat in its own right.
The other day I had bought a pound of wonderful roast beef at a supermarket whose name I will keep to myself. For Germans, roast beef is always on the high-end of cold cut choices. Now, at almost 14 dollars a pound, I guess it’s not much different over here. My husband wouldn’t touch it though he usually loves it. The secret? It looked like a dog’s dish. It had been mangled through the slicer – indeed you couldn’t make out a single slice. And on top of it, the package had been rolled up, so everything in it broke apart. Obviously, somebody had had the shaved sandwich-meat concept in their mind while butchering a most beautiful cut. It’s happened not the first time, and not just at that store. Which almost made me cry. Almost.
I don’t know how you like your buttered or mayo-ed bread – and there are so many wonderful creations out there, open or sandwiched, thick or thin, hot or cold, catering the omnivorous as well as vegans. What I love is when a sandwich celebrates its ingredients. Slice by slice, with respect for what you are having. Because even the humblest bread-&-something creation can taste like home and like you are in a cozy place.
Help me here.
I always thought it was invented by the Earl of Sandwich, an inveterate British noble who gambled so hotly he wouldn’t leave the gaming tables for a real meal but asked for some bread with something between the slices.
Of course you could go back thousands of years. You could call any kind of flat concoction, fold it, put anything between it, a “sandwich”. But I bet it wasn’t called that.
My youth was also spent in Germany. A sandwich was called Butterbrot (buttered bread), Käsebrot (cheese bread )or Wurstbrot (sausage bread) depending on what Mom slapped in between.
I forgot to add: a lettuce leave, a slice of tomato, mayonnaise? Say what ?
But we should always remember: different countries, different customs.
I once read that in China you can buy rats prepared 27 or 29 times differently.
To each his own.
Dieter,
The sandwich got its name from him, but as so many fads, the one who makes it a fad gives it a name. Of course, every language has its own name for concoctions. So Butterbrot is the German term – but it can be open or have something in between.
Have never seen any rats in China. Maybe there are areas where they eat it. As a matter of fact, they detest us for eating rotten milk aka cheese. Other countries, other habits.
Susanne,
You are right on target . . . it all starts with the bread. We had some Jewish Rye last month which was just perfect for our sandwiches, but we like several different kinds as long as they have “tooth” and flavor. There used to be a restaurant in Tacoma called The Spoutin’ Toad and they had a “Toad Special” sandwich based on a “Toasted Cheese” sandwich. They added slices of roast beet and sliced tomatoes. Hot off the grill they were simply wonderful. I cooked one for my wife Peggy last night. A thin spread of Dijon on one slice and a thin spread of mayo on the other. I added two thin slices of red pepper and two slices of Roma tomatoes. The bread was a 21 grain bread . . . toasted. She was in heaven. I think I’ll make on myself right now for breakfast. Great article.
Don
Thank you so much, Don! And that sound delicious! I usually take plain white bread for grilled cheese sandwiches, I have to admit, but I use at least two kinds of different cheeses and squeeze some slabs of crisp-fried bacon in between.
A family classic is also any kind of bread, topped with a tad of butter, covered with a single layer of salami, then a single layer of tomatoes. Season tomatoes with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried basil. Push this into the oven and broil until the tomatoes start getting a cooked look. Then top with a single layer of any cheese you got handy (I NEVER use American cheese by the way) and bake over – it’s kind of a pizza-bread. Quickly made and delicious to eat.
My mother’s favorite was a dark bread well buttered, sliced tomatoes and heavily smothered with pepper and a pinch of salt. Better yet, anytime she cooked bacon, she would pour off the grease and keep it. Yes, she would use this instead of butter.
This was a delicacy to my mother. She had started life during the Great Depression and went through the war years, on the wrong side. They ate sawdust bread and dined on rats. She cherished each and every meal.
Thank you for sharing this, Paul! It shows how incredibly lucky and blessed most of us count ourselves today. Indeed, I grew up on tomato sandwiches like these (add some raw onion on to). We had them only during tomato season. As to bacon dripping – I still use it to fry my eggs in or ad it to soups, gravy stock – or, like your mother did, pour it over a slice of bread instead of butter. My parents were born during WW II and the ensuing famine in Europe. I have learned from them not to waste anything. And I’m grateful for that.
My young bride from Germany, now in her 80’s, continues to favor a meal of dark German rye bread from Hesse’s in Lakewood with, most times, simply butter. If she feels daring she will pile on radishes.
Oh yes, the bread from Hess Bakery and Deli is simply delicious. I’m currently enjoying a loaf of it, too. I remember having radishes on bread somewhere, too. At home we simply ate them along with a “Butterbrot”, not on top of it – fun!
Love Jewish Rye, buttered, with a thin layer of Lachshinken, or a thin layer of liverwurst…wonderful!
Lachsschinken is one of our favorites, too, and I love coarsely grounded liverwurst. I guess the rye has caraway seeds in it – I have to admit I’m not fond of that particular flavor in bread as I find it too dominant …
Susanne,
When I was a 12-year-old kid my pal Biff and I had a bread eating contest. Yup, we ate an entire loaf of white Wonder Bread in one sitting.
If you ever write a column about beverages, Biff and I did see how many of his dad’s shot glasses would be inside a full bottle of Coke.
Ahhh. Food and drink. My comments makes it obvious that we were not as classy as you, but we did enjoy ourselves and we have stories to tell, like the one time we caught the kitchen curtains on fire with the toaster. That is a story for another time.
Thanks for sharing what you know about bread and sandpudges. Sandpudge is what little 2 year old Joey use to call a sandwich.
Joe
Sandpudge – how absolutely adorable!!! As to a bread eating contest – I never had one, but, oh my, that white toast bread is such insane nothingness that I can see two boys munching down on a loaf each. As to setting curtains on fire with a toaster – somebody’s parent must have had the scare of her life!
A whole loaf of wonder bread. That is each.
Joseph Boyle