History Notes--sandwiches - The Food Timeline

FoodTimeline library Food Timeline FAQs: sandwiches .....Have questions? Ask!

Who invented the sandwich? Early American sandwiches National Sandwich Day National Sandwich Day Contest National Sandwich Month National Sandwich Month Contest sandwich bread sliced bread breadless sandwiches? sandwiches, 1920s style six-foot sandwiches first sandwich in space

banh mi BLTs canapes chicken burgers chicken sandwiches club Dagwood Elvis' peanut butter & banana Denver sandwich

grilled cheese gyros & doner kebabs heroes hoagies horseshoe sandwich hot roast beef (aka Commercials) Italian beef (Chicago) Monte Cristo

muffulettas open sandwiches panini peanut butter & jelly Philly cheese steak Pinwheel sandwiches po'boys pork tenderloin

Reubens St. Paul sandwich sloppy Joes submarines tuna melts tuna salad western sandwiches wraps

Who invented the sandwich? When? Where? And Why? Acknowledging the fact that combinations of bread/pastry filled with meat or cheese and dressed with condiments have been enjoyed since ancient times, Food historians generally attribute the creation of the sandwich, as we know it today, to John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. This Englishman was said to have been fond of gambling. As the story goes, in 1762, during a 24 hour gambling streak he instructed a cook to prepare his food in such a way that it would not interfere with his game. The cook presented him with sliced meat between two pieces of toast. Perfect! This meal required no utensils and could be eaten with one hand, leaving the other free to continue the game. Sadly, the name of real inventor of the sandwich (be it inventive cook or the creative consumer) was not recorded for posterity.

Recipes for sandwiches were not immediately forthcoming in cookbooks. Why? In England they were (at first) considered restaurant fare. In America? Many colonial cooks in the last half of the 18th century were not especially fond of imitating British culinary trends. Did colonial American cooks make sandwiches? Probably...most likely, though you will be hard pressed to find solid evidence. When viewed in historical context, it is understandable why Americans didn't begin calling their bread and meat combinations "sandwiches" until [long after the Revolution & War of 1812] the late 1830s. The primary difference between early English and American sandwiches? In England beef was the meat of choice; in America it was ham. A simple matter of local protein supply. Or??! A tasty opportunity to promote government split. You decide.

This is what the food historians have to say:

"The bread-enclosed convenience food known as the "sandwich" is attributed to John Montagu, fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718-1792), a British statesman and notorious profligate and gambler, who is said to be the inventor of this type of food so that he would not have to leave his gaming table to take supper. In fact, Montague was not the inventor of the sandwich; rather, during his excursions in the Eastern Mediterranean, he saw grilled pita breads and small canapes and sandwiches served by the Greeks and Turks during their mezes, and copied the concept for its obvious convenience. There is no doubt, however, that the Earl of Sandwich made this type of light repast popular among England's gentry, and in this way, his title has been associated with the sandwich ever since. The concept is supremely simple: delicate finger food is served between two slices of bread in a culinary practice of ancient origins among the Greeks and other Mediterranean peoples. Literary references to sandwiches begin to appear in English during the 1760s, but also under the assumption that they are a food consumed primarily by the masculine sex during late night drinking parties. The connotation does not change until the sandwich moves into general society as a supper food for late night balls and similar events toward the end of the eighteenth century...Charlotte Mason was one of the first English cookbook authors to provide a recipe for sandwiches...During the nineteenth century, as midday dinner moved later and later into the day, the need for hot supper declined, only to be replaced with light dishes made of cold leftovers, ingredients for which the sandwich proved preeminently suitable. Thus the sandwich became a fixture of intimate evening suppers, teas, and picnics, and popular fare for taverns and inns. This latter genre of sandwich has given rise to multitudes of working class creations...During the early years of the railroad, sandwiches proved an ideal form of fast food, especially since they could be sold at train stations when everyone got off to buy snacks...During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the sandwich came into its own, especially as a response to the Temperance Movement. Taverns and saloons offered free sandwiches with drinks in order to attract customers." ---Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, Solomon H. Katz, editor, William Woys Weaver, assoicate editor [Charles Scribner's Sons:New York] 2003, Volume 3 (p. 235-6) [NOTE: This book has far more information than can be paraphrased here. Ask your librarian to help you find a copy.]

"The invention of the sandwich and its acceptance as an institution is a typical example of the power of the ways of life to prevail over all so-called rules of gastronomy and even established facts of physiology and psychology. Bread, when cut into slices, has always proved a handy foundation for other food. From the buttered bread and thick slice which was used in the Tudor period as the foundation of meat dishes there is a direct line of descent to the sandwich. But according to all the rules of sciences governing nutrition the sandwich should never have been born. If a slice of bread is spread with some other appetizing food it is obvious to both eyes and nose what it is, and there is a definate psychological reaction. When, however, the appealing surface is covered by another slice of bread, it is a matter of guesswork to find out what the filling is. This is not so easy and often the eater does not try to guess at all but is satisfied with something esay to chew and swallow which satisfies his hunger. The sandwich is thus a poor substitute for a single slice of bread, spread with something won can both see and anticipate in advance. That it has all the same become a staple article of diet is in the first place due to its handiness for carrying, as compared with a slice of bread spread only with butter Sandwiches can replace a meal and avoid the necessity of carrying cooking utensils about. Their popularity owes much to the fact that the distances between home and work have increased enormously in recent times, and they can so easily be wrapped up and stowed away in a man's pocket, In the face of these advantages, the physiological and psychological attractions of a single slice with its surface openly displayed could not prevail. Eating a sandwich requires neither crockery nor cutlery, and as the hand comes in contact only with the dry side of the bread the fingers are not smeared; this even creates the fallacy that dirt from the fingers will not adhere to the bread. The ease of handling has led to further uses of the sandwich. In many countries we find sandwiches set down on plates in the home for lunch or tea, and also at snack-bars...one sandwich tastes much the same as another, unless the filling has a very pronounced flavour...It is only high up in the culinary scale that one finds delicacies spread on bread without the coffin-lid which spells death to the flavour." ---The Origin of Food Habits, H.D. Renner [Faber and Faber:London] 1944 (p. 223-4)

"Sandwich. [Said to be named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich (1718-1792), who once spent twenty-four hours at the gaming-table without other refreshment than some slices of cold beef placed between slices of toast. This account of the origin of the word is given by Grosley [in a publication titled] Londres (1770). Grosley's residence in London was in 1765 and he speaks of the word as having then lately come into use.]." ---Oxford English Dictionary [NOTE: according to this source, the first printed mention of the word sandwich appeared in a journal entry of Edward Gibbon, 24 November 1762 I dined at the Cocoa Tree...That respectable body...affording every evening a sight truly English. Twenty or thirty...of the first men of the kingdom...supping at little tables...upon a bit of cold meat, or a Sandwich'.]

"...[The sandwich] was not known in America until some time later. Eliza Leslie's Directions for Cookery (1837) listed ham sandwiches as a supper dish, but it was not until much later in the century, when soft white bread loaves became a staple of the American diet, that the sandwich became extremely popular and serviceable. By the 1920s white loaf bread was referred to as "sandwich bread" or "sandwich loaf." ---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 283)

Early American sandwiches A sampling of 19th century American sandwich recipes illustrates the evolution of this item from practical fare to complicated cuisine. What is the most popular American sandwich? According to our cookbooks the answer to this question is ham.

[1824] To Make Oyster Loaves [some say this the precursor to the New Orleans Po'Boy] "Take little round loaves, cut off the top, scrape out all the crumbs, then out the oysters into a stew pan with the crumbs that came out of the loaves, a little water, and a good lump of butter; stew them together ten or fifteen minutes, then put in a spoonful of good cream, fill your loaves, lay the bit of crust carefully on again, set them in the oven to crisp. Three are enough for a side dish." ---The Virginia House-Wife, Mary Randolph, with Historical Notes and Commentaries by Karen Hess [University of South Carolina Press:Columbia] 1985 (p. 78)

[1832] Sandwiches for Travelers (includs bread notes), The Cook's Own Book, Mrs. N.K.M. Lee [Boston]

[1840] Ham sandwich, Eliza Leslie's recipe [Philadelphia PA]

[1844] 707. Sandwiches "Cut, and spread neatly with butter, slices of biscuit, placing between every two pieces, a very thin slice of tongue. Lean ham, or the white meat of fowl may be substituted for the tongue." ---The Improved Housewife, Mrs. A.L. Webster [Harftord Ct], fifth edition, revised 1844 (p. 210)

[1866] Sandwiches "These are made of different articles, but always in the same manner. Cold biscuit sliced thin and buttered, and a very thin slice of boiled ham or tongue, or beef, between each two slices. Home-made bread cuts better for sandwiches than baker's bread; a loaf baked for this purpose is best; take the size of a quart bowl, of risen dough, mould it in a roll, about three inches in diameter, and bake it half an hour in a quick oven.

For bread and butter sandwich cut the bread in slices, not thicker than a dollar piece, spread it evenly with sweet butter before cutting it; let the butter be very thin, lay two slices, the buttered sides together, for each sandwich; when you have enough, arrange them on flat dishes, make them in a circle around the middle of the plate as a common centre, one lapping nearly over the other; put a spirg of parsley in the centre.

Sandwiches may be made with cheese, sliced very thin between each two slices of buttered bread, also cold boiled eggs sliced, for luncheon; stewed fruit of jelly or preserve spread thin over buttered bread, makes a fine sandwich for lunhk. Any cold meat sliced thin may be made a sandwich; it is gerenally spread with made mustard; tho most delectable are those made with boiled smoked tongue or ham." ---Mrs. Crowen's American Lady's Cookery Book, Mrs. T. J. Crowen [Dick & Fitzgerald:New York] 1866 (p. 329-330)

[1869] Plain sandwiches Cut ham or tongue very thin, trim off the fat, and cut the bread thin; spread it with very nice butter; lay meat on very smoothly. Press the other slice on very hard; trim the edges off neatly.

A dressing for sandwiches Take a half pound of nice butter, three tablespoonfuls of mixed mustard, three spoonfuls of nice sweet oil, a little white or red pepper, a littel salt, the yolk of one egg; braid this all together very smoothly, and set it on the ice to cool. Chop very fine some tongue and ham; a little cold chicken is very nice added. Cut the bread very thin; spread it with the dressing. Then spread over the meat, then the bread, and press it together very hard. Trim off the edges, that the sandwiches may be all one size." ---Mrs. Putnam's Receipt Book and Young Housekeeper's Assistant, Mrs. E. Putnam, New and Enlarged edition [Sheldon and Company:New York] 1869 (p. 110)

[1877] Mixed sandwiches Buckeye Cookery Book, Estelle Woods Wilcox

[1884] Sandwiches The Boston Cook Book, Mrs. D.A. Lincoln

[1887] Sandwiches The White House Cook Book, Mrs. F. L. Gillette

National Sandwich Day "National" food observances (months, weeks, days) are popular in the USA. They are hosted by different organizations for specific purposes.

National Sandwich Day In the library world, the standard reference tool used for identifying & researching national observances is a book titled Chases' Calendar of Annual Events. The earliest print reference we find for National Sandwich Day comes from Chase's Calendar of Annual Events, 1981 (p. 110). This source does not credit the origination of this day to another source. The entry is presented as fact. November 3rd, generally regarded by moderns as the birthdate of the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, credited for inventing this food. Coincidentally??! The entry for National Sandwich Month disappeared in 1981. Never to return.

"Sandwich Day. Nov. 3. A day to recognize the inventor of the sandwich, John Montague, Fourth Earl of Sandwich, who was born Nov 3, 1718. England's First Lord of the Admirality, Secretary of State of the northern Department, Postmaster General, the man after whom Capt. Cook named the Sandwich Islands in 1778. A rake and a gambler, he is said to have invented the sandwich as a time-saving nourishment while he was engaged in a 24-hour-long gambling session in 1762. He died in London, April 30, 1792."

We thought this was the 'end of the story' until we found this (unofficial?) sandwich proclamation circa 1924. Note: the date of publication is November 2nd. The next day was Lord Montague's birthday. Coincidence? We think not.

"The day of the sandwiches has arrived. It is so proclaimed by placards and posters plastered over the business districts. A new type of lunchroom substantiates the announcement--the 'sandwich house.' It may offer side lines of hot dishes and pastries, but to sandwiches it owes its existence. For them it is known and patronized. In its turn it has served to change the status of the commodity. 'A sandwich used to represent a picnic or a pink tea,' commented one business man addicted to the habit. 'At best it was just a mouthful of something to eat to tide you over until mealtime. Now it is lunch. You may order something to keep it company, but the sandwich is the main thing. It is the corn beef and cabbage, the steak and onions, the liver and bacon of other years.' Restaurant keepers agree.One of them in the financial district, who presides over a chain of sandwich buffets, believes he has hit upon the secret of the business man's desire for his midday meal. Once he was manager of a large hotel where men came in leisurely, ordered lavishly and ate copiously. That day is gone, he is convinced, as he watches throngs file past his counters and stacks of sliced bread, meat and cheese disappear. At one of his lunchrooms he feeds 700 at every lunch hour. When the day is over 1,000 sandwiches have usually been consumed. Only 25 per cent of his patrons, he estimated, call for hot dishes--the rest are sandwich eaters. This development has brought with it all the machinery of sandwich--making, now becoming as common a feature of restaurant windows as the hot cake steam plate New Yorkers know so well. There is a machine that slices the loaves and another that slices the meat. This last, at the press of a button, cuts and stacks ham, tongue, beef and so one without touch of human hands. Sandwich-making is thus facilitated and sandwiches themselves have changed not only in status but also in stature and girth. These sandwiches have little in common with the link tea or picnic offering or even with those pressed slabs in waxed paper piled up at soda fountains, for the business man's lunch is a high stack of bread, meat and salad, combined, and they make it as you order. The vogue of the sandwich is attributed to a considerable extent to the rush of modern business life. Men have no time to sit around leisurely waiting for large orders. They must grab a bite, preferably wholesome and satisfying, but essentially without delay. The sandwich has been found to fill the need. Education, too, it is said, has something to do with the matter. 'Ever since the war people have seemed to understand eating better than they did before,' said one restaurant keeper. 'Before the war you could not get away with the idea that a sandwich was enough lunch for a business man. But somehow they have cone to the conviction that a light lunch is the best thing if they expect to go back to the office and do their best during the afternoon. They have heard, too, that salads are good for you and so they have tried them out and felt much better for the experiment. Salads and sandwiches--they are the style for a business man's lunch today. That is what they want and that is what they get." ---"Sandwiches Flourishing," New York Times, November 2, 1924 (p. XX2)

National Sandwich Month National Sandwich Day celebrates the 4th Earl of Sandwich's birthday: November 3rd. Per Chase's Calendar of Events, National Sandwich Month happened in August. This was an industry/trade proclaimed observance. Like you, we are curious why August was selected. On the other hand, most Americans are focused on holiday foods in November. August is the time when cooks crave new sandwich ideas for picnics, beach parties, and back to school. Quoting from the 1970 edition (p. 41): "National Sandwich Month. Aug. 1-31. Sponsors (1) American Bakers Assn., (2) American Dairy Assn., (3) Natl. Live Stock and Meat Board, (4) Wheat Flour Institute, (5) Wheat Grower Groups, 14. E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604." Beginning in 1952, the organizations behind this event sponsored the National Sandwich Contest. Prizes were offered; recipes were published. The last reference we find to National Sandwich Month in this particular source is 1980 (p. 75), stating: "August is National Sandwich Month. Aug. 1-31. Purpose: To call attention to the convenience, versatility and nutrition of sandwiches. Info from: National Sandwich Month, 1776 F St, NW, Washington, DC 20006.

National Sandwich Month Contest Our research suggests Chicago-based Wheat Flour Institute's sandwich contest was part of the promotional activities during National Sandwich Month, originating in 1952. The sandwich contest may have launched in 1955. The first winners were announced in 1956. Subsequent contests/promotions bore variant names and co-industry sponsorships likewise varied. General notes, gleaned from the New York Times, here:

"Donut Week," "Honey for Breakfast Week," "National Kraut and Frankfurter Week" are all funny, but even funnier is the fact they apparently succeed as promotional schemes. At least they keep coming, which we judge is a mark of success. Latest "push" of the kind is "National Sandwich Month," which starts Aug. 1, under the auspices of the Wheat Flour Institute, American Bakers Association and the National Restaurant Association. Bearing down on the sandwich in summer makes, we must admit, sound sense. Cooks find the food easy to fix during weather when any culinary effort is taxing. Eaters take kindly to it, too; it temps even on the hot days, which have been all too numerous recently. We speak here, of course, of the main-dish sandwich for lunch or supper, the kinds pictured today...The Wheat Flour Institute estimates that Americans eat about 27,000,000 sandwiches a day, and it turns out that 40 per cent of all restaurant orders call for sandwiches...Since it came into being, at least so the story goes, in the eighteenth century when it was served as a snack to the reluctant-to-leave-the-gambling-table Earl of Sandwich, it has developed to the point where a whole book has been written on it...Newest contribution to its preparation is "Fillings Make the Sandwich," a leaflet of twenty-six spread recipes in quantity portions (twenty-four) and family-size servings. This is available from the Wheat Flour Institute, 309 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago 6. A stamped self-addressed envelope must accompany a request." ---"Food News: Some Main-Dish Sandwiches, Jane Nickerson, New York Times, July 25, 1952 (p. 20)

"Credit John Montagu, fourth Earl of Sandwich, with an assist for Madison Avenue. When National Sandwich Month is celebrated in August, his memory will be honored by the advertising men who have elaborated on his idea of two centuries ago. A contest is being conducted among the restaurant and hotel personnel by the National Restaurant Association and the Wheat Flour Institute with a view to turning up the best new sandwich ideas suitable for restaurant and hotel service." ---"News of Advertising and Marketing Fields," New York Times, June 13, 1956 (p. 74)

"The sandwich luncheon seems firmly entrenched as a part of the American way of life....This week marked the sixth annual sandwich contest sponsored by the Wheat Flour Institute, and the "twenty best" selected for 1961 appear to bear ou the diversity theme. These twenty (from which a grand winner will be chosen later) bore such all-American titles as Crew Cut, Clam Dig and Peanut Butter Sandwich and foreign accents as Peking Pig and The Viking. The Viking is the creation of Robert Graves of New Orleans, who has submitted three previous winners. It is an interesting concoction featuring cream cheese softened with French dressing, sardines and onion slices placed between slices of French bread spread with garlic butter and garnished with stuffed olives and dill pickles. An even more unusual creation is called The Gypsy, and consists of slices of orange and onion between slices of toast spread with mayonnaise." ---"Sandwich Gets New Look", New York Times, June 3, 1961 (p. 14)

"It was almost enough to make us wish we had brought our own B.L.T. down, hold the mayo, as the "Top Four" contenders chosen from 400 original contestants gathered for the final judging of the 24th annual National Sandwich Idea Contest at the Excelsior Club yesterday. The winner was 30-year-old Jim Weisman, proprietor of Out to Lunch, a "fast-food gourmet sandwich operation" in Little Rock, Ark., for "The Garden," a grilled cheese and vegetable creation on pumpernickel bread...The contest was sponsored by the Wheat Flour Institute, representing the country's leading milllers. This year it was not cosponsored and so no other food was requried for entry. Nor were there the usual assortment of bizarre combination that were so typical in former years...Just a few creations tried the imagination, as they well might try the palate. Among them were the Will Yum Tell, a grilled sandwich of roast pork, sauerkraut, apple sauce, raisins and cheese; the bagelwich, which was similar to a corned beef, swiss cheese and sauerkraut Rubens; the sandwich Wellington, derived from beef Wellington, with a pastry crust topping turkey, ham, relish, mayonnaise and cheese on a bottom slice of rye bread, and the bacon banana bun, built up of those two ingredients on an enriched white bread hot dog roll. "We think a sandwich is as only as good as the bread it is made on," said C. Joan Reynolds, the director of the Wheat Flour Institute. The contest entries were divided into four categories of bread--ethnic (challah, bagels, croissants and pupmpernickle), variety (while wheat, rye, cracked wheat and English muffins), enriched white (hot dog rolls, hamburger rolls and white bread) and hearth (crusty free-formed rolls such as French, Italian, hard rolls and sour dough). No homeamde bread was allowed." ---"A Contest That Lives Not By Bread Alone," Mimi Sheraton, New York Times, August 8, 1979 (p. C3) [NOTE: This article contains a recipe for "The Garden" sandwich. We can forward if you wish.'

"Bob Grinstaff of New York did not enter this year's National Sandwich Contest. Just as well. His elegant open-face sandwiches shimmering with aspic and ornamented with herbs would never had progressed beyond the first round.The 25-year-old-contest sponsored by the Wheat Flour Institute has traditionally acclaimed concoctions such as the "Hawaiian Farmer" with chicken, ham, pineapple, pecans, kumquat and mozzarella, or multiplex cheeseburgers with smiling faces on them...The first of the National Sandwich Contest winner was the now-classic Reuben made with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, corned beef and Thousand Islands dressing grilled on rye bread. A still unsuccessful search for the equal of that inspiration has justified the contest ever since. This year's grand prize was awarded last week at the Waldorf-Astoria to the St. Helen's Sunnyside Special, consisting of an English muffin with Canadian bacon, pineapple, marmalade and meringue baked with an egg yolk on top. Lois Dowling of Tacoma, Wash., said it took her 20 minutes to prepare." ---"Elegant Creation: A Four-Hour Sandwich, Florence Fabricant," New York Times, August 27, 1980 (p. C3)

Looking for some of the prize-winning recipes? We own a copy of Menu Makers From the National Sandwich Idea Contest, Kathleen M. Thomas, director of Home Economics, Wheat Flour Institute editor [Cahners Books International:Boston] 1976. Original 1956 prize winning Reuben Sandwich recipe here. FoodTimeline library owns copy of this book. Happy to scan/send pages upon request.

National Sandwich Day contest Our research indicates that Ziploc (resealable plastic bags) sponsored a National Sandwich Day contest for children, commencing 1987. This contest was held on November 3rd. Comedian Dom Deluise was the celebrity judge. Winners received savings bonds.

"Alison McCleskey's Berry Bananawich - marshmallow creme, peanut butter, bananas and strawberries on a croissant - won Tuesday's Ziploc National Sandwich Day contest. The fifth-grader won $700 in U.S. Savings bonds and $700 for her school, St. John's Episcopal School in Abilene, Texas. Dom Deluise and a panel judged the finals in Los Angeles. Second place tie: second-grader Dan Crawford of Hoffman Estates, Ill., and sixth-grader Kate Warwick of Rome, N.Y." ---"Grand Sandwich," Tracey Wong Briggs, USA Today, November 4, 1987

"Start spreading the news -- the "United Nations Sandwich" has been crowned "America's Favorite Sandwich" by a panel of sandwich experts at the fifth annual Ziploc(R) National Sandwich Day Contest. "United Nations Sandwich," one of six national contest finalists, was created by Aislynn Poquette, a fifth-grader at Tangier Smith Elementary School in Mastic Beach, N.Y. Other top contenders included "Peanut Butter Pumpkin," "Triple Dipple," "The Nose Opener," "Everything Deluxe" and the "Pita Power Snack." ---"United Nations Sandwich captures America's Favorite Sandwich Title," PR Newswire, November 12, 1991

The last reference we find to Ziploc's contest was a poor review from Consumer's Union, circa 1995: "The magazine bestows four contests with the "dubious honor of being the `most commercial' " for promoting their sponsors' corporate image or excessively using logos and brand names. They are the Oxy 10 $10,000 Scholarship, Playskool's Definitely Dinosaurs Contest for first-graders, Sears Optical's The Eyes Have It! poster contest and Ziploc's National Sandwich Day Contest." ---"Corporate contests often fail students," Tamara Henry, USA Today, April 19, 1995 See also: National Sandwich Month Contest.

BLT Recipes are not invented, they evolve. In the case of the Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich (BLT), culinary evidence confirms this recipe descended from late Victorian-era tea sandwiches. The earliest recipes for BLTs were listed under different names in cookbooks.

Most of the ingredients of the BLT (bread, bacon, lettuce) were known to the Ancient Romans. Methods for toasting bread were also practiced during this time. Tomatoes were introduced to Europe in the 16th century. Mayonnaise? An 18th century French invention. According to the food historians, modern sandwiches were also invented in the 18th century. We searched serveral 19th-20th century European and American cookbooks to pin down the introduction of the BLT. It can be argued that the progenitors of BLTs are Club Sandwiches as they are similar in composition and ingredents. About club sandwiches.

[1920] "Tomato and Bacon Sandwiches. Cut white bread in 1/4 in. slices, lightly toast slices on one side. Spread untoasted side with mayonnaise dressing; cover half the slices with peeled and thinly sliced firm tomatoes, spread tomatoes with mayonnaise and cover with thin slice of broiled bacon. Cover bacon with lettuce leaves and remaining slices of bread. Cut in triangles and serve with sweet gherkins." ---Calendar of Sandwiches & Beverages, Elizabeth O. Hiller [P.F. Voland Co.:New York] 1920 (unpaginated; recipe is calendared for September Thirtieth.)

[1929] "Bacon sandwiches. Bacon is an ingredient of many of the sandwiches in this book, but in those under this heading it is the principal one. Sandwiches containing bacon are particularly good for on hikes or picnics. The recipe below is specially suited for such an occasion, when the bacon may be broiled over and open fire in the woods." ---Seven Hundred Sandwiches/Florence A. Cowles [Little, Brown:Boston] 1929 (p. 31) [NOTE: Cowles also includes recipes for "Summer Sandwich," "Bacon Salad Sandwich," Baconion Sandwich." and more. These sandwiches feature bacon, lettuce, mayonnaise, and other ingredients (pickles, onions etc.). They do not yet include tomato. Recipes for tomato sandwiches (p. 127) and lettuce sandwiches (p. 128-9) do not include bacon.]

Who coined the acronym "BLT," when & why? We don't know.

John Mariani hypothesizes this term evolved from diner/lunchroom slang: "Lunch counters have provided etymologists and linguists with one of the richest sources of American slang, cant, and jargon, usually based on a form of verbal shorthand bandied back and forth between waiters and cooks. Some terms have entered familiar language of most Americans--"BLT" (a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich)...and others--but most remain part of a bewildering and colorful language specific to the workers in such establishments." ---The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar Freidman:New York] 1999 (p. 190)

Barry Popik, etymologist expert offers this: "The BLT sandwich (bacon, lettuce, tomato) possibly comes from Chicago and was named after its famed Chicago Tribune writer BLT, or Bert L. Taylor. The "BLT" is first cited in print in 1941." Our gut says the initials/acronym is a coincidence. Colorful columnist Bert Leston Taylor (AKA "BLT") passed away in 1921. We think: if Mr. Taylor did not write sometimes write about food in his columns no one would hypothesize a connection. Still? The idea is intriguing. Why not call this sandwich lettuce, bacon, tomato (LBT), tomato lettuce bacon (TLB) or any other variation on this acromymic theme?

Our survey of historic newspapers/magazines [Proquest Historic Newspapers, NewspaperArchive. com, Readers Guide Retrospective] returned references for "BLT" sandwiches in 1950. Mainstream print evidence confirms the "BLT" raged in the early 1960s but the sandwich acronym was not universally recognized. How else to explain editors feeling compelled to offer readers explanations?

Ingredient notes:lettuce... tomatoes (in Europe)... mayonnaise... bread & toast... bacon

Breadless sandwiches? First surfacing during the Great Depression, early descriptions do not indicate this was a "make do" affair for people who could not afford bread. Rather, it was presented as a creative upscale interpretation on a well established theme. In recent years "breadless" sandwiches have been rediscovered as practical solutions for people on bread-free diets. In fact, people have been stripping bread from sandwiches forever. Think: hamburgers without buns. Today's bread alternatives feature thinly sliced meat, "meaty" vegetables (eggplant, portobello mushrooms) and lettuce. These "breadless sandwiches" are often rolled, not sliced.

[1935] "Three guesses won't reveal the shape and form of the latest innovation in sandwiches. Believe it or not, the newest adaptation of the sandwich is minus the two ever-present slices of bread. Sandwiches, heretofore, have been known as a snack of some particuarly satisfying morsel thrust between slices of bread. At first, the number of slices was limited to two, and then some one devised a way of piling chicken, tomatoes, bacon, lettuce and dressing together in a mountainous form, and the number of slices was accomodatingly rushed up to three. The club sandwich, as it was named, became famous and other combinations just as satisfying to hungry appetites were brought to light, all including the three slices of toasted bread. These were immediately called double-deckers. Then came the discussion--how should we eat a three-tiered sandwich? There was a general controversy over which it should be, and still the battle is waged, fork vs. fingers for sandwiches. To make matters more complicated; and giving the fork a chance for active play, the sandwich loaf made its appearance. This loaf, as you all must know by now, is a delicate triple-layerd affair generously frosted wtih creamy cheese. Now the latest in sandwiches, this breadless affair, simply demands the use of a fork, as you will readily note upon reading the recipe. Here it is--the eggplant-tomato sandwich: "Eggplant-tomato sandwich: Cut slices of eggplant about one-quarter inch thick and dip them in beaten egg which has been seasoned with salt and pepper. Then crumb with fine bread crumbs and saute in butter or part butter and fat. When the eggplant is tender, put between each two layers of eggplant a slices of fresh tomato and two strips of bacon about 3 inches in length. The bacon should be previously broiled until crisp and kept warm on the stove. Place soft, melted yellow cheese, on the top layer of each eggplant sandwich and place in the oven until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately after being removed from the oven. Plan to serve two sandwiches for each person, as they are bound to make an immediate hit. Garnish the platter with parsley and stuffed olives or radishes. Try eggplant-tomato sandwiches for buffet supper." ---"'Breadless Sandwich' is Latest Innovation," Dorothea Duncan, Washington Post, January 27, 1935 (p. S6)

[1970] "Breadless sandwiches are great for snacks, and what a good way to use up small amounts of leftover potato or egg salad and single slices of cold meat. Just put about two tablespoons on a slice of meat and fold the meat slice in half." ---"Kitchen Tip," Chicago Daily Defender, June 4, 1970 (p. 28)

Related items? Club sandwiches & Open sandwiches.

Canapes Food historians tell us the practice of serving savory foods before meals was established in ancient cultures. Why? Long before the advent of modern nutrition science, people who studied the relationship between food and the human body recognized the ability of some items to what the appetite and encourage proper digestion. Apicius [Ancient Rome]contains many such recipes. About appetizers.

The serving of savory protein/bread or pastry combinations [croutons, crustades] continued through the Middle ages, migrating toward refined spicy vinegar-based specialties of the Renaissance table. "Canapes," as we known them today, originated in France. They were a creation of classic French cuisine and, as such, were quickly adopted by countries (ex. England, United States) in the habit of following French culinary trends. In other cuisines this concept evolved differently.

What is a canape?

"Canapes--The primary meaning of this word is a slice of crustless bread, cut in rectangular shapes, the size and thickness of which varies depending on the nature of ingredients to be put on them. Canapes which are also called croutons are made of toasted or fried bread and can either be spread with various mixtures or left plain, depending on the nature of the dishes for which they are to serve as an accompaniment. Canapes are mostly used as an accompaniment to winged game, and, in this case, they are spread with a gratin forcemat or some other forcemeat and when actually at table the trail intestines of birds, which are not drawn for cooking, are also spread on the canapes. Recipes for preparing these will be found under the entries entitled Roties...Canapes (hors-d'oeuvre)--These canapes, which are made from crustless bread, home-made bread, common brioche or pastry, are garnished with various compositions. Recipes for this type of canape, some of which are referred to as Canapes a la russe, will be found in the section entitled Hors-D'Oeuvre. See Cold hors-d'oeuvre. Canapes for various dishes--These canapes are cut and browned in the same ways as those described above. They are mostly described as croutons and are used as foundations fro fried or grilled escalopes, noisettes, tournedos, kidneys, etc." ---Larousse Gastronomique, Prosper Montagne [Crown Publishers:New York] 1961 (p. 208)

What is the derivation of the term and when did it begin to appear in English?

This is what the food historians say about canapes: "Canape. A French word which basically means sofa or couch, has become a culinary term in France since the late 18th century, when it was applied by analogy to the thin pieces of fried or toasted bread which served as supports for various savoury toppings. A century later, in the 1890s, it became in English word referring to a titbit of this kind. Now that yet another hundred years have passed, the usage continues, although it sounds old-fashioned and is most likely to be found in contexts such as catered receptions or 'cocktail parties'...Canapes may be hot or cold. If hot, they come close to what are called savouries in British English.In either case they are capable of being classified as hors d'oeuvres in some culinary contexts. Large canapes trespass on the territory of the open sandwich. In Italy, the term crostini continues to have much the same meaning as the old French usage. Thin slices of toast, cut into e.g. square or diamond shapes are used as a base for a savour topping. " ---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 128)

"Canapes are small thin pieces of bread or toast topped with some sort of savoury garnish or spread, and served as snacks with drinks. The word canape means literally 'sofa' in French (it comes ultimately from medieval Latin canopeum, source of English canopy), and the idea behind its gastronomic application is that the toppings--anchovies, caviar, smoked salmon, ham, etc.--sit on the pieces of the bread as if on a sofa. It is a relatively recent introduction into English, first mentioned in Mrs. Beeton's Cookery Book (1890)." ---An A-Z of Food and Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 53-4)

A survey of canape recipes through time:

[1869:Paris] "Anchovy canapes. Cut some slices of crumb of bread, 1/4 inch thick; cut these in pieces 2 1/2 inches long, 1 1/2 inch wide; and fry them in clarified butter, till a nice golden colour; When cold, spread the pieces with Anchovy Butter; Steep some anchovies in cold water; drain, open, and trim them; Place 4 fillets of anchovies, lengthwise, on each piece of bread, leaving three small spaces between the fillets; fill the first space with chopped hard-boiled white of egg; fill the middle space with chopped parsley, and the third with chopped hard-boiled yolk of egg; Dress the canapes in a flat china boat, or small dish, generally used for all these cold Hors d'oeuvre." ---The Royal Cookery Book, Jules Gouffe, translated and adapted for English use by Alphonse Gouffe [Sampson Low, Son & Marston:London] 1869 (p. 409) [NOTE: This source also contains recipes for shrimp canapes, caviar canapes, crayfish tails canapes, lobster canapes, and smoked salmon canapes.]

[1873:Paris] "Hot Canapes (Roties) These are served as garnishes or entremets. Veal-Kidney Roties. Take the kidnesy from a roast loin of veal. Chop and pound them very fine with their own fat, a little parsley, the peel of a lime, a little sugar. Spread on little slices of bread. Butter a pie dish and arrange your roties on it. put them into the oven until they have a nice color. Sprinkle with sugar and pass under the broiler to glaze. Roties a la Richelieu. Make a salpicon of diced veal sweetbreads, cockscombs, and artichoke bottoms. Dice mushrooms and heat in butter, mositen with gravy, add the salpicon, cook with white veal stock, season, thicken with raw egg yolks. Let cool. Spread on bread slices, brush with beaten egg, fry, serve with a reduced white veal stock. Capon Roties. Make a forcemeat of roast capon with sugar and lime rind. Prepare like either of the above. Cucumber Roties. Cube, marinate, and press your cucmbers. Heat in butter with scallions and parsley, add gravy and bouillon, recude. Thicken with 3 raw egg yolks. Let cool. Add 2 more raw egg yolks. Spread on slices of bread. Smooth with a whole beaten egg. Bread. Fry. Serve with gravy. Bacon Roties. Dice a pound of bacon and a slice of ham. Dry out and drain. Mix with parsley, scallions, 4 egg yolks, coarse pepper. Spread on slices of bread. fry. Pour a cullis, which must be very lightly salted, into your platter, adding a dash of vinegar. Put your rotis into this sauce and serve. Similar roties can be prepared with spinach, and green beans, with poultry livers, with ham, with anchovies, and with fish, by adapting the above recipes." ---Alexandre Dumas' Dictionary of Cuisine edited, abridged and translated by Louis Colman, from Le Grand Dictionnaire de Cuisine [1873] [Simon & Schuster:New York] 1958 (p. 139-140)

[1874:London] "234. --Anchovy toast. Ingredients: Toast 2 or 3 slices of bread, or, if wanted very savoury, fry them in clarified butter, and spread on them the paste, No. 233. Made mustard, or a few grains of cayenne, may be added to the paste before laying on the toast." ---Mrs. Beeton's Cook Book, Isabella Beeton [title pages missing, probably 1874] [NOTE: recipe no. 233 is for Anchovy Butter or Paste]

[1875:London] "Canapes.--Take slices of the crumb of bread about half an inch thick, and stamp them out in rounds, ovals, or diamonds, then fry them in boiling oil or butter till they are lightly browned. These form the foundation of the canapes. They may be seasoned and garnished with anchovy, shrimp, or lobster paste, toasted cheese, hard-boiled eggs, cucumbers, beetroot, crayfish, or salmon. A combination of two or three things gives them a handsomer appearance. They should be dished on a napkin and garnished with parsley, &c. Time to fry, ten minutes." ---Cassell's Dictionary of Cookery with Numerous Illustrations [Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co:London] (p. 103)

[1884:Boston] "Sardine Canapes," Boston Cooking School Cook Book, Mrs. D. A. Lincoln

[1896:Boston] "Sandwiches & Canapes," Boston Cooking School Cook Book, Fannie Merritt Farmer

[1896:New York] "Canapes. Cut serveral thin slices of bread, remove the crusts and toast them till they are of an even brown. Butter slightly and spread with any kind of potted meat or fish. Put two slices together, and cut them in long strips. They afford a tasty dish for tea or supper parties." ---The Cook Book By "Oscar" or the Waldorf, Oscar Tschirky [Saalfield Publishing:Chicago] 1896 (p. 126) [NOTE: This book also includes recipes for: artichoke bottoms for canapes, canapes of caviar, cheese canapes, canapes of crab, egg canapes, eggs and caviar canapes, canapes of lobster, canapes Lorenzo, canapes Madison, olive and anchovy canapes, olive and caper canapes, oyster canapes, canapes of sardines, canapes of smoked salmon and tricolor canapes.]

[1903:Paris] "Canapes or Toasts which are quite different from Tartines (garnished slices of bread and butter) are made from the white bread cut into various shapes and no more than 1/2 cm (1/5 in) thick. These are then either fried in clarified butter or moreusually toasted. As a general rule the ganrish for a Canape should consist of only one main item. But without destroying this principle, a combination of various items is acceptable provided that the flavours and presentation are in harmony. The best sort of garnish for canapes is fresh butter mixed with a puree of, if very finely chopped meat, poultry, shellfish, fish, cheese etc. It is recommended that the toast should be very well buttered whilst still hot so as to keep it soft and this holds good for any garnish used from Canapes even when it appears that butter does not enter logically into the composition of the garnish, e.g. when it includes marinated fish, anchovy, fillets of herring etc. When garnishing Canapes with compound butter based on a puree it is recommended that this is done by using a piping bag and fancy tube. This method is correct, quick and gives the opportunity for individual artistry in presentation." ---The Complete Guide to the Art of Modern Cookery [Le Guide Culinaire], A. Escoffier, translated by H.L. Cracknell and R.J. Kaufmann [John Wiley & Sons:New York] 1979 (P. 123-4) [NOTE: Escoffier lists these canapes in the Hors-d'oeuvre section: canapes a l'Amiral, canapes d'Anchois, canapes a l'Arlequine, canapes au Caviar, canapes au crevettes, canapes city, canapes a la danoise, canapes a l'ecarlate, canapes d'ecrevisses, canapes au gibier, canapes d'homard, canapes Lucile, canapes au poisson, canapes printaniers, and canapes rochelais. He lists these canapes in the Savories section: canapes or toasts, canapes cadogan, canapes a l'ecossaise, canapes des gourmets, canapes de haddock, canapes Ivanhoe, canapes aux oeufs brouilles, canapes Rabelais, canapes de saumon, and canapes Saint-Antoine.]

[1919:New York] "Canapes," International Jewish Cookbook, Florence Kreisler Greenbaum

[1925:Boston] "To make canapes: cut thin slices of bread in fancy shapes, or neat slices, and toast them (not too hard and dry) often upon one side only, or saute them in olive oil. These shapes may be oval, diamond, crescent or any form one chooses. The next step is to spread them with a savory butter or highly seasoned paste. On the butter or paste, arrange bits of fish, meat or any appetizeing foods, taking care that neither flavors nor colors clash and also that garnishes are decorations are simple and effective." ---A Book of Hors D'oeuvres, Lucy G. Allen [Little, Brown and Company:Boston] 1925 (p. 6) [NOTE: Canape recipes included in this book: Anchovy, Tomato and anchovy, Artichoke and Caviar, Caviar and tomato, Caviar salad, Caviar with aspic, Cheese, Chicken and Pepper, Clam (Hot), CloverLeaf, Crab neat, Curried lobster (hot), Danish, Devilled tongue, Evelope, Epicurian, Herring, Hollandaise (Hot), Italian, Latticed, Lobster, Lobster and pimiento, Manhattan tongue, Olive and cheese, Oriental, Pate de foie gras, Pickled lobster, Quick caviar, Ripe olive and egg, Russell (Caviar), Russian (Caviar), Sardine, Savory (Hot), Shrimp, Southern (Hot), Striped, Tomato and bacon.]

[1938:Paris] "Canapes. Tranches de pain de mie, taillees de forme rectangulaire, dont la grandeur et l'epaisseur varient suivant la piece qu'elles doivent supporter. Les canapes, designes aussi sous le nom de croutons, sont grilles ou frits au beurre, et farcis ou non, selon la nature des articles qui'ils accompagnent. Les canapes sout surtout employes comme accompagnement des gibiers a plume, et sont, dans se cas, presque toujours recouverts de farce a gratin ou d'une farce perparee, sur table meme, avec l'interieur de certains oiseaux cuits sans etre vides. On trouvera des methodes pour appreter ces dernieres farces au mot roties..Canapes (Hors-d'oeuvre).--Ces canapes, qui se font en pain de mie, en pain de menage ou en brioche commune, se garnissent avec des compositions diverses. De de genre de canapes, dont quelques-un sont designes sous le nom de Canapes a la russe, out trouvera les modes de preparations a la serie des hours d'oeuvre." ---Larousse Gastronomique, Prosper Montagne [Librarie Larousse:Paris] 1938 (p. 277) [NOTE: This is the first edition of the famous Larousse Gastronomique cooking encyclopedia. There are many updated editions, many translated into English. Your librarian can help you find these.]

Related item? Pinwheel sandwiches.

Chicken burgers What exactly is a chicken burger? Great question! With no exact answer.

Ground protein mixtures bound with egg, bulked with breading, & blasted with spices have been enjoyed from ancient times forwards. Think: fish cakes, croquettes, timbales, & kofta. This is a short course on meatloaf. Recipes and proteins vary according to culture and cuisine. Until recently, most of these dishes required pre-cooked meats. It was a great way to serve leftovers. Today's supermarket meat counters offer an interesting variety of raw ground protein products. All of which can be assembled, formed, combined for cooking on whatever heat source to satisfy whichever course. American food companies offer similar products promoted for convenience.

The term "chicken burger" first surfaces in USA print after WWII. Recipes are all over the culinary map. The unifiying "burger" factor means nestled in a personal-sized bread begging for condiments.

[1946: Barnyard burgers made with ground chicken] "Chicken Burgers. Barnyard-burgers are made from ground cold chicken, if this delicacy is ever left lying around at your home, or turkey or roast. Onion and bread stuffing may be added, moistened with one or two eggs and and seasoned to taste. Saute until brown in chicken fat and serve on whopping big biscuits."---"Hamburger Recipes are Items for Collectors, With a Range to Suit Cannibal and Gourmet," Corsicana Daily Sun [TX], July 18, 1948 (p. 2) [NOTE: most likely this ground chicken was pre-cooked, see 1957.]

[1955: commercial product] "It's New. Chicken Burgers, 7 oz, 49 cents."---display ad, News Palladium [Benton Harbor MI], December 15, 1955 (p. 25) [NOTE: no description or illustration.]

[1956: barbecued Barnyard burgers ] "Chicken burgers. One cup cooked chicken, chopped, 1 egg slightly beaten, 1 cup soft bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, 1 tablespoon minced onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt; dash of pepper. Combine all ingredients and form into 4 patties. Broil until brown on both sides. Serve hot in toasted enriched buns. Garnish with stuffed olive."---"Tuna and Chicken Burgers Add Variety to Barbecue," The Bee [Danville VA], June 7, 1956 (p. 8)

[1957: pre-cooked chicken patties] "...the newest taste treats of them all...Chicken Burgers, Pre-cooked chicken, ground and seasoned and made into patties. Can be fried or broiled. each 19 cents"---display ad, Berkshire Eagle [MA], January 24, 1957 (p. 28)

[1961: fast food chicken sandwich]