Hungry History: Sandwiches!!

Honey Whole Wheat Toast with Butter, Sun-dried tomatoes w/ olive oil, pepper jack cheese, salami, sliced turkey breast with balsamic-vinegar tomatoes and spinach

From peanut butter and jelly to turkey-avocado, Reuben sandwiches, and Philly cheese steak, we've all had one or two sandwiches we love. Today we're going to explore a little of the history behind the development of the sandwich.

The namesake is thought to come from John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, because of his credited creation of this highly portable food. One story states that the Earl was in a terrible hurry and, as was common at the time, instead of eating the entire meal on a "trencher" or stale piece of bread, the Earl "wrapped" the meat and vegetables in the folded stale bread and ate on the run. Another states that he wished his valets to serve his food in such a manner because he wanted to continue playing cards and other hobbies without greasing his fingers or the playing cards.

Sandwich-type meals have been around for many generations, and are widely consumed in as diverse parts of the world as the Middle East, where Jewish individuals use unleavened bread with meat and various vegetables, to the common use of Naan-style bread in India, eaten most often with curries and other dishes. Also falling under the definition of sandwich are the various sweet versions like chocolate-cream sandwiches and ice cream sandwiches.

The Wall Street journal, going along with the Earl's claim, states that the sandwich was Britain's "biggest contribution to gastronomy."

Though the concept of the sandwich is rather easily understood among most globalized citizens today, there was a curious court case in Boston surrounding the legal definition of the sandwich. The story goes that a court in Boston fashioned a legal definition for the food due to a non-compete clause of a shopping center which already contained restaurants serving tacos, burritos, and quesadillas which, some argued, could be construed as a sandwich type food. The court found that these styles of food differed particularly because they do not utilize two slices of bread, but generally one tortilla. More information on the court case can be read here.

For more on sandwiches generally, the above link to the Wikipedia article is informative.

Hungry History: Convenience Food in the US

Cans, TV dinners, jarred preserves, box meals. All are examples of convenience food we often associate with today's grocery stores.

These types of meals have origins, partly, in most worldwide agricultural settlements where preservation and portability were required. One example, the Aztecs, shows that warriors and scouts often carried meals that required only the addition of water for easy transport and storage.

The 19th Century in the US brought innovations in packaging, particularly the viability of canning. Although canning had been around as early as the 1850's, the ability to make cans on a larger scale came about when machines allowed low-skilled operators to replace specialized tin workers in the manufacture of large-scale product quickly.

The ability to freeze food, particularly the innovation of refrigeration and refrigerated trucks, brought frozen meals and frozen veggies from across the world to the grocery cart of populations throughout the country.

A particularly important vehicle for the development of convenience foods was the experience of US military personnel in World War II. Required to survive, and fight, in often harsh, remote conditions, these soldiers required not only hearty meals, but shelf-safe packaging with easy preparation, often with just water. As the soldiers returned, the technology they utilized became adopted in the market. Private firm factories once dedicated to the manufacture of packaged goods for military use transferred their machinery, and advertising budgets, to marketing these same goods to the general public. The legacy of these convenience foods in the 1950's and beyond survives in our grocery stores as divergent products and crackers, cookies, snack bars, instant noodles, processed pasta and rice dishes, cereals, and a wide variety of other goods.

This meal pictured here showcases a prepackaged microwavable rice dish, including dehydrated peas and carrots with a powdered flavoring, frozen cut corn, and packaged smoked sausages browned on the stovetop and served on top. Alongside the food is a packaged lemonade flavored drink.

By 221.20 (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

A personal favorite convenience food comes from Japan, their innovative packaging for onigiri (rice balls) ensures the nori (seaweed) stays crisp while the sushi rice and filling remains moist and delicious!