Life at No.22, Musings

The Everlasting Sandwich

Suzanne

As you know, it is the prime picnic season here in New Zealand. Even though it is Autumn, our temperatures still scream “summertime”. Remember my post about picnics? If not, here it is Cake Crumbs and Beach Sand. Well, this got me thinking about the good old joint sandwich. Which would be a delight alongside cake and sand. Despite the apparent backlash against all things that are carbohydrates and gluten.

The sandwich has endured.

As it should, it takes just a few moments to conjure up a mighty tasty light meal; I say light, though that all depends on what goes into the said sandwich. It can be filled with whatever is around. Eaten with one hand.

Over the years, there has, or I should say, still is some debate about what constitutes a sandwich. Whether it’s distinct from a burger, bagel or slider, and where a wrap or gozleme fits in.

Even the most traditional sandwich, British in origin, still involves placing two slices of bread and a filling. It does take years of practice and some know-how from previous generations.

The perfect one must be not too dry and not too soggy. Remember those tomato sandwiches in your school lunchbox? You may also like to de-select the tomatoes and sweat the cucumbers to avoid the latter. The next big question is the most crucial ingredient: What type of bread do you use? What else will you glue the filling to the bread, butter, mustard or mayonnaise?

Then, there is the debate on how to cut the sandwich.

It has been said that cutting across is more acceptable years ago as triangular sandwiches were considered a bit common. Googling “sandwiches, square or triangular” you might be directed to a programme on NPR (the American public radio organisation) in which they actually debated the question, with chefs, foodies, an architect, and a mathematician, who all agreed on the visual superiority of the diagonal. It allows for better display of a sandwich’s interior. The architect compared the diagonally cut sandwich to a burlesque dancer. “Covered enough to be clothed, but uncovered enough to be very, very appealing.”

If the bread is soft enough, you can fold it. Or you could roll your sandwiches; why limit the aesthetic of the asparagus roll to asparagus? If you want to get fancy about it, you could stick one slice on top of the other, pinch and crimp it at the edges and then cut the crusts off. That’s what a US company did when it developed frozen packets of peanut butter and jelly crustless crimped sandwiches – it even tried to copyright the cut of their sandwiches, without success.

Sandwiches are wonderfully adaptable to social trends. A fashionable bakery I frequently walk by serves artisanal sandwiches with kumara, fermented oat or seeded bread that can be filled with things like smoked kahawai or salmon gravlax, spring onion labneh or whipped bottarga (don’t ask me) and carrot or pear kimchi.

The sandwich can, of course, be the site of contemporary anxieties. Not so long ago, peanut butter sandwiches were banned from primary schools to protect children with peanut allergies. The consensus is that children with peanut allergies will not likely suffer an anaphylactic attack unless they eat someone else’s peanut butter sandwich. By the time they reach primary school, they’re smart enough not to. It’s unclear whether recent studies suggesting that preserved meats are carcinogenic will put people off their ham or bacon sandwiches. I suspect it may not.

The beauty of the sandwich is that practically anything goes. Some suggestions have included outrageous combinations such as peanut butter and cabbage, walnuts, lettuce, and pineapple.

We have made our own bread by hand and the use of a breadmaker off and on for years. Devoured sandwiches filled with delightful bits and bobs from the fridge. Even concocting up some bizarre combinations. Cold baked bean sandwich, anyone? We were also known to take some to work, not the baked bean variety, for apparent reasons.

Then there was the day I read of a more creative and adventurously even use of leftover soup that had been hardened into a spread. Not surprisingly, it was called a soup sandwich. Much to the horror of myself and even more so when I naughtily suggested it to the Squire. He, of course, rejected it before we could even try it. I thought he was such a killjoy. It could be argued that we dip bread into soup, so why not slap some cold soup on our bread? No, I’m not about to even contemplate doing that. Don’t let me stop you from experimenting with your next yummy sandwich. What’s mine? Crunchy peanut butter and banana, between two slices of Vogels, usually enjoyed after a good exercise. The Squires’s ultimate is cheese and onion between slices of his homemade bread.

So, tell me what your favourite combination is?

Published by Suzanne

Travel and Life Musings from New Zealand and Beyond. . . . . . .

35 thoughts on “The Everlasting Sandwich”

  4. I can’t remember exactly what was in it (cheese and mushrooms, for sure) but the best sandwich I ever had – and one I still dream about – was a vegetarian creation from a small cafe in Oaxaca. Next time I go, I will be smart enough to write down the ingredients so I can make it at home. Oh, and I vote for triangular cut sandwiches… much more fun.

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    1. I am more inclined to go with vegetarian when travelling. That was such an interesting trip you did to Oaxaca. Janis, you will have to write it down on your next visit.

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    1. Thank you, Donna 🙂 Trouble with doing so much travel is we forget a few things we have seen or eaten.
      Though getting “flashbacks” is quite fun 🙂

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  8. I agree with Donna, never heard of Gozleme and I’ve been to Turkey too. I’m also with April liking Marmite, although I do have a little weird thing going on in that I love to mix peanut butter and Marmite! Goes back to my childhood having one slice of toast with Marmite and the other with peanut butter then rushing out to School, so the two slices invariably got slapped together and there started the ultimate combo! Still eat that combo today 🙂

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    1. Haha@the marmite and peanut butter combo. Yep, you really do need to visit NZ. You’re one of us 🙂 I had a childhood friend that did that same combo. Fun being a weird sandwich lover😉

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  10. Yuk! Soup sandwich! 😂 And I’ve been forced to try Marmite when I was in England and let’s just say I’m not eager to repeat the experience. 😉
    It was fun reading all these facts about sandwiches, Suzanne, and like The Squire I prefer homebaked bread for my sandwiches. My favourite is cheddar, jamon de Serrano and tomatoe. 😊

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    1. The English marmite is not the same as ours, though it’s still a product you either love or hate! The hams of Europe are sorely missed by the Squire especially the Spanish. Sarah, liking your preferred sandwich 😊

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  11. Your post made me hangry!

    You know the bread is pretty good here and the ingredients deliciously fresh as everything I seasonal, so it’s pretty hard having a disaster with a sandwich.
    I’ve been told I’m a good sandwich maker (one for the Resume?) but then again, the person/people I’m making the sandwich for are usually starving. 😉

    I like spreading mayo on one side and any type of mustard on the other side. Adds another dimension…

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