 Scandinaviansmørrebrød at a cafeteria in Norway | |
| Alternative names | Open-face sandwich, open-faced sandwich, tartine, bread baser, bread platter |
|---|---|
| Type | Sandwich |
| Main ingredients | Bread, topping |
| Variations | Many variations exist |
Anopen sandwich, also known as anopen-face/open-faced sandwich,bread baser,bread platter ortartine,[1] consists of a single slice ofbread ortoast with one or morefood items on top. It has half the number of slices of bread compared to a typicalclosed sandwich and hastoppings rather thanfillings.
During the start of theMiddle Ages, thin slabs of coarse bread called "trenches" (late 15th century English) or, in its French derivative, "trenchers", were used as plates.[2] At the end of the meal, the food-soaked trencher was eaten by the diner (from which the expression "trencherman" may come), or perhaps fed to a dog or saved for beggars. Trenchers were as much the harbingers of open-face sandwiches[3] as they were of disposable crockery.[citation needed]
A direct precursor to the Englishsandwich may be found in the Netherlands of the 17th century, where the naturalistJohn Ray observed that in the taverns, beef hung from the rafters "which they cut into thin slices and eat with bread and butter laying the slices upon the butter".[4] These explanatory specifications reveal that the Dutchbelegde boterham, open-faced sandwich, was as yet unfamiliar in England.[citation needed]
In countries like Denmark, wheresmørrebrød is common, smørrebrød is not considered a form of sandwich; rather, a sandwich is considered a form of smørrebrød with an extra piece of bread on top.[5] In a US context, open sandwiches are sandwiches that are made with only a single slice of bread.[clarification needed] It has given rise to some controversy in thephilosophy of language study of meaningunderdetermination after a judge had to consider whether aburrito was a sandwich for the purposes of enforcing anexclusive use clause in an American legal case. The judge followed the definition ofMerriam-Webster's Dictionary: "two thin pieces of bread, usually buttered, with a thin layer (as of meat, cheese or savory mixture) spread between them." Because the burrito was "typically made with a single tortilla," the judge said it was not a sandwich.[6]
Open sandwiches allow for an arrangement of different types of sandwiches to be served withafternoon teas or as an accompaniment to salads.[7] They can be cut into fancy shapes of triangles, stars, rounds and crescents, and arranged in an attractive platter for presentation. Common ingredients for open sandwiches are jam, stuffed olives, chopped herbs, cream cheese, hard-boiled eggs and pimiento. Any ingredients can be used to add flavor and color to enhance the presentation of the sandwich platter.[8]
An open sandwich is a slice of fresh bread or, e.g. in Germany, abread roll half, with different spreads,[9] butter, liverpâté, cheese spreads, cold cuts such asroast beef,turkey, ham, bacon,salami,beef tongue,mortadella,head cheese or sausages likebeerwurst orkabanos, fish such assmoked salmon,gravadlax,herring,eel andprawns, and vegetables likebell pepper,tomato,radish,scallion andcucumber.[citation needed]
Open sandwiches like this are consumed inFrance,Belgium,Denmark,[10]Norway,[11]Sweden,[12]Finland,Estonia,Austria,Germany,[13][14] theCzech Republic,[15]Hungary,[16] theNetherlands,[17]Poland andBulgaria as well as other parts ofEurope, andNorth America as a regularbreakfast andsupper food item. The Americantongue toast was offered as an entrée for breakfast, lunch, and supper and as anhors d'œuvre for formal parties.[citation needed]
In formerCzechoslovakia, a popular type of open sandwich is calledobložené chlebíčky (pl., sg.obložený chlebíček) - slantways cut slice ofveka (long narrow white bread) spread withbutter or with various combinations ofmayonnaise salads andhard boiled egg,cheese,ham,salami, smoked fish (salmon orsprats or pickledherring),tomato,pickled cucumber,lettuce, rawonion or other vegetable, etc.[15]
The open sandwich is the common, traditional sandwich type in theNordic countries,[18][19]Estonia,Latvia,Lithuania, theNetherlands,Belarus,Russia,Poland,Ukraine,Kazakhstan where it is typically eaten at breakfast,lunch,supper, or as a snack. InFinland the sandwich is calledvoileipä, and in Estonia similarlyvõileib, which also means "butter bread".[citation needed]
The Scandinavian open sandwich (Danish:smørrebrød,Norwegian:smørbrød,Swedish:smörgås ormacka) consists of one piece of buttered bread, often whole-grainrye bread (Danish:rugbrød,Swedish:rågbröd,Finnish:ruisleipä), topped with, for instance, cheese, coldsteak, ham, turkey,shrimps, smokedsalmon,caviar, hard boiled eggs, bacon,herring, fish fillets, liver pâté (Danish:leverpostej,Norwegian:leverpostei,Swedish:leverpastej), or small meatballs. This is typically complemented by someherbs and vegetables such asparsley, cold salad, thinly sliced cucumber, tomato wedges or pickled beets, etc. on the same slice of bread.[18][20]
A condiment, such as mayonnaise, or mayonnaise-baseddressing is also often included in some form.[15]An old traditional replacement for butter on a piece of bread with herring is pig fat. There are many variations associated with the smørrebrød/smørbrød/smörgås and there are even special stores, cafés and restaurants (especially in Denmark) that specialize in them.[19][21][22]
The Dutch and FlemishUitsmijter consists of one or more slices of bread topped with fried eggs (one per slice of bread), and can be accompanied by slices of cheese or meat (roast beef or ham). The dish is often served as a hearty breakfast. Sweet toppings are commonly used for breakfast in the Netherlands andBelgium: e.g.sprinkles,vlokken, ormuisjes, next to the more widespreadpeanut butter,honey,jam, andchocolate spread.[17]
In Great Britain, open sandwiches are rare outside of Scandinavian delicatessens. The open sandwiches found in Great Britain are theWelsh rarebit[23] and other "on toast" dishes (e.g.,cheese on toast), and theScotch woodcock, an open sandwich served historically at the colleges of theUniversity of Cambridge andUniversity of Oxford and in the refreshment rooms of theHouse of Commons of the United Kingdom as late as 1949.[24][25][26]
InNorth America, anopen faced sandwich may also refer to a slice of bread topped with warm slices ofroasted meat andgravy. Examples include abeef Manhattan, ahot chicken sandwich in Canada, orWelsh rarebit.[23] This is also done in Scandinavian countries, where they also eat open faced sandwiches with fried meat and fried fish.[citation needed]
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