 A piece of toast sandwiched between two pieces of bread | |
| Type | Sandwich |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Region or state | England |
| Main ingredients | Bread,toast,butter,salt,pepper |
| 330 kcal (1,400 kJ) | |
Atoast sandwich (also known as abread sandwich) is asandwich in which the filling between two slices of bread is itself a thin slice of toasted bread, which may be buttered.[1][2] An 1861 recipe says to addsalt and pepper to taste.[1]
A recipe for toast sandwiches is included in theinvalid cookery section of the 1861Book of Household Management byIsabella Beeton, who adds, "This sandwich may be varied by adding a littlepulled meat, or very fine slices ofcold meat, to the toast, and in any of these forms will be found very tempting to the appetite ofan invalid."[1][3]
In November 2011, the toast sandwich was recreated by theRoyal Society of Chemistry in a tasting 150 years after the release of Beeton'sBook of Household Management.[4] The society sought to revive the forgotten dish in wake of theGreat Recession after calculating the cost as low as£.075 per sandwich.[5] They named it "the country's most economical lunch", offering£200 (equivalent to £307.87 in 2023) to whoever could create a cheaper edible meal.[6] Due to an overabundance of submissions, the offer was closed seven days later and the £200 given to a randomly selected entrant.[7]
InHeston Blumenthal's restaurantthe Fat Duck, 12 toast sandwiches are served as aside dish to the "Mad Hatter's Tea Party (circa 1892)", amain course inspired byAlice in Wonderland.[8][9][10] Blumenthal's recipe for the toast sandwich involvesbone marrow salad, egg yolk, mustard,gastrique, mayonnaise, and tomato ketchup.[10]
The A.V. Club's Mike Vago described it as an "extravagance of blandness".[11]The Daily Meal article "12 Life-Changing Sandwiches You've Never Heard Of" said the toast sandwich was "just not that good ... Thankfully, theDadaists didn't invent any more sandwiches after that."[2]
The toast sandwich was discussed onThe Leonard Lopate Show in an interview withThe Sporkful'sDan Pashman. HostLeonard Lopate commented, "it sounds weird to me".[12][13] Thegame show panelists onNPR'sWait Wait... Don't Tell Me! each tried the toast sandwich.[14] HostPeter Sagal remarked, "This is the culinary equivalent of aRothko painting. Or it's like a sandwich byMarcel Duchamp! It questions the essence of sandwich and language both!"[14]
Media related toToast sandwiches at Wikimedia Commons
