The Sandwich Debate Continues
ByFollowing my recent article bemoaning the state of British sandwiches, an American in Liverpool writes that she too finds British sarnies a little hard to swallow:
Head to a New York deli and your sandwich will pretty much be the size of a hamburger. The overwhelming flavor comes from the filling, not the bread. Here it seems to be the reverse, where one or two slices of ham qualifies as finished. I remember my dad talking about a friend of his who used to travel to England a lot for work and whenever he would order a sandwich, he would ask for it “American style” so that there’d be lots of meat in it.
Maybe having less meat filling makes more room for condiments like coleslaw, but that’s also something new to me. Growing up, coleslaw was just eaten on the side, with a fork, rather than being put in the roll (bap).
In the meantime, pass the butter. I need it to help coat my esophagus and move the bread along.
I Dream of Boar’s Head (Liverpool Echo)
3 Comments
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Love your sandwich article in the Times! I grew up in England of American parents and I can completely understand both sides of your dilemma. American sandwiches are far too complex in ingredients and ‘accessories’ and I always used to admire the British skill at putting together a sarnie. But I haven’t lived in the UK for a while and I’m sad to hear that while the dining scene seems to have improved, the sandwich is in decline.
June 7th, 2009 at 3:57 am
Be it American or British, as long as my sandwich maintians structural integrity I’m happy enough. Often it does not.
June 20th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I like something filled about halfway betwen the two extremes – neither too much or too little.