National Sandwich Day is observed annually on November 3. The sandwich is believed to be the namesake of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, following the claim that he was the inventor of the sandwich. This day honors one of America’s most popular lunch items.
While the modern sandwich is believed to be named after John Montagu, the exact circumstances of its invention and original use are the subject of debate. There is a rumor in a contemporary travel book titled Tour to London, by Pierre Jean Grosley, that formed the popular myth that bread and meat sustained Lord Sandwich at the gambling table. It is said that Lord Sandwich was a very conversant gambler and did not take the time to have a meal during his long hours playing at the card table. When hungry, he would ask his servants to bring him slices of meat between two slices of bread. This practice was a habit which was well known to his gambling friends who soon began to order “the same as Sandwich,” and from this, the sandwich was born.
N.A.M. Rodger, who wrote Sandwich’s biography, suggests that because of Sandwich’s commitment to the navy, politics and the arts the first sandwich was more likely to have been consumed at his work desk.
There is a commonly known story about the history of the word sandwich, and it’s attributed to John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. One piece of that history that’s rarely discussed is the meaning of the word Sandwich and the town it comes from. Sandwich is a city in the shire of Kent in England, originally the word was spelled Sondwic, and then Sandwic, and ultimately in 1086 as Sandwice. The name of the town came from its purpose and its claim to fame, it was a market town. So what does Sandwich actually mean? “Market Town on Sandy Soil”.
Before being known as sandwiches, the food seems just to have been known as bread and meat or bread and cheese.
Some of the most common sandwiches include BLT – Cheese Sandwich – Philadelphia Cheesesteak – Club Sandwich – Dagwood – French Dip – Hamburger – Monte Cristo – Muffuletta – Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich – Pilgrim – Po’boy – Reuben – Sloppy Joe – Submarine – Tuna Fish Sandwich – Veggie Sandwich – Deli Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item commonly consisting of two or more slices of bread, with one or more fillings between them. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work, school, or picnics to be eaten as part of a packed lunch. The bread can be used as it is, or it can be coated with any condiments to enhance flavor and texture. They are also widely sold in restaurants and cafes, served hot or cold.
- The first written usage of the English word appeared in Edward Gibbon’s journal, in longhand, referring to “bits of cold meat” as a “Sandwich”.
- The average American will have consumed 1,500 PB&Js by the time they graduate high school.
- The most people making sandwiches simultaneously is 607 and was achieved by British Sandwich Association (UK), in Manchester, UK, on May 14, 2013.
- The world’s largest sandwich weighed 5,440 pounds.
- The most expensive sandwich ever sold was a grilled toast sandwich that seemed to have an image of the Virgin Mary on it. It sold for $28,000 in 2004.1
- Depending on the region, hero sandwiches have been called many other names, including hoagie, grinder, and sub. The latter comes from Benedetto Capaldo’s Italian deli in New London, Conn., during World War II. The deli received an order from the nearby US Naval submarine base for 500 hero sandwiches. From that day forward any time a customer ordered a hero sandwich the employees at the deli called it a “sub.”
- Americans eat more than 300 million sandwiches every day – an amazing statistic since there are slightly more than 300 million Americans.
- The most popular sandwich in America is the standard ham sandwich (ham, cheese, and mustard or mayonnaise), followed by the BLT.
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