The Sandwich takes it's name from John Montagu, the 4th earl of Sandwich, a British nobleman and lord of the admiralty. Montagu was a prolific gambler, and according to some, he was one day occupied with gambling for so long, that he couldn't be bothered to get up to eat. He requested salted beef in between two slices of bread, so as to not dirty his hands, and seeing this, his gambling partners began calling the dish a "Sandwich".1 Of course, people had been eating various foods in between pieces of bread long before Montagu, but nevertheless, the name stuck.
In the modern day, the definition of a sandwich has been the issue of much contention. In 2006, a superior court judge ruled that a burrito is not a sandwich, citing the difference between two slices of bread and a tortilla wrap.2 But all is not consistent in the world of law. The New York State tax code considers burritos, as well as gyros, hamburgers, wraps, and other assorted items, to be sandwiches.3 And if you prefer to side with the Massachusetts judge in this case, consider that a sub made of one slice of bread, with a cut in it to allow for ingredients to be put in, would not be considered a sandwich under the "two slices of bread" rule.
So still, we go deeper. The USDA's Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book makes the distinction between open and closed-faced sandwiches:4
Product must contain at least 35 percent cooked meat and no more than 50 percent bread....
Typical —closed-faced“ sandwiches consisting of two slices of bread or the top and bottom sections of a sliced bun that enclose meat or poultry, are not amenable to the Federal meat and poultry inspection laws.
And of open:
Must contain at least 50 percent cooked meat. Sandwiches are amenable only if they are open faced sandwiches.
The policy book also describes burritos and fajitas as "sandwich-like products". So what's the problem here? Well, for one, this definition would exclude the classic "peanut butter and jelly," a product most would not wish to argue is not a sandwich. Furthermore, it seems overly specific. Should we on principle object to the labeling of a product that is 55% bread as a sandwich? The idea seems ludicrous and arbitrary.
Quite recently, Colorado has decided to take the debate to a whole new level. A 2016 Colorado Department of Revenue memo regarding rules and definitions states: "“Sandwiches” as used in articles 47 and 48 of Title 12, C.R.S. are defined as single serving items such as hamburgers, hot dogs, frozen pizzas, burritos, chicken wings, etc."5 That's right Coloradans, chicken wings are a sandwich. California, while not quite as radical, nonetheless considers hot dogs and hamburgers to be sandwiches.6
To escape the craziness of the US, let's go north for a bit. The Canadian Food and Drugs act has some interesting things to say about sandwiches. 7
(3) Despite paragraph (1)(b), the following items are not required to be shown on the label of a prepackaged product:
....
(d) components of ingredients of a sandwich, if the sandwich is made with bread.
The operative word there is "if". If a sandwich is made of bread, which of course, comes with the implication that a sandwich need not be made of bread. Could a sandwich perhaps be a scoop of ice cream in between two cookies? Sadly, the act does not elaborate on the matter.
Regardless of how far and wide you look, the results are inconclusive. If, for a moment, we return to our friend, the Earl of Sandwich, we find his descendant, also named John Montagu, now holds the title, as the 11th Earl of Sandwich. John, it would have it, co-founded a sandwich restaurant chain in 2006 called, yes, Earl of Sandwich.8 Could it be argued that they have some historical claim to defining the sandwich. A cursory glance at their menu shows they consider sandwiches and wraps to be distinct9, but if one takes a look at the menu of one of their Disney franchises, it is quite apparent that they have a burrito under the category of hot sandwiches.10
The debate looks to be quite unresolved. I consider myself opposed to a strict prescriptivist interpretation of sandwiches—If there are ingredients incased in a flour-based product, then that is good enough to stand as a sandwich. But what say you? And what of all the other important questions this debate brings to light? Is a hot dog a taco? Is a pop-tart ravioli? If a sandwich is put into a salad bowl and tossed, does it remain a sandwich, or is it now something else? I hope you can answer these questions.
