A turkey and swiss on whole wheat becomes elevated into a turkey panini, courtesy of the Italian concept of grilling sandwiches. See eight panini recipes. Photo courtesy of Sargento.
September 2009
Last Updated August 2017
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Sandwich Glossary
Page 1: Types Of Sandwiches A ~ C
CAPSULE REPORT: We are indebted to our friends at Mezzetta for creating the base of this Sandwich Glossary, to which we’ve added an even greater number of types of sandwiches. We haven’t detailed every type of ingredient: Avocado sandwich and chicken sandwich are self-explanatory. But if we’ve left something out, use the Contact Us link on this page to let us know. Also see our Bread Glossary and some 100 other food glossaries. This is Page 1 of a five-page glossary. Click on the black links below to visit other pages.
AMERICAN SANDWICH
The club sandwich was invented in London, but classic American sandwiches include cream cheese (cream cheese was invented in Philadelphia), the cheesesteak, the hamburger, the peanut butter (an American invention/PB and jelly) sandwich, sloppy joe and the American-born mega-sandwich, the submarine (a.k.a. hoagie, grinder, etc.). You’ll find many more inventions in this glossary. While the sandwich was first popularized in England, it is America that has taken this food to heart, embracing it for breakfast, lunch and dinner and creating as many types of sandwiches as there are ingredients.
BANH MI
A Vietnamese baguette made from wheat and rice flour, and also the name of the sandwich that is served on the baguette. A fusion food from French colonial Indochina and Vietnamese cuisines, bánh mì combines French ingredients such as baguettes, pâté and mayonnaise with native Vietnamese ingredients such as coriander, hot peppers, fish sauce, pickled daikon and carrots. They are sold at small bánh mì and noodle (phó) shops in areas with a Vietnamese immigrant community. Here’s the own bánh mì recipe.
BARBECUE SANDWICH
A sandwich of shredded beef or pork plus barbecue sauce on a roll.
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Bánh mì, a Vietnamese version of a submarine sandwich. See the Cuban version below. |
BLT
A bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, often served as a triple-decker sandwich on toast. While toast, bacon and lettuce were enjoyed at table since Roman times, tomatoes came from the New World in the 1600s and were considered poisonous, enjoyed as houseplants until the 1800s.
At the same time, there was no mayo for the BLT: Mayonnaise sauce was invented in 1756, but it was not until years later that the great French chef Marie-Antoine Carême (1784-1833) lightened the original recipe by blending the vegetable oil and egg yolks into an emulsion, creating the mayonnaise that we know today. The ingredients finally came together: We know that BLTs were served as tea sandwiches in the late Victorian era (late 1800s). The earliest recipes for BLTs were listed under different names in cookbooks. The abbreviated name most likely came from diner slang: “Give me a BLT on a raft,” i.e., a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich on toast.
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A BLT: bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Photo courtesy Niman Ranch. |
BREAKFAST SANDWICH
Eggs Benedict—eggs and Canadian bacon atop an English muffin—may have been the first official, open-face breakfast sandwich, followed by the bagel with lox and cream cheese. Eggs and sausage patties or ham have found their way atop English muffins ever since (popularized by McDonald’s Egg McMuffin in the 1960s). In the 1970s, the concept evolved to the breakfast croissant sandwich, and in the 1990s, the breakfast burrito—scrambled eggs and sausage or bacon inside a tortilla wrap.
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A breakfast sandwich: omelet, . Photo courtesy Campo’s.cheese and tomato. Photo courtesy Olio รจ Piu | NYC. |
BUTTWICH
A halibut sandwich, in the local Alaskan vernacular.
CAPRESE SANDWICH
A sandwich of mozzarella, tomato and fresh basil on Italian bread; named after the Caprese salad.
PHILLY CHEESE-STEAK
This sandwich, which originated in Philadelphia, is made of thin slices of grilled steak covered in melted cheese on a long roll. Traditionally it is accompanied by hot cherry peppers or grilled peppers and onions. |
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An American original: cheesesteak from Campo’s Deli in Old City, Philadelphia. Photo courtesy Campo’s. |
CHEESE TOASTIE
See grilled cheese. Technically, there is a difference between grilled cheese and toasted cheese. To grill means to cook by direct exposure to radiant heat, as in when food is placed under a broiler. To toast means to cook by placing in front of dry heat: a fire or an electric toaster, for example.
CIABATTA SANDWICH
A sandwich made on a ciabatta roll.
CLUB SANDWICH
Cooked chicken or turkey breast with bacon, lettuce and tomato on toasted bread with mayonnaise. Traditionally made with three slices of bread, this sandwich was popularized in gentlemen’s clubs, hence the name. One legend tells of a man who came home hungry after the family and servants had retired, and searched the pantry for a snack. He toasted some bread and as he looked in the ice chest for butter, found cold broiled bacon, chicken and mayonnaise. He also found a tomato, added make a sandwich and was happy with his creation. He spoke of it to friends at his club, and they had it recreated there, where it went onto the menu as the “club sandwich.” |
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Club sandwich. Photo by Petra Starke | SXC. |
According to FoodTimeline.org, most food historians agree that the club sandwich was probably created in the United States during the late 19th/early 20th century. There is no printed record, so the where and who remains a matter of culinary debate. The most popular theory points to the Saratoga Club in Saratoga, New York.
COWBOY OMELET SANDWICH
See Denver omelet sandwich.
CROISSANT SANDWICH
A sandwich made on a croissant instead of a traditional roll or bread.
CROQUE MADAME
A French grilled chicken and cheese sandwich that is dipped into beaten egg then sautéed in butter.
CROQUE MONSIEUR
A French grilled ham and cheese sandwich that is dipped into beaten egg then sautéed in butter. The American version of this sandwich is called a Monte Cristo and is served with a side of jelly.
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Chicken salad and dried cherries on a crossant. Photo courtesy Cherry Marketing Institute. |
CRUNCH SANDWICH
A sandwich that includes a layer of potato chips or tortilla chips.
CUBAN SANDWICH
A variation of a ham and cheese sandwich enjoyed by workers in Cuba and then in the immigrant community of Ybor City in Tampa, Florida. Sometimes called a “mixto” or “Cuban Pressed” sandwich, it is made with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on lightly buttered Cuban (or French or Italian) sliced loaf bread. The ingredients are layered and toasted on a plancha, a sandwich press similar to a panini press but without the ridges. Sometimes, salami, lettuce, tomato or mayonnaise are added, but this is not considered traditional. |
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A pressed Cuban sandwich. Photo courtesy Jarlsberg USA. |
CUCUMBER SANDWICH
See tea sandwich.
Continue To Page 2: Sandwich Terms D To G
Go To The Article Index Above
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