A sandwich is a food made of slices of bread, and vegetables, sliced cheese or meat placed between these slices. There is lots of option for what can be put between slices of bread but in general, any food with two or more pieces of bread as wrapper for another food is called sandwich. The sandwich began as a food meant to be eaten directly with hands instead of fork or spoon in western world. Over a short period of time, it became prevalent worldwide.
Sandwich is considered very popular type of food usually taken at the lunch time or as a snack taken to work, school or meetings. Depending on the recipe, sandwich can be eaten plain or can add mayonnaise, mustard or tomato ketchup to enhance its flavor. Homemade sandwiches are also sold in restaurants and café. These can be served as cold or hot. Sandwich can be prepared as spicy such as chicken sandwich, barbeque sandwich or sweet such as peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sandwich is named after its supposed inventor, John Montagu, 4th Earl of sandwich. The Wall Street Journal mentions it as Britain’s biggest contribution to Gastronomy.
The modern concept of a sandwich using slices of bread as wrapper around another food is traced back to 18th century Europe. However, people have been using bread or bread like substance to wrap or scoop up some other type of food long before the 18th century in various much older cultures around the world. The ancient Jewish sage Hillel the Elder is believed to wrap Paschal lamb’s meat and bitter herbs in a soft flat bread - Matzah, during Passover in similar way modern wraps are made with flatbread. Slight variations of flat breads have been used to wrap or scoop small amounts of food throughout Western Asia and northern Africa. In many countries of Asia, bread is baked in flat rounds as compare to European bread.
During the middle ages in Europe, stale bread referred as trenchers and thick slabs of coarse were used as plates. These food-soaked breads were fed to dogs or to beggars at the table of rich people or eaten by people in more modest circumstances. In 17th century, naturalist John Ray found beef hanging from the rafters in taverns which they cut into thin slices and eat with bread and butter laying the meat slices upon the butter.
Initially sandwich was perceived as food men used to share while gaming or drinking at night. Slowly it began to gain popularity among people as a late night meal. The sandwich’s popularity in Spain and England grew exponentially during the 19th century as fast and inexpensive food become a necessity with the rise of industrial society and working class. By 1850, there were at least 70 street vendors selling ham sandwiches around the streets of London. It took only few years for sandwich bars to spread around the western Holland, typically serving liver and salt beef sandwiches. In the United States, the sandwich was promoted as an elaborate meat at supper. By the early 20th century, bread was already became a staple of American diet.