Historical Background
The sandwich is one of the most popular and versatile foods around the world. Its origin and evolution are fascinating, spanning centuries and diverse cultures.
Origin of the Sandwich
The term "sandwich" comes from John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, an 18th-century English aristocrat. According to legend, Montagu, an avid card player, didn't want to leave the card table to eat, so he asked for meat to be brought to him between two slices of bread. This allowed him to eat with one hand and continue to play with the other. His colleagues began to ask for "the same as Sandwich", giving rise to the term.
However, the concept of eating ingredients between two pieces of bread has much older roots. As early as the first century B.C., the Jewish rabbi Hillel the Elder is said to have placed herbs and nuts between two pieces of matzah during Passover. The Romans also had an early version of a sandwich, known as an "offula."