Sandwich!

I think that the defining factor that decides whether or not something is a sandwich is simply whether it follows the definition of sandwich when it is used as a verb. That means that crepes, quesadillas, hotdogs, hamburgers and even a McGriddle can all be listed under the sandwich category because they are made of at least two different qualities in which one quality is placed in-between or surrounded by the other material. So, in my opinion anything that is placed between another material is a sandwich. This means the possibilities for sandwich creations are limitless! While my definition of a sandwich might be vague, I feel that its ambiguity is the only way to fully encompass the vast spectrum of sandwiches.

Sandwiches are so much more than just grilled cheese, peanut butter & jelly, or lunch meat. I have seen some pretty odd things being eaten as a sandwich. For example my best friend, Cheree eats a sandwich that has peanut butter, banana slices and honey placed between two pieces of cinnamon toast, which she then proceeds to cook in a frying pan in a grilled cheese like manner. My sister went through a phase where she ate sandwiches that only had tomato, mayo and mustard on it. And of course the infamous Breakfast club sandwich. The 1980’s classic, featured a sandwich made with pixie sticks, Cap’n Crunch cereal, and butter. The sandwich that gets consumed the most in my room is made of Nutella and peanut butter!  This shows that sandwiches can come in many shapes, sizes and ingredients! But, what goes inside of the sandwich is only one half of the equation, what you place it in-between is just as important!

Not only is there an immense amount of variation available as to what goes inside of the sandwich but also what you sandwich it between. A sandwich doesn’t necessarily have to be placed in between two places of bread, although white bread and wheat bread are the most common sandwiching materials. I have seen sandwiches made from cookies, pancakes, lettuce, pita, and even chicken (see: KFC Double Down)!  Even one of America’s classic desserts the Ice Cream sandwich contains no bread, or meat, which tears down the argument that sandwiches are just meat and/or cheese placed between bread!

The culinary definition for a sandwich is hard to explain. Do tacos count, or strombolis, calzones, wraps and burritos? I would say that they are all in fact a part of the sandwich family! But these things illustrate the gray area that is created while trying to define a sandwich. Therefore I rely on the vagueness of my definition of a sandwich being; -anything made of at least substances, where one substance is placed in-between the other- to solve such dilemmas. Most importantly, when defining sandwiches, one must realize that there really is no right or wrong, but it should at least have an edible material that is actually being sandwiched by a differnent edible entity!