Sandwich
A food made by placing filling between or inside pieces of bread. Its defining structure combines bread with one or more fillings.
Bread: A staple food made by baking a dough of flour and water, usually leavened. It forms the structure that encloses or supports a sandwich’s filling.
Club sandwich: A layered sandwich, commonly made with poultry, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and three slices of toast. Its stacked layers show how sandwich structure can become a substantial meal.
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich: An eighteenth-century British statesman whose title became associated with the sandwich. The food’s English name is traditionally linked to his title.
Wrap: A dish made by rolling a flatbread around a filling. It encloses filling like a sandwich but uses a rolled sheet rather than bread slices.
Filling: Food placed inside another food or pastry to add flavor, texture, or substance. It supplies the central ingredients that distinguish one sandwich from another.
Bánh mì: A Vietnamese sandwich, typically served in a baguette with meats, pickled vegetables, herbs, and condiments. It combines bread traditions and fillings into a distinctive Vietnamese form.
Edward Gibbon: An English historian best known for writing The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. His 1762 diary entry is an early known use of “sandwich” as a food name.
Hot dog: A cooked sausage served in a split bun, often with condiments. Its split roll raises the same classification question as other filled breads.
Deli meat: Cooked or cured meat sliced for use in sandwiches and other dishes. Thin slices make a classic filling that layers neatly between bread.
Submarine sandwich: A sandwich made in a long roll, usually filled with meats, cheese, vegetables, and condiments. Its elongated roll accommodates a large, continuous filling.