Overview
- Observed on November 3, the date is tied to the birthday of John Montagu, the oft-cited origin of the sandwich, with the celebration popularized by fast-food chains.
- The first known printed recipe appeared in Isabella Beeton’s 1861 cookbook, and the word entered Spain’s Royal Academy dictionary in 1927.
- Americans consume an estimated 300 million sandwiches each day, underscoring the dish’s ubiquity in modern eating habits.
- Peanut butter and jelly surged in popularity during World War II because those ingredients were included in U.S. Army rations, and peanut butter is credited to physician Ambrose Straub for patients with swallowing difficulties.
- Global variants span BLT and club styles to croque-monsieur, francesinha, bocadillo, panino, milanesa, miga and mollete, with curiosities including a 2013 mass-making event in Manchester and a reported $28,000 toasted sandwich sale in 2004.