Bread or pastry filled with delicious inners has been around for time immemorial. History credits the invention of the sandwich as we know it today to the fourth Earl of Sandwich, John Montague, who in the 1700s stuffed his dinner between two slices of bread so that he didn’t have to interrupt his gambling ways to have a meal.
In fact, John Montague didn’t invent the sandwich. He picked up the idea on his travels across Europe from the Turks and Greeks who served pita bread stuffed with delicious fillings.
The sandwich quickly attained a popular following as it is the perfect way to serve leftovers and offer snacks to guests. With the onset of train travel, sandwiches were offered to travelers at railway stations, making them some of the first fast foods.
Sandwiches have come a long way since the 1700s and today delis, cafes, pubs, and coffee shops sell an astounding assortment of these delicious meals and snacks–as this infographic so aptly shows. Some sandwiches have even become indelibly linked to famous places around the world.
A trip to Paris would be incomplete without a stopover for a Croque Monsieur and a high tea in London always features that cool cucumber sandwich. Whatever your favorite filling, the sandwich makes the perfect meal on the run.