Around The World In 15 Sandwiches

Food
Around The World In 15 Sandwiches
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The humble sandwich is enjoying a renaissance, with cuisines around the world trying to outdo each other between two slices of bread. It’s said that the average person eats about 200 sandwiches a year, so it’s time to start expanding your repertoire!

By Elle Hardy

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Food
Around The World In 15 Sandwiches.
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Bánh Mì, Vietnam – A product of French colonialism and flavoursome Vietnamese cooking, the bánh mì went from the street food of the working poor to a global phenomenon after the Vietnam War, when refugees began selling the delicious sandwich in countries around the world. The bánh mì is at once crispy, soft, meaty, aromatic, spicy, salty, savoury and sweet – in short, pretty much the perfect food. To make at home, spread a demi-baguette with paté and mayonnaise on either side, load with salad and protein – like pork or tofu – top with pickled daikon (or another type of radish) and carrots, coriandre, fresh chilli and soy sauce. Dig in.

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Around The World In 15 Sandwiches.
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Po-Boy, USA – Originating in the French Quarter of New Orleans in 1922, the Martin brothers claim to have invented the ideal sandwich for striking workers and other “poor boys” who ate at their restaurant. There are three key requirements to making your own: a not-too-crusty bread roll, lightly fried seafood (shrimp is the most famous), and a sauce with plenty of spice and tang – usually mayonnaise blended with Louisiana hot sauce. Add shredded lettuce, tomato and, if you’re feeling salty, some pickles and fries. To get the real deal in all its glory, check out the city’s annual po-boy festival in November.

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Around The World In 15 Sandwiches.
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Kumru, Turkey – A cheese toastie is a work of art, and Turkey’s kumru is the Mona Lisa of deliciousness. Hailing from the Aegean city of Çesme, where residents know how to live well, kumru is all about doing the simple things to perfection. Start with some Turkish-style bread topped with sesame seeds, and fetch some kasseri cheese – failing that, something similar like provolone or Gruyère will do. Oil up a pan and get it nice and hot, then fry the cheese for a minute or so each side until it is lightly browned. Slide a healthy portion onto your bread and top with some fresh, sweet tomatoes. Enjoy as is, or if you want to go all out, add salami and pickled peppers.

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Around The World In 15 Sandwiches.
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Smørrebrød, Denmark – If you’re after something a little healthier that doesn’t skimp on taste, look to our friends in Denmark, custodians of the open-faced sandwich. While the streets of Copenhagen have specific restaurants in which to buy your smørrebrød, complete with serving traditions, these sandwiches are still accessible to those not booked on the next flight. Start with a dark rye bread, slathered with butter (smør). The rules say that you should (1) avoid mixing proteins, (2) layer thin toppings on before the bulky ones, and (3) eat multiple smørrebrøds in the following order: fish, meat, cheese. Top with flavours like pickles or horseradish, and then add some fresh crunch with greens or a smattering of nuts. Check out a recipe for smoked salmon smørrebrød here. [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]

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Around The World In 15 Sandwiches.
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Torta Cubana, Mexico – These pockets of delight hail… from Mexico City. Like most of our breaded friends, the origins of the sandwich are murky, but this is probably a version of the traditional Cubano sandwich – on steroids. A street food made of leftovers served to late-night partiers on their way home, it’s often a matter of getting all the fillings to stay put. Consider one version from a restaurant dedicated to their art: a torta (sandwich bun) piled high with fresh meat, grilled pineapples, onions and tomatoes, topped with a jalapeños, chorizo and breaded steak – with a hot dog frank, ham, turkey, melted provolone and a creamy avocado dressing added for fun. For a more home-friendly iteration, check this out. ¡Suerte! [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]

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Around The World In 15 Sandwiches.
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Mitraillette, Belgium – A comfort food par excellence, it seems the mitraillette (meaning “machine gun”) was made to blast through your blues. These little baguettes served at friteries across the country come fully loaded, starting with your pick of fried meats or sausages. Add some lettuce and perhaps a bit of cheese, followed by enough hand-cut fries to make the sandwich impossible to close. Now for the most important part: sauce. Any friterie deserving of the name will have around ten on hand, and don’t be afraid to try them all. Think mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, hot sauce and so on. Try this simple recipe. Serve with a fork. [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]

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Around The World In 15 Sandwiches.
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Kaya Toast, Malaysia and Singapore – Found on breakfast plates all over the region, this treat is composed of toasted bread topped liberally with butter and a revered, sweet green coconut paste called kaya. Dip it into a thick cup of kopi (coffee), or eat it with the traditional accompaniment of soft-boiled eggs and a dash of dark soy sauce and ground white pepper. To prepare your own kaya, whisk together 1 cup coconut milk, 1 cup granulated sugar, 8 pandan leaves (bay leaves or basil can be substituted), 3 eggs plus 3 egg yolks, and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook over a stove for 20 minutes to achieve a custard-like texture, then refrigerate in an airtight jar.

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Around The World In 15 Sandwiches.
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Vada Pav, India – Vegetarians of the world, unite! This carb-loaded veggie snack, also known as the “Bombay burger”, is a staple on the streets of Mumbai, offering all of the beautiful flavours of India in the convenience of a burger. All you need is a bread roll lathered with sweet chutney and green chutney, and about 30 minutes to make the batata vada (fried potato dumpling filling), stuffed with traditional curry herbs and spices. Once you nail the vada technique, they’re great for serving at parties.

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Around The World In 15 Sandwiches.
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Australian Hamburger – New York chef David Chang caused a stir in 2015 when he declared that “Australia has no idea what a burger is.” In the ensuing backlash, it become clear that many Down Under beg to differ. Australians developed their own distinct style of hamburger in the 1940s, as the country forged closer ties with the United States. “A burger with the lot” is the national code for a burger – usually sold at fish and chip shops – piled high with a beef patty, cheese, tomato, lettuce, grilled onion and pineapple, beetroot (absolutely necessary), a fried egg and bacon. A quintessential summer food, “the lot” is most satisfying after a long day of sun and surf.

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Around The World In 15 Sandwiches.
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Chacarero Chileno, Chile – Chileans are heavyweights when it comes to bread consumption, but their national sandwich means that you can have your steak and eat it, too. Derived from the Spanish chacra, meaning “ranch”, this unlikely steak sandwich is a popular fast food around Santiago. It is filled with thinly sliced churrasco-style steak, fresh tomato, and… green beans. Yes, it sounds weird, but somehow it works – especially if you steam the beans rather than cook them for a fresh, crunchy flavour. Enjoy with a base of mayonnaise or avocado (or both!), and some chili salsa to spice things up. Try this recipe on for size. [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]

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Around The World In 15 Sandwiches.
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Roti John, Singapore – Legend has it that this Asian omelette sandwich originated in the 1960s after an Englishman in Singapore asked a street food hawker for a hamburger. The vendor put together some mutton, egg and onions, served it in a bread roll with the region’s famous sambal-style chili sauce, and a star was born! Variations now exist with chicken, beef, cheese or sardines, but the most important part is the crunch and spice contrasting the fluffiness of the eggs, so grill the baguette on each side when the filling is ready – and don’t skimp on the sambal. The best part: it’s not too hard to try at home. [Photo: sortedfood.com]

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Around The World In 15 Sandwiches.
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Arepa, Colombia and Venezuela – This flat, golden corn cake is a little crispy, a little chewy – and its native status is as passionately disputed as a football match between Venezuela and Columbia. Arepas are made to be stuffed with your favourite Latino fare: shredded beef, pulled pork, black beans, plantains and all kinds of cheese. Indeed, deciding the filing is the hardest part, as the recipe for the pockets is as simple as it is yummy.

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Around The World In 15 Sandwiches.
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Croque-Madame, France – Is this just a fancy way to say ham and cheese sandwich? Non! A spin-off of the popular masculine croque-monsieur, a croque-madame is topped with a fried egg (said to resemble a lady’s wide-brimmed hat). The sandwich was even recorded in the great Marcel Proust’s 1918 novel, In Search of Lost Time, attesting to its long-standing popularity. To make it in a manner befitting its classy origins, soak some fresh bread in béchamel sauce, stack on some serious Gruyère cheese and leg ham between the slices, and fry or bake the whole thing before topping with a fried egg.

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Food
Around The World In 15 Sandwiches.
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Rainbow Sandwiches, Sri Lanka – A Sri Lankan favourite for entertaining or at high tea, these rainbow, or ribbon, sandwiches are as simple as they are attractive. Separately cook and mash carrots and beetroots, and also shred a bright, leafy green (like butterhead lettuce or arugula), and mash it with a boiled egg to add a punch of protein. Mix butter with salt, pepper and a dash of mustard, and apply liberally to a loaf of bread cut into four slices. Add the three toppings to a separate slice of bread each, stack the slices, top with the 4th slice, refrigerate and voilà – you have beautiful, healthy salad sandwiches.

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Around The World In 15 Sandwiches.
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Döner Kebab, Germany (via Turkey) – Last but not least, the döner kebab (literally meaning “turning meat” in Turkish): the sandwich of choice for hungry tourists and late-night revellers the world over. Although this style of Turkish cooking dates back to at least Ottoman times, the kebab sandwich we know today was purportedly invented by a Turkish immigrant in Berlin in 1971. The formula is fairly standard: pita or another flatbread is filled with beef, chicken or lamb cooked on a vertical spit, then stuffed with variety of fillings like onions, tabbouleh, lettuce, tomatoes and lashings of creamy garlic sauce. If you’re making it at home, experiment with pickles and crunchy fresh veggies for some added zing. Falafel can be subbed for döner meat to create a vegetarian-friendly version that’s also easier to reproduce at home.

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Around The World In 15 Sandwiches

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