The sandwich saga

After attending a job interview with an advertising firm, a friend of mine was telling us about one of the questions she had been asked: "If you were a sandwich, what filling would you have?" This, we felt, ranked up there on the "bloody stupid things to ask" table along with "if you were a chemical element, what would you be?". But on reflection, perhaps it wasn't so daft. Her response was "smoked salmon and low-fat cream cheese with salad on rye bread", which, she explained, demonstrated that she was classy, health-conscious and in touch with her family's continental European roots. As she got the job, I am presuming that being able to think of three tenuous justifications really made her stand out from the crowd. When we consume a sandwich, it is likely that we do not consider this comestible's long and illustrious history, nor do we ponder its deeper meaning. This is a mistake. We may think that in choosing our favourite sandwich we are simply choosing the least manky-looking option on offer in a cafe, but we should also recognise the contextual issues surrounding our choices. The very term "sandwich" is loaded with class-based meaning, for it was named after John Montagu , 4th Earl of Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty. Does our choice of sandwich show a certain deference to these august beginnings? And does this also lead to a defensive view of what is or is not appropriate in sandwich terms? If so, this may help to explain the antipathy of some towards innovations such as the " open sandwich" (which, with its similarities to medieval trencher bread, in fact has roots extending even further back into history), and strong views on fillings. Salad may be considered poncy in principle, but opinions grow yet stronger when confronted with rocket in place of good old-fashioned iceberg lettuce, or items such as pine nuts, olives, or sundried tomatoes, that are considered middle-class. Even the very bread itself conveys an important code: sliced white denigrated as "low culture", rosemary ciabatta considered de rigueur in certain postcodes, and anything involving added omega-3 fish oils confirming a strong parental bond. At many outlets, it is no longer sufficient to say "cheese sandwich, please"; one must specify the type of bread, whether or not one wants butter, salad, which bits of salad, sauce, which sauce, "toasted, madam?" and so on. As such it can be seen as reflecting the general societal shift towards treating us all as consumers who need to be offered choice. Obviously, this is somewhat relevant when ordering food – Prêt wouldn't last long if their staff just arbitrarily threw falafel and chunky hummus sandwiches at people who had only popped in for a lemon slice – but the sheer variety offered can render the decision-making process confusing, the result unsatisfying, and transfers responsibility for the decision squarely onto the consumer, leaving the experts free and clear. Parallels can be drawn with education and health policy, as sometimes people just want a cheese sandwich, just as they would like a decent school for their kids or a new hip without having to go through all that fuss. Finally, feminist and gender theory has its place in examining our attitude to the sandwich. Certain male friends of mine refer to "manwiches" (nothing to do with this ) when preparing for outings, and this has become a worryingly competitive endeavour for them. This macho approach to the sandwich is reflected also by Subway, which sells its goods in 6in or 12in lengths ( indeed, 6ft or 12ft versions are available ) rather than using an arbitrary "sandwich-size" that women might find easier to understand (14, 16, medium, large, that kind of thing). If concerned by this, one can take heart that wraps are now also widely available, as these are thought to be more flattering on a variety of body shapes, although it is notable that many sandwich purists object that a wrap is "not a bloody sandwich", harking back to the masculine, indeed militaristic, background of the sandwich. All of this of course is food for thought, and I would love to hear your sandwich impressions. This article was inspired by the You Tell Us thread, and written by Cif commenter PhilippaB