Love at first Bite
Who agrees that food is one of the greatest rituals? Let’s see hands raised…Hmm this is a good start. Now, who agrees that there is no more pleasing a bite than that of a good sandwich? Hmm I see quite a lot of hands but I will keep on writing to raise a few more…! Who of you has at least once made a sandwich at home? Okay, now that we all agree, let’s talk about…sandwiches.
They are everywhere! At breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner or even at a late-night meal (see Thessaloniki). But the point is, to which extent the ingredients we add, meet the general taste preferences! Do not answer…I will. It’s hard…A good sandwich, in order to be popular, must bring about what we call Love on first bite! It may contain meat, fish, vegetables, sauces, spices, fruit…even insects! Travelen, after an intense research, discovered and presents to you the 6+1 best sandwiches in the world.
Notice: We bear no responsibility for all the rumbling noises heard with everything you read and see in this article…!
1) Cuban Sandwich (Cuba)
Most of you associate Cuba with cigars and Havana. But the time has come to put it in your mind (and especially your stomach) for one more reason, the famous Cuban Sandwich. It is the most well-known Cuban dish and it is made with traditional bread, roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, dill and mustard. The result will leave you speechless! You can order it under the names Cubano, or Cuban mix, or Mixto…Just order it!
Extra tip: If you prefer it toasted order it as Medianoche.
2) Tripleta (Puerto Rico)
We stay in central America and move a bit to the south to meet the joy of meat-eaters. The Tripleta sandwich got its name from the three kinds of roast meat (beef steak, pork and ham) that it contains. What truly makes it special is the meats’ marinating. The beef steak is called bistec and it is marinated with garlic, onions and lemon juice, the pork is called asado lechon (slow-roasted in fire), while the ham has a wonderful smoked flavor. So, imagine these meats inside a fresh loaf with Swiss cheese, cabbage, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mayonnaise, onions and French fries. The explosion of taste that causes to the palate, from the very first bite, is something that can simply not be described!
Extra tip: If you love spicy food, add some chili flakes, so that you feel more intensely the amazing meat flavors.
3) Cemita De Milanesa (Mexico)
The third sandwich of our list comes also from central America. It is a soft bagel/hamburger with a completely unique taste. Inside it we find battered beef or pork, chipotle chili peppers, quesillo oaxaca Mexican cheese, avocado and onion. The monster, as many refer to it, due to its size, can fill up two persons, while the buttery flavor of the avocado and cheese in combination with the meat make it special and totally tasty.
Extra tip: You will find it everywhere in Mexico! But the ideal place is its birth city of Puebla.
4) Francesinha (Portugal)
The “Little Frenchie” is the most well-known snack of the western country in the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal. Francesinha consists of bread, ham, beef steak, local smoked linguiça sausage and fresh chipolata sausages. We saved the best for last, as the sandwich is covered in melted cheese and a secret beer/tomato sauce. As you can clearly see, the Francesinha is a tasty dream, served ideally with fries and an ice-cold beer.
Extra tip: Do not put anything else inside or on top of it! It is a shame for this dreamy flavor to be tampered with!
5) Falafel (Egypt)
It might be true that Egypt, Israel, Palestine and Lebanon had their share of serious differences over the years, but the only thing they agreed upon was that the Falafel is the most delicious sandwich. Falafels are oriental chickpea balls, which are wrapped inside an Arabic pita and are accompanied by lettuce, tomato, cucumber, eggplant and other garnishes. They can stand on their own as a main dish, but they are tastier inside a sandwich! Try them and surrender yourselves to the tastes of the East..
Extra tip: Add a little tahini (sesame paste).
6) Smørrebrød (Denmark)
Forget everything you knew about sandwiches with meats and oils and let’s meet a different kind of sandwich, one more…uncovered! It is a slice of bread (rye or whole wheat), which is smeared with butter and on top of it you can find from eel, smoked salmon, roast pork or beef, to garnishes like tomato, onion, cabbage, lettuce. The favorite snack of the Scandinavian countries is quite gourmet and its ingredients differ from country to country. But what stays the same is its fine appearance. Because, as it is known, food is first eaten with the eyes..
Extra tip: Try it with eel/egg/parsley.
+1) Gyros Sandwich (Greece)
Last (but not least) on the list with the top sandwiches is the Greek Gyros. It is a sandwich based on pita and thinly chopped pork slices, which are crisped on special grills! Among the basic ingredients are fries, tomato, onion and lettuce, while you can also choose among other ingredients! The exquisite, greasy taste and the combination of all the ingredients, fairly ensures it a place among the best sandwiches worldwide.
Extra tip: Add tzatziki!
My mouth’s watering just looking at these sandwiches! Yummy!
You want to taste them all, don’t you?