Ham sandwich
Encyclopedia
The ham sandwich is a common type of sandwich
. It is made by putting sliced ham
between two slices of bread
. The bread may be toasted
and buttered
.
says that the ham sandwich is the most sold sandwich in the UK, and a survey they conducted in 2001 saw ham as the second favourite filling behind cheese. 70% of the 1.8 billion sandwiches eaten in France in 2008 were ham sandwiches, prompting a French economic analysis firm to begin a 'jambon-beurre index', like the Big Mac Index
, to compare prices across the country. Most ham sandwiches sold in the UK are processed, using formed ham and bread made using the Chorleywood Bread Process
.
The world's longest ham sandwich was created by butcher Nico Jimenez in 2009 in Pamplona, Spain.
record stands at 37. The record has yet to be tested since then.
warned in 2009 against parents feeding their children too many ham sandwiches, due to the risk of bowel cancer from the processed meat. A ham sandwich was suspected of causing an outbreak of swine fever in the UK in 2000.
was famously quoted by Tom Wolfe
in The Bonfire of the Vanities
that "a grand jury would 'indict a ham sandwich,' if that's what you wanted."
A fictional talking ham sandwich appeared in an online noir serial in the late 1990s, and the publishers sued in 1999 when a similar character appeared in a television advertisement for Florida orange juice, though the suit was withdrawn.
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
. It is made by putting sliced ham
Ham
Ham is a cut of meat from the thigh of the hind leg of certain animals, especiallypigs. Nearly all hams sold today are fully cooked or cured.-Etymology:...
between two slices of bread
Sliced bread
Sliced bread is a loaf of bread which has been pre-sliced and packaged for convenience. It was first sold in 1928, advertised as "the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped." This led to the popular phrase, "the greatest thing since sliced bread".- History :Otto...
. The bread may be toasted
Toast
Toast is bread that has been browned by exposure to radiant heat. This browning reaction is known as the Maillard reaction. Toasting warms the bread and makes it firmer, so it holds toppings more securely...
and buttered
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
.
History
The ham sandwich is one of the earliest recorded closed-face sandwiches; by 1850, at least 70 London street vendors offered it. In 18th-century Britain the sandwich was still closely associated with Spanish cuisine, which (considering the especially wide consumption of ham in Spain) may suggest that sandwiches with ham were preferred at that time as well.Consumption
The British Sandwich AssociationBritish Sandwich Association
The British Sandwich Association was founded in January 1990 and is based in Chepstow. The aim of the organization is to improve the sandwich industry by setting standards and rewarding excellent sandwich manufacturers and retailers in the annual Sammies. The BSA is run non-commercially on behalf...
says that the ham sandwich is the most sold sandwich in the UK, and a survey they conducted in 2001 saw ham as the second favourite filling behind cheese. 70% of the 1.8 billion sandwiches eaten in France in 2008 were ham sandwiches, prompting a French economic analysis firm to begin a 'jambon-beurre index', like the Big Mac Index
Big Mac index
The Big Mac Index is published by The Economist as an informal way of measuring the purchasing power parity between two currencies and provides a test of the extent to which market exchange rates result in goods costing the same in different countries...
, to compare prices across the country. Most ham sandwiches sold in the UK are processed, using formed ham and bread made using the Chorleywood Bread Process
Chorleywood Bread Process
The Chorleywood bread process is an industrial process used to lower the cost of bread production. The CBP, or no time method, was developed in 1961 by the British Baking Industries Research Association based at Chorleywood, and is now used to make 80% of the UK's bread...
.
The world's longest ham sandwich was created by butcher Nico Jimenez in 2009 in Pamplona, Spain.
World Record
In early 2009, "Vanessa the Anessa" as she calls herself, had set the world record for most ham sandwiches consumed within a 1 day period. Therecord stands at 37. The record has yet to be tested since then.
Health
The World Cancer Research FundWorld Cancer Research Fund
World Cancer Research Fund International is a not-for-profit association, established by royal decree in Belgium, with headquarters in London, UK...
warned in 2009 against parents feeding their children too many ham sandwiches, due to the risk of bowel cancer from the processed meat. A ham sandwich was suspected of causing an outbreak of swine fever in the UK in 2000.
Cultural impact
New York State chief judge Sol WachtlerSol Wachtler
Solomon Wachtler, born , is a lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1985 to 1993. Known for the remark, "A marriage license should not be viewed as a license for a husband to forcibly rape his wife with impunity" , Wachtler was a key figure in...
was famously quoted by Tom Wolfe
Tom Wolfe
Thomas Kennerly "Tom" Wolfe, Jr. is a best-selling American author and journalist. He is one of the founders of the New Journalism movement of the 1960s and 1970s.-Early life and education:...
in The Bonfire of the Vanities
The Bonfire of the Vanities
The Bonfire of the Vanities is a 1987 novel by Tom Wolfe. The story is a drama about ambition, racism, social class, politics, and greed in 1980s New York City and centers on four main characters: WASP bond trader Sherman McCoy, Jewish assistant district attorney Larry Kramer, British expatriate...
that "a grand jury would 'indict a ham sandwich,' if that's what you wanted."
A fictional talking ham sandwich appeared in an online noir serial in the late 1990s, and the publishers sued in 1999 when a similar character appeared in a television advertisement for Florida orange juice, though the suit was withdrawn.