A cheese sandwich is a

sandwich A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...

made with cheese on bread. Typically semi-hard cheeses are used for the filling, such as

Cheddar Cheddar most often refers to either: *Cheddar cheese *Cheddar, Somerset, the village after which Cheddar cheese is named Cheddar may also refer to: Places * Cheddar, Ontario, Canada * Cheddar Yeo, a river which flows through Cheddar Gorge and t ...

Red Leicester Red Leicester (also known simply as Leicester or Leicestershire cheese) is an English cheese, made in a similar manner to Cheddar cheese, although it is crumbly in texture and typically sold at 6 to 12 months of age. The rind is reddish-orange wi ...

, or Double Gloucester. A ''Guardian'' article called the cheese sandwich a " British lunchtime staple". Using a sandwich toaster or

frying pan A frying pan, frypan, or skillet is a flat-bottomed pan used for frying, searing, and browning foods. It is typically in diameter with relatively low sides that flare outwards, a long handle, and no lid. Larger pans may have a small grab han ...

can transform the cheese sandwich into a cheese toastie. When a meat sandwich is prepared, the cheese becomes the accompaniment, and the sandwich is known by other names such as

ham sandwich The ham sandwich is a common type of sandwich. The bread may be fresh or toasted, and it can be made with a variety of toppings including cheese and vegetables like lettuce, tomato, onion or pickle slices. Various kinds of mustard and mayonnai ...

, tuna sandwich, etc. If the cheese is melted on such a sandwich, the term melt sandwich is used.

Variants

Popular British variants include the cheese and pickle sandwich, the cheese and tomato sandwich and the cheese and onion sandwich. A grilled cheese sandwich is a popular American cheese sandwich, in which the sandwich is heated until the cheese melts. An Italian variation is the carrozza, a mozzarella cheese sandwich coated in egg and flour and fried.

Popularity

By 2014 the cheese sandwich was declining in popularity in the United Kingdom. A survey of 2,000 adults’ eating habits by YouGov in December 2014 found that 55% of British adults had not eaten a cheese sandwich during the previous week. In response, in 2015 Anchor Cheddar launched a campaign, using a bus designed to look like a cheese sandwich, to encourage the consumption of this type of food. In 2017, a survey by

YouGov YouGov is a British international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm, headquartered in the UK, with operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. In 2007, it acquired US company Polimetrix, and sinc ...

found that 36% of British people said that cheese is their favourite sandwich filling, and in 2018, a survey of 2000 British people, found that a plain cheese sandwich was the most popular type of sandwich. By 2020 however, a similar study showed that the plain cheese sandwich had become less popular and the bacon sandwich was the favourite.

Health warnings

In 2008, the Food Standards Agency warned that one cheese sandwich contains more than half the recommended daily amount of saturated fat. In 2012, Action on Salt campaigned for cheese sandwiches to come with a health warning. The group reported, that the high quantities of salt, contained in the main ingredients of a cheese sandwich, could lead to children consuming an excessive amount. In response, the Dairy Council said that it was wrong to say that cheese sandwiches are not good for you. Action on Salt later withdrew the press release, citing an error.

Research

A study by Len Fisher at the

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

in 2003, found that the optimum thickness for the filling in a cheese sandwich is dependent on the type of cheese used, and that the sandwich should be made with a light spread of

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condimen ...

or margarine to enhance the flavour of the cheese. This research has drawn criticism for being 'frivolous'.

History

While the original invention of the cheese sandwich is not known to be documented, some interpretations of William Shakespeare's 1602 play, The Merry Wives of Windsor report that the line "I love not the humour of bread and cheese" was the first written reference to a cheese sandwich. In January 1889, in Greenville, Pennsylvania, Henry Hoffman, George Smith and Teddy Atkins took part in a cheese sandwich eating contest. Hoffman won the contest, eating 16 sandwiches in 15 minutes.

In popular culture

The 1903, British short silent

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

, called '' The Cheese Mites'', features a man making a cheese sandwich and examining it with a magnifying glass as its main storyline.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheese Sandwich American sandwiches British sandwiches Cheese dishes World cuisine