The sandwich was invented in 1762 by British royalty. Legend has
it that John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, loved late night
gambling sessions and couldn’t spare taking time away from the
cards to eat. One evening, he ordered his servants to place a slice
of roast beef between two pieces of bread, which he could consume
while wagering.
The sandwich was invented in 1762 by British royalty. Legend has it that John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, loved late night gambling sessions and couldn’t spare taking time away from the cards to eat. One evening, he ordered his servants to place a slice of roast beef between two pieces of bread, which he could consume while wagering.
The Hawaiian Islands were once called the Sandwich Islands after the inventor of the world’s most famous lunch food. Explorer Captain Cook named the islands in honor of the Fourth Earl of Sandwich who was the First Lord of the Admiralty at that time.
The sandwich really took off in the United States in the early 1900s with the introduction of soft white bread. Newly arrived immigrant blue-collar workers on the East Coast especially liked the convenience of easily-prepared sandwiches for their lunch breaks.
In the 1930s, Wonder Bread was the first company to come out with pre-sliced loaves. Sandwiches gained even more popularity in America.
About 95 percent of American households serve at least one sandwich at home during a typical week.
Half of all sandwiches are consumed at lunch and about 28 percent are eaten at dinner. Less than 20 percent are taken out of the house.
The sandwich meat bologna was named after the Italian city of Bologna where the sausage was invented.
Bologna meat is called “mortadella” in Italy. Italians have variations of mortadella studded with peppercorns, olives or pistachios or even flavored with cinnamon and cloves.
Each year, 2.19 billion Oscar Mayer Bologna sandwiches are devoured, according to the Oscar Mayer company. That’s 69 sandwiches every second.
