The First Sandwich in History
A brief history of the sandwich
The year is 1762, and John Montagu is the 4th Earl of a coastal town named Sandwich.
Montagu, being a bit of a lad, had a habit of gambling for long hours nonstop. One incredibly long session forced Montagu to have supper at the gambling table instead of the dining hall, so he asked his chef to serve him meat between two slices of bread.
Montagu’s chef returned with salted beef in bread, and this became the “first sandwich” in history. The Earl ate it with one hand and gambled with the other.
This combination intrigued other gamblers who started saying “to have the same as Sandwich” when they placed their orders. Over time, patrons eventually associated the dish with the Earl and so the “sandwich” was born.
Sandwiches Before Sandwich
Although many credit Montagu for the dish’s name, sandwiches were eaten long before that.
The earliest record of a sandwich came from a famous rabbi named Hillel the Elder. The account from 1st Century BC stated that he mixed apples, nuts, and spices in wine in between two pieces of flatbread.
In all probability, people all over the world were already eating some form of sandwich even before rabbi Hillel. Even the 4th…
