The word 'sandwich' originated in the 18th century with a British aristocrat, John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. Apparently, he liked playing cards so much that he wanted to continue playing while he ate. His servant brought him a piece of roast beef between two slices of bread, and the sandwich was born.
Nowadays, a 'sandwich' means different things to different people. It could be made with two slices of bread, with a flatbread, a baguette or any other kind of bread, and the variety of different fillings is endless. Sandwiches are incredibly versatile, convenient … and delicious!
We asked some people to tell us whether they often eat sandwiches, and to tell us about their favourite sandwich – what's in it, what sort of bread it's made with and whether they usually buy it or make it themselves. This is what they said.
I have sandwiches quite often, especially when I'm working, because I can make or buy one and eat it really fast. I have sandwiches almost every day. My favourite sandwich is cheese, pickle and salad on brown bread. It's quite simple and really tasty.
Jonathan
I tend to have sandwiches about three to four times a week for lunch. I love a tuna mayo sarnie. It's my go-to sandwich. I like to add some capers, chopped-up spring onion and a dollop of mayo to the tuna, a pinch of salt and pepper and my secret ingredient … a splash of balsamic vinegar. Pile it on to a slice of crusty farmhouse bread that has been buttered, add another slice on top and lunch is served!
Tina
I eat sandwiches a few times a week. One of my favourites is a chicken fajita, which is a type of wrap. I don't know if it officially counts as a sandwich, but it's made with a tortilla, which is a kind of flatbread, and it's filled with strips of spicy chicken and peppers, and you eat it with your hands, so I think we could call it a sandwich!
Jo
I eat sandwiches a lot. I make my sandwiches at home as I like to get fresh, crusty bread like focaccia or baguette from the bakery section. The fillings vary, but I tend to pick spicy meat like chorizo, accompanied by salad and fresh vegetables, onion and pickles. And I like a lot of sauce, such as dijon mustard, mayonnaise or balsamic vinegar.
Charlotte
It's your turn
- Do you often eat sandwiches?
- What's your favourite sandwich?
- What type of bread is it made with, and what's the filling?
- Share a picture of your sandwich!
Write or record a comment. Remember that communicating with others is a great way to improve your English! You can also share a picture of your favourite sandwich. Pictures should be yours and must not include people who can be identified.
If you want to practise speaking, you can record your response using SpeakPipe voice recorder and post a link to the recording in your comment.
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I love bread, and Spain is a country where many types of bread are made, my favourite being Candeal bread, also known as kneaded bread (or so I think), but I don't use it to make sandwiches, it's better for making breakfast toast
When I want to make a delicious sandwich, I usually choose fried squid, or a sandwich of mussels in scallop sauce with a slight spicy touch, stuffed into a rustic crusty bread.
Speaking of which , I have to make me one right now
Hi fersanrio,
I must say, although I love squid, mussels and scallops, I have never tried any of them in a sandwich. The way you describe your sandwich sounds so delicious - it makes my mouth water! I'll have to try it sometime.
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
I enjoy eating sandwiches. I prefer whole wheat bread with tuna or turkey ham with lettuce or arugula, cheese and a touch of spicy, it´s crusty and tasty!
My favorite kind of sandwich is an open sandwich, also known as “buterbrod” in Russia. I prefer a simple option - two or three ingredients. For instance: bread plus sausage/piece of cheese/cream cheese or other. Some people from the topic said a sandwich is a fast meal, but an open sandwich is faster :D
Normally, my breakfast looks like fried eggs, some open sandwich and of course a cup of coffee.
Hi Worm,
Your breakfast looks so good! Thanks for sharing :-)
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
Hi, I'm Lara, direct from Brazil
My favorite sandwich is a sweet one with cream and strawberry jam, the other one with warm bread, mayonnaise, cheese and mortadella. I like to eat them at night, sometimes with coffee and milk.
Hello, I'm Miguel and I'm from Colombia. Here there are a lot of kinds of sandwiches. I like sandices a lot, though is not very common in our daily food. I like the Cuban Sandwich that I buy in restaurants or I made it in house. The important thing is that it is healthy and tasty.
Hi Miguel,
I wasn't sure what the ingredients are for a Cuban sandwich, so I just looked it up online. I see that it's 'a delicious grilled sandwich made with ham, pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and Cuban bread'. Mmmm I'd like to eat that now ;-)
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
Hello everyone.
I am from México and for us bread is importanty, but tortilla is the most important those are made by corn or wheat fluor.
My favourite sandwich is made with white bread, mayonnaise, mustard, sliced cheese, sliced ham and sliced tomato. Sometimes I like to add some crisps inside.
My friend and I will talk about our favorites sandwiches. (Pamela and Rafaela)
Yes, we eat sandwiches very often.
Pamela: My favorite sandwich is a homemade sandwich.
Rafaela: My favorite sandwich is a homemade sandwich.
Pamela: My sandwich is made with sliced bread, and the filling of my sandwich is with seasoned mayonnaise, meat, salad and cheese.
Rafaela: My sandwich is made with baguette bread, and the filling of my sandwich is with seasoned mayonnaise, chicken meat, tomatos, cucumbers, lettuce, cheese, oregano and scallion.
❤ How lovely to read your conversation about sandwiches Pamela!
They both sound delicious.
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
I like sandwiches a lot! I dont eat a lot but i love when i can eat them with barbecue. In Brazil the most common sandwich is the one made using cheese and mortadella, very good!
Hi, I'm Ingo
I eat bread every day. In the morning and in the evening, but not for lunch. But white bread I eat less common. In Germany there are a lot of whole grain bread and brown bread. There are more than 300 types of bread in Germany. Unfortunately in Germany bread mostly has been baken in the industry. The tradional bakery is dying more and more.
Hello everyone in Learning hub of British Council. I'm Hang. I'm from Vietnam. And the bread I eat is Banh mi. I eat it with fried egg, garlic sauce (instead of butter) and cucumber, sometimes with soy sauce. I usually eat like this for breakfast. And I feel it delicious.
I also eat sandwiches of various brands. The sandwich I like the most is with sweet taste.
Because I'm Asian, I often eat rice as main dish. But occasionally I can enjoy my meal in the morning with bread for changing taste.
The dish which is not eaten often can sometimes bring us the feeling of novelty. And truly I like bread if not having it too usually.
Hi Cloudmoon, what a lovely name you have! ✿
Thank you for telling us about the type of bread and sandwiches you have in Vietnam. Is 'Banh mi' made with white or wholemeal flour?
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
I would like to say that I enjoy to eat sandwich, but It is not true, they are delicious but I prefer a cup a coffee and a sweet bread
❤❤❤
Hi,
I almost never eat sandwiches only when I go for a long walk. I prepare a basic one with 2 slices of brown bread , ham and cheese. But I have a very good memory with a type of sandwich. When I was young , every Sunday evening , my mother prepared a sandwich with a piece of baguette and she put inside a mustard called Savora and a slice of beef steak. It was a wonderful meal ! I haven't eat one for a long time, I should do it again !
I dont eat sandwich that much. I think sandwich is not that popular in the city where I live and in my country in general. But, I'd love to try sandwich sometime. I prefer beef sandwich with little vegetables in it.
https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/odrr536r0o6i712p
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In my case, I am not a sandwich lover. But I am going to tell you about my daughter; she loves them. I prepare them around three times a week. When she returns home from school, she always requests one. So, I butter two slices of bread, add a dollop of mayo, ketchup, two slices of turkey ham, and cucumber slices, and finally, the second slice of bread. I love seeing how happy she is eating this homemade sandwich.
Hi Adilia,
I can imagine how much your daughter must enjoy that sandwich after school!! :-)
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
I love to eat any kind of bread there is as long as it's crunchy - toasted in the toaster and to some extent spicy. I usually have them with Cheese and Lettuce. But my favorite type of bread is the Croissant. I usually have my sandwich during breakfast.
Hi Yas_125,
Thanks for telling us about your sandwich! Sounds delicious :-)
Best wishes,
Jo
Here's my tuna sarnie! ❤
~ Tinaツ
LearnEnglish team