What Sandwiches Look Like Around the World
By Juliet Smith
2 years ago
1. Grilled cheese- US
(Image/ Source: commercialappeal.com)As sandwiches go, this is one of the most famous- and one of our all-time favorites too! Whether you’re after a cheeky lunch or an evening snack, the grilled cheese delivers. Crusty bread is held together with lashings of thick, melting cheese, combined with as many other fillings and flavors as you like. We’re currently favoring a caramelized onion chutney.2. Bánh Mì- Vietnam
(Image/ Source: today.com)After French colonizers arrived in Vietnam, baguettes and pate became a big thing. A classic bánh mì is made up of a French baguette, which is sliced lengthwise, and stuffed with cold cuts of meat, pâté, pickled veggies, cilantro, jalapeños, and mayo. However, a lot of modern bánh mìs swap cold meat cuts for hot, spicy meats like lemongrass and ginger chicken, topped with coriander!3. Bombay sandwich- India
(Image/ Source: digiskynet.com)A veggie take on the classic club sandwich, this Indian snack is perfect for those wanting to avoid meat. The bacon is swapped for veg like cucumber and beet slices, while lettuce and mayo are traded for an indulgent layer of spicy boiled potato and tons of zingy cilantro chutney. You’ll sometimes find additions like green bell peppers and onion too.4. Bun kabab- Pakistan
(Image/ Source: masala.tv)Like a burger, but with a spicy punch. The most common form of kabab is a patty, usually made with ground beef or lamb, which is mixed with lentils and aromatic spices like cumin, ginger, and green chili. It’s then combined with an egg and fried in ghee or oil until it’s golden and crispy. Pop the patty on a burger bun with generous helpings of onions, tomatoes and chutneys!5. Croquette sando- Japan
(Image/ Source: cookingwithdog.com)This fusion snack is super popular across Japan. These gorgeous panko-crusted, deep-fried potato balls come with tons of different fillings- kabocha pumpkin, tuna, ground beef, and even mac & cheese! They’re then stuffed between bread slices and covered in beautifully tangy katsu sauce. Carby goodness.6. Doner kebab- Turkey
(Image/ Source: ilovemanchester.com)The humble doner kebab has been steadily taking over the world for the last decade or so. And it’s not too difficult to see why! The name doner actually comes from "dondurmek," a Turkish word for rotating roasted meat. This meat is served with veg like onions, tomatoes and salad, coated with lashings of white sauce, and wrapped up in flatbread.7. Ploughman's sandwich- UK
(Image/ Source: thebutty.co)This iconic cold sandwich is perfect for cheese fans- and for those that prefer a snack instead of a meal! Tangy cheese, super thick jarred chutney Branston pickle, some onions, lettuce, and possibly a few tomatoes are all added to crunchy wheat bread. You can even throw in a boiled egg for good measure.8. Pan bagnat- France
(Image/ Source: supervalu.ie)If you haven’t tried one of these already, we’d suggest making one asap. Salade niçoise is THE iconic dish of Nice, and it’s also available in a glorious sandwich form. Super crusty bread (day-old bread is usually best) is rubbed with olive oil and garlic. Add tomato, onion, olives, hard-boiled eggs, and basil, along with generous helpings of anchovies and tuna, and you’re onto a winner.9. Bake and shark- Trinidad
(Image/ Source: gourmetrecipecollection.weebly.com)As sandwiches go, this is definitely one of the more interesting ones! This popular beach snack consists of a puffed-up, airy flatbread, and filled with a great big hunk of shark meat (usually black tip). It’s then doused in a ton of sauces, including everything from garlic sauce and pepper sauce to coleslaw.10. Pork belly bao- China
(Image/ Source: freepik.com)Bao is absolutely everywhere right now- and we can’t get enough of them! These super fluffy Chinese appetizers are steamed, making them light and pillow soft. They’re traditionally filled with rich pork belly, pickled greens, peanuts, and a generous helping of chili, but there are endless options of fillings to choose from.11. Gyro- Greece
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(Image/ Source: thespruceeats.com)The king of modern street food, the gyro is perfect for meat fans. Thin, beautifully cooked lamb, pork, beef or chicken is tucked into a warm pita bread, and then covered with soft tomatoes, onions and salad. Throw in some tzatziki sauce and a few French fries dusted in smoke paprika, and you’ll be transported into food heaven.12. Torta- Mexico
(Image/ Source: vvsupremo.com)Anything goes with a Torta. These sandwiches can be served hot or cold, with meat or without. Whatever you fancy! They’re traditionally served in a crusty bolillo roll, with toppings like pickled peppers, refried beans, spicy chilis and avocado. These sandwiches can differ from region to region though.12. Philly Cheesesteak- US
(Image/ Source: honestfoodtalks.com)Philadelphia is the home of the cheesesteak. Some people claim you can’t get a good one outside the city, but we’ll let you be the judge of that one! Juicy steak slices, along with sweet, sticky onions, are encased in a pillowy roll and loaded with tons of cheese sauce. Sometimes you’ll come across pizza sauce and spicy pineapple sauce too.13. Smørrebrød- Denmark
(Image/ Source: mealsbymavis.com)These open sandwiches are a Scandinavian classic. They’re typically made with dark rye bread, and topped with punchy ingredients. The most traditional Smørrebrød include salmon and remoulade (a bit like mayonnaise, but with pickles, horseradish or anchovies) and roasted beef with yet more pickles and horseradish.14. Cevapcici- Bosnia and Herzegovina
(Image/ Source: tasteatlas.com)In the Balkans, folks are fuelled on street food- including cevapcici! This beautiful flatbread is filled stuffed with charcoal-grilled skinless sausage made of spiced minced meat (usually veal, lamb or beef) with sweet onions, kajmak (a cheese spread made with sour cream, cream cheese, and feta), and ajvar, which is a red pepper sauce. 10/10.15. Breakfast Sandwich- Taiwan
(Image/ Source: pinterest.com)If you like a filling breakfast, get yourself one of these epic triple-decker sandwiches. It has all the best breakfast ingredients you could ask for; egg and bacon, as well as cucumber and greens (because we still need the veggies!). All of this is slathered in mayonnaise and encased in fluffy white bread.16. Bean Sandwich- Senegal
(Image/ Source: harvestingnature.com)The best breakfasts are the unpretentious ones. This amazing breakfast sandwich is a huge hit in West Africa, and consists of a crusty baguette filled with red beans, which are cooked in a spicy tomato paste with onions and fragrant spices. Throw in a helping of mayo and hot sauce and you’ve got the basics covered. But if you want to kick things up a notch, add eggs, potatoes or onion sauce!17. Prawn roll- Australia
(Image/ Source: sandwichtribunal.com)“Shrimp on the barbie” jokes aside, the Aussies definitely know what they’re doing when it comes to seafood. So it’s no huge surprise that their national sandwich happens to be a prawn roll! Take a sub roll or hot dog bun, and you can start loading your sandwich with big, juicy prawns and Thousand-Island style dressing, complete with avocado and salad.18. Gatsby- South Africa
(Image/ Source: commons.wikimedia.org)One of Cape Town’s most famous exports, the Gatsby is an absolute beast of a sandwich. It comes on a long loaf of bread- so big that it has to be cut into four. It’s crammed with all manner of meaty alterations (think masala steak and polony), but you can also get calamari and veggie/vegan versions too! Throw in some fries and hot sauce made with green mango and chili, and you’ve got yourself a feast.19. Jambon Beurre- France
(Image/ Source: en.wikipedia.org)When it comes to the serious business of sandwiches, less can be definitely more (sorry Gatsby). This classic French sandwich has just three ingredients; ham, butter, and a baguette. But when it’s made with fine, quality ingredients (which are just about everywhere in France) it really is a wonderful thing.20. Barros Luco- Chile
(Image/ Source: sangucheriatiopepe.cl)Another basic but beautiful sandwich. Barros Lucos basically consists of steak and cheese, but boy is it good. The steak is either a thin filet or strips of churrasco, seasoned with a generous dose of salt and pepper. Sometimes some cumin will be thrown in to spice things up a bit. As for the cheese? gooey Chilean mantecoso or Gouda will do nicely.21. Peameal bacon- Canada
(Image/ Source: cbc.ca)Say hello to Toronto’s signature dish. The meat for this sandwich used to be rolled in crushed yellow peas- hence the name. But times have changed, and it’s now rolled in cornmeal and brined before being griddled, stuffed in a kaiser roll and smothered in mustard. You’ll also find that many outlets that deck these sandwiches out with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo.22. Reuben- US
(Image/ Source: beefiswhatsfordinner.com)We don’t know about you, but when we think of a Reuben, we’re instantly transported to a New York deli experience. Think tons of corned beef, salty but sweet Swiss cheese, kraut, and rich Thousand Island dressing, and crammed between two pieces of rye bread. It’s so popular that it's now become a staple across Europe too!23. Chip butty- UK
(Image/ Source: tasteatlas.com)If you like your sandwiches plain (and with zero nutrition), the chip butty is the one for you! It literally just consists of two white pieces of processed bread slathered in butter with “chips” (fat French fries), and maybe a condiment like ketchup, vinegar or mayonnaise. No lettuce. No tomato. No salad. Veg is for cowards.24. Croque Monsieur- France
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(Image/ Source: thespruceeats.com)France takes its sandwich game seriously. The Croque Monsieur is arguably one of the best, most indulgent sandwiches in the world, and it’s all down to its genius use of melted cheese. The added béchamel cheesey goodness on top of the bread really does elevate the humble cheese and ham toastie to a whole new level!25. Moo Yong- Thailand
(Image/ Source: peakd.com)Moo Yong is a popular breakfast sandwich that’s often eaten with a bowl of congee, Chinese style. Two slices of white bread are filled with dried pork sung, and then smeared with lashings of chili oil and mayo. It’s also sometimes doused in condensed milk, but you can mix and match your ingredients as you please.26. Khao Jee- Laos
(Image/ Source: simonsayscook.com)Similar to the Vietnamese bánh mì, this comforting baguette is wrapped around a sausage, or sai gog, which is made from pork and loaded with lemon grass, garlic, ginger, shallots, and fish sauce. This classic South East Asian flavor profile works perfectly with the pickled carrots, onions and chill sauce.27. Sabich- Israel
(Image/ Source: fortune.com)The beloved Israeli sandwich hails from Tel Aviv, and is packed with tasty treats. It traditionally features a soft pita stuffed with crispy slices of fried eggplant, sour pickles, a thick layer of hummus, a drizzle of tahini, a refreshing cucumber and tomato salad, hard-boiled eggs, and a tangy pickled mango sauce.28. Francesinha- Portugal
(Image/ Source: tasteatlas.com)This one has gone viral over the years. The Francesinha -- which translates to “little Frenchie” - is a Portuguese interpretation of the French Croque Monsieur, and is doused in cheese and red sauce. The core is usually made up of ham, sausage and steak, and crowned with a fried egg. You can get seafood and mushroom versions though!29. Bauru- Brazil
(Image/ Source: receiteria.com.br)Created in a café in São Paulo, this has gone on to become one of the country’s most celebrated sandwiches. It features a generous helping of beef, tomatoes, and mozzarella, which are stuffed inside a French roll and steamed in a bain-marie. This ensures extra melty cheese. Sometimes pickles are added for an extra hit of flavor.30. Peanut butter and jelly- US
(Image/ Source: theguardian.com)We thought we’d save the sweet one until last. This classic American sandwich has probably been in everyone’s lunchbox at some point, and it’s continuing to fly high as one of the most popular sandwiches around. Peanut butter and jelly are smothered onto white bread, and is then generally consumed as fast as humanly possible.31. Boh Loh Yau - Hong Kong
Image Source / Hive.blogThis is also known as the pinapple bun, which is exactly as it sounds. It's a very simple sandwich that's nonetheless loaded with carbs: butter, sugar and more butter, basically. Surprisingly, there's no pineapple - it's named because when the sugar-cookie-type-stuff on the sandwich melts and cracks, it looks like a pineapple!32. Chutney Sandwich - India
Image Source / Bon Appetit
The chutney sandwich in India is a prime example of British Colonial influence. This is a serving of soft white bread - buttered, of course - which is then paired with green chutney, cilantro, green chili and ginger. To make it perfect, the crusts should also be cut off.
33. Falafel - Middle East
Image Source / Today Show
The falafel's history is steeped in mystery and probably arguments in regard to where it came from or who did it first. But if you want to enjoy a falafel, you need mashed chickpeas mixed with spices, roll them into little balls and then deep fry them. Then you can put them into fresh pita bread with some veg, tahini and hot sauce. Delicious!
34. Fruit Sando - Japan
Image Source /cookpad.com
This is actually a work of art sandwich. It's so cheery and colourful. The fruit sando is a - you guessed it - fruit sandwich! It can be made with many different types of fruit, the more colourful the better, and the fruit is then sliced and layered between cream.
35. Shawarma - Middle East
Image Source / Kitchen Sanctuary
If you're a fan of Marvel, then you might remember Tony Stark being adamant that he wants to try this stuff. Shawarma is similar to doner, in that the meat is slow roasted and then shaved off the spit. This is then put on pita or flatbread and blended with spices, and obviously the toppings can be varied to suit!
36. BLT - UK
Image Source /Wikipedia
Standing for Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato, this staple sandwich from the UK is exactly what it says on the tin, served on toasted white bread. It's one of those that you can just depend on no matter where you go, or what time of day, when you're in this country.
37. Bocadillo - Spain
Image Source / Takeaway.com
The bocadillo is the sandwich of many faces in this country. You can have it done many ways, with many toppings. Bocadillo is basically a focus on the bread only - that it has to be the specific crunchy bocadillo baguette - and then after that anything goes for the filling. Sausage, onions, tomatoes, pork, squid... whatever you want!
38. Breakfast Roll - Ireland
Image Source / MyRecipes
This is the only hearty breakfast you're ever going to want, especially after a night out. The breakfast roll basically makes a to-go option of the full Irish breakfast. It's a French bread roll stuffed with bacon, sausages, pudding (white or black) and can also have eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, beans and hash browns.
39. Broodje Croquette (Kroket) - Netherlands
Image Source / Bitterbalen.com
This sandwich is the Netherlands way of celebrating delicious bread and fried mince meat! The recipe for this sandwich is basically grab some leftover meat, potatoes or whatever you made last night, mince it together, shove it in some bread and make a nice long log shape. Deep fry it and then enjoy with some mustard.
40. Katsu Sando - Japan
Image Source / TripAdvisor
This sandwich makes the already-amazing panko-crusted pork cutlets even better. Katsu is deep fried meat, perfect on its own, but this sandwich adds some katsu sauce, chopped cabbage and then soft skokupan bread.
41. Carrozza - Italy
Image Source / Wikipedia
Corrozza, also known as mozzarella (would you expect anything less from Italy) is a fried sandwich filled with delicious, melted cheesy goodness. It usually uses white bread, is egg washed and deep fried in olive oil. It's a very popular and tasty dish, especially with cheese-lovers (which goes without saying).
42. Kaya Toast - Singapore/Malaysia
Image Source / Wikipedia
In Singapore and Malaysia, they take the simple idea of toast to the next level. No, it's not just two pieces of bread with some butter on top - it's a taste bud sensation. You can expect toasted bread with eggy coconut jam known as kaya, add some butter and then pack together as a sandwich. It might even be served with soy dipping sauce.
43. Cucumber Sandwich - England
Image Source / MyPlate
This is such a simple and cheap sandwich, but it's so popular in the UK. It's an 'afternoon tea' must-have, which consists of very thin white bread which has been buttered, and then paired with cucumbers that have been sliced very thinly (everything about this sandwich is about the thin).
44. Leberkäse - Germany
Image Source / Wikipedia
This is a meatloaf-type dish that you can find throughout Bavaria, and it's made with ground pork, corned beef, onions and some seasoning. It's baked until it goes nicely brown and then is sliced (like meatloaf) to put on a hard/soft bread roll and have some mustard added to it to finish it off nicely.
45. Pork Chop Bun - Macau
Image Source / The Woks of Life
This is a sandwich in China that also gives a shout out to Portuguese cuisine. It's a speciality in this region which consists of a delicious pork chop (but be warned, it still has the bone in, so don't bite into it too hard) and Portuguese bread, "the piggy bun". It can then be topped off by condiments and maybe a bit of salad!
46. Mitraillette - Belgium
Image Source / Wikipedia
This sandwich from Belgium is basically a levelled-up version of the British 'chip butty'. It's a big buttered baguette stuffed with sliced meatballs (or it can be hamburger) and then paired with some veggies. You then have a tower of fries on top, complete with cheese and mayo.
47. Panino - Italy
Image Source / Italianfood.net
No, this isn't panini with a typo - but panini is actually related to this. Panino is a grilled bread roll sandwich which can be packed full of a variety of fillings, of course. Whether that's meat, melted cheese, grilled cheese or extra veggies.
48. Roti John - Malaysia
Image Source / Wikipedia
This name comes from the Malay and Hindi word for flatbread (roti) and the western colonials who brought baguettes to Malaysia (John). This sandwich is sort of like an omelette, which contains minced meat, eggs and onions. The bread can even be put into the filling mixture as it's cooking, for a delicious creamy sandwich at the end.
49. Porilainen - Finland
Image Source / Wikipedia
Like hamburgers? Like hot dogs? You'll like the porilainen, then. This sandwich serves up basically a cross between a hamburger and hot dog (which you eat like a hot dog) on toasted white bread, paired with pickle, onion, ketchup and mustard!
50. Vegemite Sandwich - Australia
Image Source / Wikipedia
If you're a fan of Men at Work, then no doubt you'll be singing
that song for the rest of the day. Vegemite is a black spread that's made from brewing yeast extract and additives, and has become a staple condiment in this country. You can have it spread on toast like you would butter, but you can also add other toppings to it.What To Read Next
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