Who invented the sandwich?
THE humble sandwich has become a lunchtime staple for people around the world, with hundreds of different fillings to opt for.
But just how long have people been eating food between two slices of bread - and where did it all start?
Who invented the sandwich?
The invention of the idea of the sandwich is far older than the Earl of Sandwich it is attributed to.
Food eaten between pieces of bread was popular in many cultures, and particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The first Jewish leader (rabbi), Hillel the Elder, introduced a mixture of chopped nuts, apple and wine between two matzohs as a passover tradition in 1BC.
Huge slabs of bread called trenchers were used as plates, then either eaten or given charitably as alms in the Middle Ages.
But the word sandwich in reference to food between slices of bread does seem to originate from John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich.
It is thought he copied the idea after enjoying pitta bread as part of a mezze - a selection of small dishes - on his travels.
The first time a sandwich is described in writing is in a journal entry by a man named Edward Gibbon, made on November 24, 1862.
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Why was the sandwich invented?
The sandwich always seems to have been a convenience food, easy to carry and clean to eat.
The fourth Earl of Sandwich is said to have been given salt beef between two slices of bread in 1762, because he could eat it with his hands while he was busy.
It quickly became popular in London Gentlemen’s Clubs like the Coco Tree and the Beef Steak club, where it is said to have been invented.
By the end of the 1760s, sandwiches were more generally popular as late-night food for supper at events like balls.
Charlotte Mason was one of the first to publish a sandwich recipe, as a 19th century supper item, often made with cold leftovers from lunch.
The early railways enabled sandwiches to become very popular because they were useful for workmen and passengers, being easy to eat and carry, with little mess.
Later, pubs and taverns sold sandwiches in response to the temperance movement to encourage customers inside.
Sandwiches took longer to become popular in the US.
A recipe for a ham sandwich first appeared across the pond in a cookbook by Elizabeth Leslie, in 1837.
Interestingly, some people ate their sandwiches rolled up.
Sandwiches became popular in the US when sliced white bread became available - and by the 1920s, this bread became known as sandwich bread across the States.
Who was John Montagu?
John Montagu was the fourth Earl of Sandwich, a town near Dover, Kent, that sandwiches are named after.
He was born in 1718 and died in 1792.
He was patron to the famous explorer Captain Cook, who named a Polynesian Island after the Earl.
One story tells how, in 1762, he was brought salt beef between two slices of bread so he could eat with his hands.
Some say this was during a 24-hour gambling fest at the Beef Steak in London, although a biographer of Montagu says he was at his desk working at the time.
It seems to be true that he both worked and gambled hard.
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Some storytellers say he asked for the meat to be placed between the two slices, of bread, making him the creator of the sandwich.
But others claim he asked for food he could eat with his hands, and the cooks popped the beef in the bread, giving them the credit for the creation.