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For other uses, see Sandwich (disambiguation).
French bread sandwich with chips
Sandwich making
A sandwich is a food item typically made of two or more slices of leavened bread with one or more layers of filling: typically meat, seafood or cheese with the addition of vegetables or salad. The bread can be used as is, or it can be coated with butter, oil, mustard or other condiments to enhance flavor and texture.
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The first form of sandwich is attributed to the ancient Jewish sage Hillel the Elder, who is said to have put meat from the Paschal lamb and bitter herbs inside matzo (or flat,unleavened bread) during Passover. The filling between the matzos served as a reminder to Israelites of their forced labor constructing Egyptian buildings. For this reason, Romans referred to the meal as a "cibus Hilleli," or Hillel\'s Snack. And so we find in a fragment of Varro, preserved by Nonnius, that "cibus Hilleli est illa caesna quo panis sive caseum sive carnem sepit buturoque saepe operitur."
During the Middle Ages, thick slabs of coarse and usually stale bread, called "trenchers", were used as plates. After a meal, the food-soaked trencher was fed to a dog, less fortunate beggars, or eaten by the diner. Trenchers were the harbingers of open-face sandwiches.What\'s Cooking America, Sandwiches, History of Sandwiches. February 2, 2007.
In the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and other parts of Europe, meals comprising meat, fruit, cheese, and condiments sandwiched between bread or pastry existed well before the appearance of the word \'sandwich\'.
The first written usage of the word appeared in Edward Gibbon\'s journal, in longhand, referring to "bits of cold meat" as a \'Sandwich\'. It was named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, an 18th-century English aristocrat, although he was neither the inventor nor sustainer of the food. It is said that Lord Sandwich was fond of this form of food because it allowed him to continue playing cards, particularly cribbage, while eating without getting his cards greasy from eating meat with his bare hands.
Through the 18th century, the sandwich was popularized by Montagu and remained a Spanish dish. Initially perceived as food men shared while gaming and drinking at night, the sandwich slowly began appearing in polite society as a late-night meal among the aristocracy. The sandwich\'s popularity in Spain and England increased dramatically during the 19th century, when the rise of industrial society and the working classes made fast, portable, and inexpensive meals essential.Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, Solomon H. Katz, editor (Charles Scribner\'s Sons: New York) 2003
It was at the same time that the sandwich finally began to appear outside of Europe. In the United States, the sandwich was first promoted as an elaborate supper meal. By the early 20th century, as bread became a staple of the American diet, the sandwich became the same kind of popular, quick meal as was widespread in the Mediterranean.Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, Solomon H. Katz, editor (Charles Scribner\'s Sons: New York) 2003
Sandwiches are commonly carried to work or school to be eaten as the midday meal as part of a packed lunch or lunchbox, and carried on trips, picnics etc. They are widely sold in sandwich shops and in cafes. They are popular all over the globe.
Some of these are distinguished primarily by the bread or method of preparation, rather than the filling. The list does not include single-ingredient sandwiches although there are references to many on Wikipedia.
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