Is a hotdog a sandwich? Throughout this series of passion blog posts, I will be reviewing various topics relating to sandwiches, not just the food. However, this first post will be exploring what truly is a sandwich.

To discuss the sandwich, we first must trace its origins and create an operative definition. The sandwich, as the food many people know and love today, has its origins in England in the 18th century. According to History.com, the 4th Earl of Sandwich had such a gambling problem he refused to get up from his seat. He requested food be served directly to him at the gambling table, and his cook served him a piece of meat between two pieces of bread. Since the creation of the sandwich, the term sandwich has become a broader term. You can place jam between two pieces of bread and call it a sandwich.

But, what about a hotdog? This is one piece of meat in between bread that is essentially cut open. Is it really a sandwich if it doesn’t have two pieces of bread? This may seem like a trivial question, but the definition of a sandwich in the legal realm has great implications. For example, the state of California defines a hot dog as a sandwich which affects their sales tax laws.

Legally, a hot dog is a sandwich. Then do wraps count as a sandwich? Wraps also consist of food stuffed between a wheat product. How far can the definition of a sandwich be expanded?

Expanding the definition once more, we can say a filling between some sort of surroundings. Oreos are advertised as Creme Sandwich Cookies. At this point, we have forgotten that bread exists. We have ice cream sandwiches which are another form of sandwiches.

As I have explored the various “sandwiches” and what generally falls into the category, I have found a schematic by Alex Fuchylo that best represents my ideas. I have concluded that the qualifications of a sandwich are as follows:

  1. The item must be edible and consumed with the hands.
  2. The enclosing item must be wheat or grain-based.
  3. The item can be for any meal of the day.
  4. The item must fall into one of the following categories:
    1. Two Separate End Caps
    2. Open-Faced, One End Cap
    3. One Hinged
    4. Fully Enclosed

Sandwiches do not need to be filled with a meat product, nor do they must have two pieces of bread. A sandwich is a family of a variety of different food items.