Filling in

The sandwich as we know and love it today is one of the most globally embraced foods, yet its origins are hard to pin down. The modern Western concept of assembling a portable snack using two slices of bread likely has its roots in 18th-century Europe, but evidence has been found in cultures all over the world that the practice of using bread to encase other foods existed long before this. There’s also debate about how the sandwich is defined: is a Nashville hot chicken sandwich really a burger? Is a Danish open sandwich, without a second slice of rye resting on it, really a sandwich at all?

Some destinations are synonymous with their sandwiches: from Louisiana’s po’ boy to the Maine lobster roll, every state and city in the United States seems to have its own. Other countries are awash with variations: head to Italy for egg salad tramezzino, a porchetta panino, or deep-fried carrozza oozing with mozzarella cheese. Some cultures offer delightfully uncomplicated sandwiches, from the French jambon beurre to Macau’s bone-in pork chop in a bun. Then there are the elaborate — take the Israeli sabich, a pita stuffed with the likes of aubergine, pickles, parsley, tahini, chopped salad, eggs and amba