The Final and Definitive Sandwich Thread

[yung.carl.jung]

all of the options in the poll are sandwiches, with perhaps the sole exception of the Oreo, seeing as that thing does not contain anything that could qualify as "bread", as opposed to an ice cream sandwich, which has a very wafer-like flatbread as its foundation

there is no non-arbitrary reasoning that makes a hot-dog not a sandwich. there is no proper definition of sandwich that excludes a hot dog. now, referring to a hot dog as a sandwich in every day language can be misleading for sure, but it still is one.

One could also argue that, well, quantitatively, half a sandwich is not a sandwich.

that would however be an extremely poor argument. is a sub cut in half suddenly not a sandwich? of course it is

 

[Timsup2nothin]

that would however be an extremely poor argument. is a sub cut in half suddenly not a sandwich? of course it is

Is it? Or is it two sandwiches?

 

[yung.carl.jung]

No. An Oreo is a cookie. An ice cream sandwich is a sandwich by its long long tradition of being called a sandwich. It has grandfathered rights to the name. Burgers, burritos, tacos, hot dogs, gyros, etc. do not; they are just jumped up wanna be sandwiches. They should be quite happy with their own designated niches. They will never be sandwiches.

this just in: my friend birdie over here genuinely believes that some island monkeys whitebread-pityfest is more of a sandwich than a taco. yes, a taco, that lovely dripping rotund hand-held delicacy with more than a millenium of history behind it.

sandwiches came first. the egyptians had them. europeans had them. the chinese had em. then some brit put his name on it and colonialism ensued. a story retold perhaps thousands of times: british people putting names on stuff they don't even come close to understanding. get your order correct

Is it? Or is it two sandwiches?

damn, you're right. I'm going away for a few days, rethinking my past-life decisions that have led me down this slope..

 

[civvver]

I voted yes for everything but the mexican food and the hotdog. Hotdog I don't have a good reason, I guess technically it is a sandwich. I think the reason I kind of don't feel like it is a sandwich is because the bun is split, but never cut all the way in half. But then, if an open faced sandwich is a sandwich, then a hotdog should be too I suppose.

Gyros and pitas are a subset flatbread sandwiches. Calzones are pocket sandwiches. Both use a doughy bread. Tortillas are not doughy breads. They're tortillas. Wraps. Not the same thing. There's a very fine between a tortilla and a pita though, where you draw that line I think is up to you.

I voted yes on oreos and ice cream sandwiches cus they are a subset. Dessert sandwiches. In which case you can sub anything for the bread. It's just an imitation of a "real" sandwich, like a play on a sandwich, so it gets more leeway.

 

[Zardnaar]

Hard question really.

Gyros/kebabs are a sandwich IMHO, along with subs.

Hotdogs and wraps/tortillas not so much.

Burgers not really but I can see why you could argue it.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I voted yes for everything but the mexican food and the hotdog. Hotdog I don't have a good reason, I guess technically it is a sandwich. I think the reason I kind of don't feel like it is a sandwich is because the bun is split, but never cut all the way in half. But then, if an open faced sandwich is a sandwich, then a hotdog should be too I suppose.

I've been gearing up for this argument.

I have had the misfortune of picking up a hotdog and having the bun split along the bottom. Improper hand pressure, too slippery a mix of condiments, unkind fate, karmic debt; who can explain the reason this happened, but sometimes it does and I submit that anyone who has eaten many hot dogs has suffered a similar incident. The response, of course, is a shift in the grip and continuing to enjoy the delicate flavor sensation that is the hot dog.

But the situation is illustrative because the hot dog is still a hot dog, and now that the bun has split your hesitation regarding whether it is a sandwich has to be dissipated. Did this calamity suddenly turn the affected hot dog into a sandwich? I SAY NAY!!!! The hot dog was a sandwich even before the bun split! While it is a special variety of sandwich, it is, was, and always will be a sandwich.

 

[civvver]

Food definitions shouldn't exist in boxes anyway, they should be fluid and evolving. Is your alfredo sauce not legit cus you use cream cheese in it for texture? Is your beef stew not beef bourguignon simply because you omitted the mushrooms? Is your bolognese ruined because you use bacon over pancetta? And I have never figured out the difference between butter chicken and chicken tikka masala.

 

[yung.carl.jung]

I voted yes for everything but the mexican food and the hotdog. Hotdog I don't have a good reason, I guess technically it is a sandwich. I think the reason I kind of don't feel like it is a sandwich is because the bun is split, but never cut all the way in half. But then, if an open faced sandwich is a sandwich, then a hotdog should be too I suppose.

Gyros and pitas are a subset flatbread sandwiches. Calzones are pocket sandwiches. Both use a doughy bread. Tortillas are not doughy breads. They're tortillas. Wraps. Not the same thing. There's a very fine between a tortilla and a pita though, where you draw that line I think is up to you.

I voted yes on oreos and ice cream sandwiches cus they are a subset. Dessert sandwiches. In which case you can sub anything for the bread. It's just an imitation of a "real" sandwich, like a play on a sandwich, so it gets more leeway.

now this reasoning I can understand, it seems everything hinges on the definition of bread, and for some people a tortilla simply isn't bread. which I can totally see why, tho I'm still inclined to disagree. if something as removed as a slice of white toast counts as bread, then a tortilla, wheat or corn, should, too.

Food definitions shouldn't exist in boxes anyway, they should be fluid and evolving. Is your alfredo sauce not legit cus you use cream cheese in it for texture? Is your beef stew not beef bourguignon simply because you omitted the mushrooms? Is your bolognese ruined because you use bacon over pancetta? And I have never figured out the difference between butter chicken and chicken tikka masala.

chicken tikka is bite-sized pieces (usually cubed) of chicken meat, often skewered, sometimes in a tomato-cream sauce, but not necessarily so. they are almost always boneless and in the west are usually chicken breast.

butter chicken is always served in a buttery tomato sauce (also often featuring cream), but has bones in it usually, and often uses thigh meat (in europe) or a split entire chicken (in asia). it is cooked in a tandoor traditionally, while chicken tikka is rarely cooked over coals.

the spices differ a little, but that's really down to south-indian, north-indian, afghan and so on specifics. they are very, very similiar dishes. how these dishes are cooked depends heavily on where you are, and no "true original" really exists. also probably my favorite indian food of all time, next to palak paneer.

 

[Traitorfish]

No it is not. It is a burger.

A burger is a meat patty. You can eat it without a bun. If you but it in a bun, it's a hamburger sandwich.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

A burger is a meat patty. You can eat it without a bun. If you but it in a bun, it's a hamburger sandwich.

And if you dip it in batter and deep fry it, does that make it Scottish?

 

[Hygro]

No. An Oreo is a cookie. An ice cream sandwich is a sandwich by its long long tradition of being called a sandwich. It has grandfathered rights to the name. Burgers, burritos, tacos, hot dogs, gyros, etc. do not; they are just jumped up wanna be sandwiches. They should be quite happy with their own designated niches. They will never be sandwiches.

You mean a sandwich is a failed burrito.

 

[Gori the Grey]

Is it? Or is it two sandwiches?

Yeah, that's the essence of my response to your earlier reply to me. If a particular entity is labeled a "half-sandwich," then it's whole self-identification assumes some standard size. We don't have to spell out what is a standard sized sandwich, if the thing itself calls itself half of one.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Yeah, that's the essence of my response to your earlier reply to me. If a particular entity is labeled a "half-sandwich," then it's whole self-identification assumes some standard size. We don't have to spell out what is a standard sized sandwich, if the thing itself calls itself half of one.

Fair point. I have folded a piece of bread in half and set it here on my desk. I will listen carefully and report what it says on the matter.

For the record, I would not label a sandwich made from a single slice of bread, whether folded or cut, as a 'half-sandwich.' In my opinion it is just a small sandwich.

 

[Gori the Grey]

I'm just referring to the poll option. You'll note I voted yes for that as a sandwich despite these semantic considerations.

 

[Zardnaar]

I don't care about semantics.
If it tastes good down the hatch it goes.

 

[warpus]

Have you ever walked up to a counter and said: "I'd like a sandwich"

and they gave you a taco?

That has never happened in the history of sandwichkind. Because a taco is not a sandwich.

People are playing games with words here. "Sandwich" has 2 different types of definitions. There is a more academic definition and a common usage definition. The more academic definition defines a sandwich as anything edible between two pieces of bread or something similar. It's incredibly vague and is clearly meant to be a word to describe a group of similar food items, such as actual sandwiches, subs, burgers, hot dogs, tacos, and some frozen soups.

However, in common language the word "sandwich" means something else. It's a specific subset of that huge group of foods above. If you say "sandwich" nobody will ever think "oh, he means an enchilada". So don't be daft kthx

Btw, an open face sandwich is clearly a sandwich. Where I was born that is the most common type of sandwich you can get. If it's not a sandwich, then what is it? We call it a "kanapka", which translates to sandwich. Meanwhile "taco" translates to "taco"

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Have you ever walked up to a counter and said: "I'd like a sandwich"

and they gave you a taco?

That has never happened in the history of sandwichkind. Because a taco is not a sandwich.

People are playing games with words here. "Sandwich" has 2 different types of definitions. There is a more academic definition and a common usage definition. The more academic definition defines a sandwich as anything edible between two pieces of bread or something similar. It's incredibly vague and is clearly meant to be a word to describe a group of similar food items, such as actual sandwiches, subs, burgers, hot dogs, tacos, and some frozen soups.

However, in common language the word "sandwich" means something else. It's a specific subset of that huge group of foods above. If you say "sandwich" nobody will ever think "oh, he means an enchilada". So don't be daft kthx

Btw, an open face sandwich is clearly a sandwich. Where I was born that is the most common type of sandwich you can get. If it's not a sandwich, then what is it? We call it a "kanapka", which translates to sandwich. Meanwhile "taco" translates to "taco"

Actually, personal experience, some fifty years ago my sister had a Hispanic boyfriend. One day, as we were headed out hunting frogs, he said that we needed to stop to pick up his brother at their mom's house, which was good because we'd also have some sandwiches. I was pleasantly surprised when we were presented with plates of tacos, and said "this is great, I thought you said sandwiches." His reply: "I did, taco is Spanish for sandwich."

 

[Gori the Grey]

I voted yes for everything but the mexican food and the hotdog. Hotdog I don't have a good reason, I guess technically it is a sandwich. I think the reason I kind of don't feel like it is a sandwich is because the bun is split, but never cut all the way in half. But then, if an open faced sandwich is a sandwich, then a hotdog should be too I suppose.

Gyros and pitas are a subset flatbread sandwiches. Calzones are pocket sandwiches. Both use a doughy bread. Tortillas are not doughy breads. They're tortillas. Wraps. Not the same thing. There's a very fine between a tortilla and a pita though, where you draw that line I think is up to you.

I voted yes on oreos and ice cream sandwiches cus they are a subset. Dessert sandwiches. In which case you can sub anything for the bread. It's just an imitation of a "real" sandwich, like a play on a sandwich, so it gets more leeway.

I've been gearing up for this argument.

I have had the misfortune of picking up a hotdog and having the bun split along the bottom. Improper hand pressure, too slippery a mix of condiments, unkind fate, karmic debt; who can explain the reason this happened, but sometimes it does and I submit that anyone who has eaten many hot dogs has suffered a similar incident. The response, of course, is a shift in the grip and continuing to enjoy the delicate flavor sensation that is the hot dog.

But the situation is illustrative because the hot dog is still a hot dog, and now that the bun has split your hesitation regarding whether it is a sandwich has to be dissipated. Did this calamity suddenly turn the affected hot dog into a sandwich? I SAY NAY!!!! The hot dog was a sandwich even before the bun split! While it is a special variety of sandwich, it is, was, and always will be a sandwich.

It is, I will note, bizarre that a hot-dog would be considered a sandwich by virtue of a characteristic that is not true of the archetypal sandwich.

As to open-face sandwiches (or "sandwiches," as you will soon see), if we use the Lord of Sandwich's original definition (something that you can eat with one hand while holding a hand of cards in the other), then open-faced sandwiches don't count.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

As to open-face sandwiches (or "sandwiches," as you will soon see), if we use the Lord of Sandwich's original definition (something that you can eat with one hand while holding a hand of cards in the other), then open-faced sandwiches don't count.

You just pick it up by the edges and sort of fold it in the process, then bite the end...pretty much like eating a hot dog.

 

[Gori the Grey]

The open face sandwiches I know are way to sloppy for that. Often smothered in gravy. Need a fork and knife to eat.