Sandwiches and Wraps

United States

Chow mein sandwich consists of crunchy noodles and ground pork which are soaked in thick gravy and sandwiched between two halves of a hamburger bun. The gravy is typically made with bean sprouts, onions, and celery. The sandwich originates from Fall River, Massachusetts. It was invented in the 1920s by Frederick Wong, a Cantonese immigrant, who originally sold it to immigrants from England, Ireland, and Canada who'd come to the state to work in textile factories. The sandwich initially cost only five cents, and it was accompanied by french fries and an orange soda. Locals typically eat the sandwich with their hands, but feel free to opt for a fork and knife instead. Chow mein sandwich is still a staple of Chinese-American restaurants in the area.

Chow Mein Sandwich

Churrasco Italiano is a mouth-watering Chilean sandwich made with thin slices of grilled steak, mayonnaise, tomatoes, and palta &ndash; a local name for avocados - all tucked into fresh bread rolls. But why is this sandwich dubbed Italiano? It's because each addition represents a color of the Italian flag: palta for green, mayo for white, and tomatoes for red. Consuming this sandwich might prove to be quite sloppy, so serve it with lots of napkins.

Churrasco Italiano

Ciğer dürüm is grilled liver, usually lamb, cut into small cubes, threaded on skewers with pieces of tail fat and cooked fast over charcoal, then wrapped in thin lavaş with raw onion, parsley, mint and red pepper. It belongs to the liver kebab tradition of southeastern Türkiye, where Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır and Adana all have ciğerci shops that serve it from early morning, sometimes as breakfast. It should not be confused with Edirne tava ciğer, which is thin slices of calf liver dusted in flour and deep-fried; this is a charcoal dish built on speed and fat.

The liver is trimmed of membrane and large vessels, cut into cubes of about two centimetres and kept cold until the last moment. On the skewer the cubes alternate with nuggets of kuyruk yağı, the tail fat of fat-tailed sheep, which melts onto the liver as it cooks and stops it drying out. The skewers go on a very hot fire for only three or four minutes, turned constantly, and are seasoned with salt after grilling rather than before, because salting raw liver draws out moisture. Some shops grill lungs, heart or other offal on the same fire, but the dürüm is usually liver and fat alone. The meat is pulled off through the lavaş, which takes the dripping fat, and rolled with plenty of onion and parsley to cut the richness, often with a shake of isot or pul biber and cumin.

To rate it, taste a cube of liver first. It should be browned outside, rosy and soft inside, and taste clean and slightly sweet; a grey, grainy interior means it was overcooked, and a bitter or metallic taste points to liver that is not fresh or was poorly trimmed. The tail fat should be rendered and crisp at the edges, not cold and chewy. Beef liver sold as lamb is a common substitution, firmer and stronger in flavour, and worth marking down if it is presented as kuzu ciğer. Ask for it hot from the grill, since liver toughens as it sits. The lavaş should be thin and warm, and the onions and herbs generous. Ayran or şalgam is the usual drink, and many diners add a squeeze of lemon.

Liver Wrap (Ciğer Dürüm)

A true American icon, club sandwich consists of bacon, cooked chicken breast, tomatoes, and lettuce sandwiched between a few slices of toasted bread with mayonnaise. The sandwich is closely linked to hotels and resorts as a popular menu item, its name believed to come from its popularity at country clubs. The most popular theory about its origin says that it was invented in 1894 at Saratoga Club-House in New York. The oldest recipe was found in a cookbook called the Good Housekeeping Everyday Cook Book from 1903, written by Isabel Gordon Curtis. Club sandwich was also the favorite sandwich of King Edward VIII of England. Today, it is usually cut into triangles or quarters when served, and it is often held together by wooden sticks. There is an ongoing debate about using chicken versus turkey, and while purists such as James Beard opt for chicken, turkey is actually more commonly seen in a club sandwich these days.

Club Sandwich

The first type of lobster roll to exist, the Connecticut-style lobster roll, is characterized by the fact that it's warm; both the lobster meat and the roll are. The lobster meat is steamed or boiled, tucked into a toasted and warm New England-style bun, and then drizzled over with drawn butter. Typically, knuckle and claw meat, but sometimes tail as well, are preferred, and there is very little seasoning, usually only salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Variations will typically include ingredients, herbs, and spices like chives, dill, and paprika. You will also find it often includes lettuce as well, since it prevents the sandwich from going too soggy by creating a barrier between the meat and the bun. This style of the lobster roll was invented in the 1920s by Harry Perry, the owner of a restaurant Perry's in Milford, Connecticut, for a regular, Ted Hales. Once it became a success, he also commissioned French's Bakery to make him a suitable bun, which was similar to a submarine sandwich roll, that he would cut a V-notch wedge at the top of it, remove the crumb inside and load it with lobster meat. Serving-wise, Connecticut-style lobster roll typically comes with a side of potato chips or fries and dill pickles. Also, a creamy potato salad works well with this lobster roll.

Connecticut-style Lobster Roll

Australia

Continental roll is an Australian sandwich influenced by Italian cuisine. The sandwich consists of a crusty and chewy bread roll filled with cheese, Italian cold cuts (usually mixed meat &ndash; mortadella, salami, and coppa) and a variety of condiments. Pickled eggplants and sun-dried tomatoes are the most common condiments, but there is also a choice of typical Australian ingredients such as grated carrots and beetroots. The sandwiches are traditionally sold at delis and lunch bars, and they usually can't be found in supermarkets.

Continental Roll

Corned beef sandwich is a popular food item that is traditionally consumed on St. Patrick's Day. It is both Irish and American, since it is believed that the sandwich was first popularized in New York by Irish immigrants during the early 20th century. Typically, it consists of sliced corned beef between two slices of (usually rye or sourdough) bread, but there are numerous variations of the sandwich with added cabbage, mustard, cheese, or pickles.

Corned Beef Sandwich

France

According to Larousse, this classic French hot sandwich consists of a thin slice of ham and melted cheese tucked between two pieces of sliced bread. The original first appeared on Parisian menus in 1910, and some claim it was invented by accident, when French workers left their lunch near a hot radiator, only to come back later and discover that the cheese in their sandwiches had melted. If you want to taste an authentic croque, the cheese must be Gruyere (mixed with bechamel in order to get Mornay sauce) and the whole sandwich needs to be saut&eacute;ed in butter until it is crispy and golden brown. The croque-monsieur is so popular that the famous novelist Proust even wrote about it in his 1918 masterpiece In Search of Lost Time. According to food historians, the sandwich was originally named by Michel Lunarca, the owner of a popular bistro on the Boulevard des Capucines in the early 20th-century Paris. Frustrated by his success, Lunarca's competitors began spreading rumors that he was a cannibal. When he ran out of baguettes for sandwiches one day, he used a loaf of pain de mie to make a toasted sandwich with cheese and bread. Upon being asked by a guest what kind of meat he used for the sandwich, he replied "Le viande de monsieur, &eacute;videmment."&mdash;meaning&mdash;"Human meat, obviously." The joke made these sandwiches an instant hit, and he put them on the menu under the name they are known by today. For those who think everything tastes better with eggs, there is the croque-madame, a popular version of croque-monsieur topped with a fried egg, which, according to some people, represents a woman's hat.

Croque-monsieur

A Cuban or a Cubano is a grilled, pressed sandwich made with Cuban bread that is filled with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. It was originally invented by Cuban immigrants in Florida, who wanted to make their own variation on a classic grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Today, there are numerous variations on the Cubano, so some use different bread or add ingredients such as lettuce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise.

Cuban Sandwich

This simple, elegant staple of the famous British afternoon tea, known as cucumber sandwich, is a concoction made with crustless triangles of lightly buttered white bread that is filled with paper-thin cucumber slices, a little bit of salt, and a dash of lemon juice. The Brits invented it during the Victorian period, when it was mainly popular among members of the upper class. Today, there are many variations on the original, with added tuna, eggs, cream cheese, and mayonnaise.

Cucumber sandwich

Although it originated in northern Italy, cudighi sausage is nowadays primarily made and served in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Ground pork shoulder is seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, red wine, and cloves, while garlic, allspice, red pepper flakes, and black pepper enrich the flavors even more. The sausage is most commonly served in a sandwich &ndash; topped with tomato-based marinara sauce and mozzarella, then placed on a bread roll. Cudighi sandwiches can be found in most pizza joints and restaurants in the area, where they are sometimes enhanced with the addition of fried onions, saut&eacute;ed mushrooms, or roasted peppers. Interestingly, Italian immigrants began making the sausage, which was originally called gudighi, in the 1930s, and it's believed that it was derived from cotechino, an Italian fresh sausage.

Cudighi Sandwich

Italy

Cuzzetiello is a Neapolitan sandwich that consists of the end part of a rustic bread loaf called pane cafone that is typically stuffed with either Neapolitan sausage and fried friarelli, Genovese sauce, homemade rag&ugrave; with meatballs, eggplant parmigiana, or a stew of beef and potatoes. In the Neapolitan tradition, cuzzetiello is considered a marrena, a type of substantial snack during lunch break created to use up leftovers from Sunday&rsquo;s lunch. Today, even more fillings are on offer, including vegetarian ones with vegetables only and sweet ones with Nutella. For those extra hungry, at some joints, there is also the option of ordering cuzzetiello maxi, which is a whole loaf of stuffed bread.

Cuzzetiello

The Dagwood is a cartoonishly gigantic, tall, multi-layered sandwich with varying ingredients. The sandwich was named after Dagwood Bumstead, a character in the comic strip Blondie. Usually, Dagwood consists of layered, vertically stacked varieties of sliced cheese, cold cuts, vegetables, and condiments between slices of bread. Although the final result is huge and almost impossible to eat, Dagwood is surely a sight to behold.

Dagwood Sandwich

Also known as Western sandwich, Denver sandwich is a combination of two slices of bread and a Denver omelette in between. The omelette is traditionally made with scrambled eggs, onions, ham, and green peppers. Although there are many claims about its origin, the famous food writer James Beard believes that it was invented by Chinese chefs who used to cook for railroad gangs in the 19th and the 20th centuries, and the sandwich probably evolved from a dish known as egg foo young.

Denver Sandwich

Germany

Drei im Weggla is a staple street food in Nuremberg. The sandwich consists of a circular bun that's cut in half and stuffed with three (drei in German) grilled N&uuml;rnberger Rostbratwurst sausages with a charred and crunchy skin. The sandwich is completed when the sausages are slathered with sharp yellow mustard. Some vendors even offer sauerkraut on top of it all, but let's be honest, the beauty of this sandwich lies in its simplicity. The bun must be perfectly crisp on the exterior while the inside should be chewy, dense, and yeasty. In the city, Drei im Weggla can be found at restaurants and in numerous food stands, huts, and carts scattered throughout Nuremberg.

Drei im Weggla

Dynamite is an American sandwich originating from Woonsocket, Rhode Island. It's made by topping fresh torpedo rolls with a combination of ground beef, peppers, onions, tomato sauce, garlic, and seasonings. It's believed that the topping tastes best if made a few days ahead and then it gets slowly reheated before it's placed on a torpedo roll. This spicy sandwich is similar to Sloppy Joe and it can often be found at festivals, fairs, and casual eateries in Woonsocket. It's recommended to wash it down with a glass of beer.

Dynamite Sandwich

Dyrl&aelig;gens natmad, which translates to veterinarian's midnight snack, is a popular variety of the Danish sm&oslash;rrebr&oslash;d. The sandwich is assembled with rye bread that is spread with butter and used as a base to hold the various toppings which include sliced salted beef, sky (Danish meat aspic), and leverpostej (liver p&acirc;t&eacute;). Traditionally, the sandwich is finished off with sliced red onions, sprouts, and a sprinkle of parsley or dill. Due to the number of ingredients, it is suggested to consume dyrl&aelig;gens natmad with a knife and fork.

Dyrlægens natmad

This classic British favorite is a sandwich consisting of bread slices filled with mayonnaise, chopped and mashed hard-boiled eggs, and garden cress. The sandwiches are typically cut into triangles and arranged on a platter. It is recommended to garnish them with leftover cress and serve them with a cup of tea on the side, since these sandwiches are traditionally a part of the famous British Afternoon tea.

Egg and cress sandwich

Egg banjo is a British sandwich that was especially popular with British troops during WWII. The sandwich usually consists of nearly stale white bread that's sliced, spread with butter, filled with fried eggs, and enriched with brown sauce or ketchup. The yolk and the sauce often dribble down one's chest, so the hand is moved to wipe it, while the other hand is still holding the sandwich, so it looks like one's playing an air banjo, hence the name egg banjo. The sandwich is still popular in Commonwealth countries such as Malaysia.

Egg banjo

Egg salad sandwich is a simple and humble American sandwich dating back to sometime in the 1800s, but not before 1762 because that's when the sandwich was formally invented. It consists of a combination of peeled hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper between two slices of bread. Before the egg salad was placed between bread, in the early 1900s, it used to be served on a bed of lettuce. Nowadays, it's an American staple because it's so simple and everyone has the basic ingredients to make the egg salad sandwich in their kitchen.