The Reuben sandwich combines corned beef or pastrami with sauerkraut and melted Swiss or Munster cheese. Photo © J.Java | Fotolia.
September 2009
Last Updated January 2019
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Different Sandwich Types
Sandwich Glossary Page 5: Sandwich Types R ~ Z
This is Page 5 of a five-page glossary. Terms include recetas, Reuben sandwich, sandwiches de miga, sloppy joe and submarine/torpedo sandwich. Click on the black links below to visit other pages. Also see our Bread Glossary and many other food glossaries.
RECETAS SANDWICH
See Cuban sandwich.
REUBEN SANDWICH
This sandwich dates to the late 1920s, but no one can solve the hotly-contested origin. Most evidence points to Reuben Kulakofsky, a Lithuanian-born grocer and resident of Omaha, Nebraska who created the now-classic sandwich for his poker pals who had a regular poker game at the Blackstone Hotel. The hotel owner liked it so much he put it on the menu. Native New Yorkers firmly believe that credit goes to Arnold Reuben, owner of a deli on 58th Street between Madison and Park Avenues, in 1928. But either way, a Reuben is a grilled or toasted sandwich on rye or pumpernickel with generous amounts of corned beef or pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and either Russian or Thousand Island dressing. There are regional variations, for example substituting turkey and cole slaw for pastrami and sauerkraut, but the basics consist of a meat, a slaw, a cheese and a dressing. (See photo at top left.) |
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Baby Reuben sandwiches make great snacks. Available from MackenzieLtd.com. |
In 1956, Fern Snider, a cook at the Blackstone, entered the Reuben recipe in the first National Sandwich Idea Contest sponsored by the Wheat Flour Institute, where it took top honors and won her a trip to New York—where she most likely did not eat at Reuben’s Deli, but that information is lost to history).
SANDWICH COMPONENTS
A sandwich is composed of four parts: the bread, spread, filling and garnish.
SANDWICHES DI MIGA
Argentinean tea sandwiches made on thin white bread with the crusts removed; that crustless part of the bread is the “miga.” Sandwiches de miga can be single or double layered with a variety of fillings: thinly sliced meat, eggs, cheese, tomatoes, green peppers, lettuce and other vegetables, plus mayonnaise. The bread can be toasted or untoasted.
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Sandwich di miga. Photo by Jesus Gorriti |Wikimedia. |
SANDWICH LOAF
A large, multi-layer sandwich made to look like a cake, and frosted with colored cream cheese. The layers can be made of white or wheat bread or specialty breads (raisin, oatmeal) and filled with various salads (chicken, egg, tuna, seafood). |
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A festive sandwich loaf. Photo by Travis Nygard | Wikimedia. |
SLOPPY JOE SANDWICH
An American original, made of ground beef, onions, sweetened tomato sauce or ketchup and other seasonings, served on a hamburger bun. A sloppy joe is a simpler version of a barbecue sandwich, which comprises shredded beef or pork and barbecue sauce. It is “sloppy” because it drips off the roll. There are print references that date to 1935, and sandwiches with ground beef date to the second half of the 19th century, as economical and nourishing fare. Early 20th century cookbooks have similar dishes by other names, including Beef Mironton, Chopped Meat Sandwiches, Hamburg A La Creole and Minced Beef Sandwich Style.
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A sloppy joe. Photo by Buck Blues | Wikimedia Commons. |
SPIEDIE SANDWICH
A spiedie sandwich consists of chunks of lamb, pork, chicken, beef or venison marinated in a tart vinegar-based sauce, grilled on a metal skewer then served hot in between sliced Italian bread with extra sauce. Originally from Italy, this delicacy seems to be found only in the Binghamton/Broome County area of New York State. How and when spiedies came to this area remains a mystery. |
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A chicken spiede. Here’s the recipe. Photo courtesy InspiredToCook.com. |
SPREAD
The purpose of the spread is to moisten both the bread and the filling. The most common are mayonnaise and mustard, but can also include barbecue sauce, cheese sauce, chutney, ketchup, steak sauce, tahini, yogurt sauce and any number of other sauces from horseradish to salsa.
SUBMARINE SANDWICH
Variously called a grinder, hoagie, hero and torpedo in other regions, the submarine or sub has at least two claims to invention, and may have plausibly occurred in both places. One is in Boston at the beginning of World War I, made by a local restaurant that served Navy servicemen stationed at the Charlestown Navy Yard. The bread was a specially baked baguette intended to resemble the hull of the submarines it was named after. Another claim credits Dominic Conti (1874–1954), an Italian immigrant who started Dominic Conti’s Grocery Store on Mill Street in Paterson, New Jersey in 1910, and named the sandwich after seeing a recovered submarine in the Paterson museum Museum Of History in 1918.
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The all-American submarine sandwich. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons. |
Conti’s granddaughter recounts that he was selling traditional Italian sandwiches made on a long crusty roll, filled with cold cuts, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, oil, vinegar, Italian herbs, spices, salt and pepper. The sandwich started with a layer of cheese and ended with a layer of cheese so the bread wouldn’t get soggy. See also hero and hoagie.
TAVERN SANDWICH
A variety of sloppy joe sandwich from the Midwest consisting of unseasoned sautéed ground beef and onions mixed on a bun. It can be topped with pickles, ketchup and mustard. It is also called a loosemeat or Maid-rite.
TEA SANDWICH
Tea sandwiches are small sandwiches initial created as bites to go with afternoon tea. They can be triangle, square or rectangle in shape, or can be cut into fanciful shapes (crescents, hearts, etc.) with a cookie cutter. The bread was traditionally white, thinly sliced, and buttered, with the crust removed. Contemporary variations might use the more modern whole wheat, pumpernickel, sour dough or rye breads. Fillings are light and delicate. Spreads might include cream cheese or mayonnaise mixtures or “protein” salads (crab, egg, ham, tuna). |
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Tea sandwiches cut into squares. Photo courtesy Kraft Foods. |
The sandwiches often feature fresh vegetables such as asparagus, cucumber, radish or watercress. The cucumber tea sandwich, thickly sliced on buttered bread, is considered the quintessential tea sandwich. Other popular tea sandwich fillings include pimento cheese, smoked salmon, fruit jam and curried chicken and egg salads. Also see finger sandwich, a variety of tea sandwich cut into long rectangles.
TOASTED CHEESE SANDWICH
See cheese toastie.
TORPEDO SANDWICH
See submarine sandwich.
TORTA
Perhaps Mexico’s favorite fast food, a torta is the Mexican version of a submarine sandwich, served on an oblong, crusty white sandwich roll (a torpedo-shaped bolillo or a round telera). It can be served hot or cold. Popular ingredients include grilled steak (carne asada), marinated pork (al pastor), fried pork (carnitas), fried fish (pescado), ham (jamón) and beef tongue (lengua). Garnish choices can include avocado, beans, cheese, chimichurri sauce, chipotle chiles, lettuce, jalapeño chiles, poblano chiles, salsa fresca, sour cream and tomato.
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“Torta” means different things in the Spanish language. In Spain it can mean cake or omelet. In Mexico, it’s a hero-type sandwich on a crusty roll. In South America and the Philippines, it can be an egg dish. Photo courtesy FronteraFiesta.com. |
TOSTADA
A tostada is the Mexican equivalent of an open-face sandwich, made on a crisp tortilla (tostada) instead of a slice of bread. You can add any protein, plus lettuce, tomatoes, onions, avocado, grated cheese, sour cream (crema) and cilantro; and can get creative with anything from corn kernels to pickled jalapeños.
VIETNAMESE SANDWICH
See bánh mì.
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A pulled pork tostada. Photo courtesy Melissas.com. |
WAFFLE SANDWICH
Originally devised as a breakfast sandwich, replacing the toast on an egg sandwich with waffles, the waffle sandwich or wafflewich has evolved into a savory and sweet option for any meal of the day. Add eggs and sausage for breakfast, ham and cheese for lunch, ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert. Here are recipes for Ham and Cheese and BLT Waffle Sandwiches. |
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A Waffle BLT. Photo courtesy Elegant AffairsCaterers.com. |
WESTERN SANDWICH or DENVER
SANDWICH
Scrambled eggs or an egg omelet cooked with green peppers, ham and onions and served hot on toast or a roll. Some culinary historians believe that it was the invention of Chinese cooks who prepared it as a snack for cowboys: an egg foo young omelet between slices of bread. It is called a Western sandwich east of the Mississippi and a Denver sandwich in the west.
WRAP SANDWICH
A sandwich made by rolling standard sandwich fillings in a tortilla.
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Wrap sandwich. Photo by Cloud Food | IST. |
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