Is a hamburger a sandwich?

[warpus]

I think I started typing a response to this, left it in a tab, and then forgot about it..

Different in which places?

Well, it appears to me that for example even the British and American meaning of the word "sandwich" is slightly different. I see even more stark contrasts between English and the other languages I know.

I think "sandwich" works this way. It names a broad category that includes hamburgers and, maddeningly, sandwiches.

I think this comment explains why there is disagreement.

But I also just actually learned that in Polish "sandwich" also includes hamburger sandwiches, although there is a very historical understanding of the word "sandwich" which is a light snack with butter, meat, mustard, vegetables, on a bun cut in two or a slice of bread.

The hamburger is a new arrival on the global sandwich scene and has not yet gained full acceptance into the sandwich family. But I myself am now welcoming the hamburger sandwich. I have meditated on the subject over the last couple days and the answer is clear: there are meta-sandwiches, and regular sandwiches. And all meta-sandwiches have the right to be called sandwiches, even if they are not regular sandwiches. They are all sandwiches and they stand equally before us as such.

 

[Lohrenswald]

Well, what's this polish word?

 

[warpus]

It's one of my favourite Polish words actually.

Kanapka

 

[AdamCrock]

Sand - Witch xD

So .... anyone up for the sandwitches ? ^^

 

[Perfection]

KFC Double Down



Sandwich or no?

 

[AdamCrock]

Well it kinda does not look like a witch but I would still burn it ..... (my culinary skills are poor apparently)

 

[Commodore]

KFC Double Down



Sandwich or no?

Maybe? I'm leaning toward yes.

 

[Wolfbeckett]

I'm not sure that the breading on the chicken really qualifies as "bread", in which case it wouldn't be a sandwich IMO, since one of the absolute requirements of a sandwich is that it's on bread.

But that said, I barely qualify KFC as food, much less worry about how to classify it.

 

[AdamCrock]

I'm not sure that the breading on the chicken really qualifies as "bread", in which case it wouldn't be a sandwich IMO, since one of the absolute requirements of a sandwich is that it's on bread.

But that said, I barely qualify KFC as food, much less worry about how to classify it.

You've got a point there ! No bread no sand-witch !

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I'm not sure that the breading on the chicken really qualifies as "bread", in which case it wouldn't be a sandwich IMO, since one of the absolute requirements of a sandwich is that it's on bread.

But that said, I barely qualify KFC as food, much less worry about how to classify it.

While it may not qualify as food, that double down thing is great! Yum!

 

[warpus]

Bread has to act as a container or wrapper. If that bag had been made out of bread, that would then be a double down sandwich.

 

[schlaufuchs]

Sandwich or no?

At last! A question worthy of the gravitas of this thread.

I don't know, but I do know it's delicious.

Also to those saying it doesn't have bread: the chicken breasts are technically breaded and fried.

 

[Arwon]

The Double Down is a genius deconstruction of the sandwich genre and could not exist without sandwiches as a reference point. Asking if it is a sandwich is like asking if something is art.

 

[Tigranes]

I can't believe this thread got 92 replies so far!

 

[azzaman333]

Referring to a burger as a sandwich is just needless confusion. If I ask for a sandwich, my expectation is two slices of bread containing some sort of filling. If I ask for a burger, the expectation is a bread roll with some sort of meat patty on it. Calling both sandwiches is a good way to be disappointed.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Referring to a burger as a sandwich is just needless confusion. If I ask for a sandwich, my expectation is two slices of bread containing some sort of filling. If I ask for a burger, the expectation is a bread roll with some sort of meat patty on it. Calling both sandwiches is a good way to be disappointed.

Seems to me that just asking for a generic sandwich or a generic burger is likely to lead to disappointment. Either one is a valid starting point, but to get what you want you have to give details or you just get what you get.

 

[azzaman333]

Seems to me that just asking for a generic sandwich or a generic burger is likely to lead to disappointment. Either one is a valid starting point, but to get what you want you have to give details or you just get what you get.

If I go to a cafe and they have a "chicken sandwich" on the menu, I'm expecting pieces of chicken between two slices of bread. If I order that and instead get a chicken burger, I'm going to be disappointed because they weren't clear that they meant a chicken burger.

There's no reason to call a burger a sandwich unless your aim is to confuse.

 

[Perfection]

Bread has to act as a container or wrapper.

What about open faced sandwiches?

There's no reason to call a burger a sandwich unless your aim is to confuse.

What if you own a factory that produces frozen hamburgers. It would make sense to refer the finished product as a sandwich because if you called it a hamburger people might confuse it for the ground meat ingredient.

 

[classical_hero]

KFC Double Down



Sandwich or no?

It's an abomination.

What about open faced sandwiches?

"Use the open face club, the sand wedge."
"Mmmm. Open faced club sandwich."

 

[Borachio]

What about open faced sandwiches?

They're plainly not sandwiches at all. Isn't there a fancy Scandinavian word for them?

Oh look, there's three: Smørbrød, smørrebrød or smörgås.