Sandwich questionnaire
I needed a palette cleanser after the last few days. So when I saw James and Zachary Kai’s posts about this important topic, I felt compelled to respond in kind.
How many sandwiches do you eat per week?
At least a few when we’re at home. I used to eat them more often. I miss them. I should eat more of them. That was a lot of sentences.
When do you eat sandwiches?
Sandwiches are the perfect late brunch and lunch food.
What’s your go-to sandwich order?
Where do I even start!?
I’m with James; the Ploughman sandwich is excellent. I also love a tuna salad with onions and a side of pickle, pictured below.
At home I reproduce the “Swimming Norwegian” I used to have at a sandwich bar in Malaysia, which is smoked salmon or trout, dill, capers, avocado, alfalfa sprouts, onion, lettuce, a bit of mayo, and pickle. This is my dinner of choice when I’m too tired to cook. It even works without the fish.
When we make our frankly annual pilgrimage to Japan, I make sure to always get an Egg Sando from Family Mart or Lawson. Wow that bread! Coming in a close second would be a Vietnamese bánh mì.
As an Australian I should like Vegemite sandwiches, but I think that only works when used as a cooking ingredient for a shot of umami, or on toast with a bit of butter.
What’s your favourite type of bread?
When I was a kid we used to get freshly baked “baps” from the local bakery which I ate with reckless abandon. Alas, they’re not as common in Australia anymore. I want to try baking my own.
Thesedays I love sourdough if I want something substantial, a baguette for something fresh and tasty, and I have dreams about that Japanese white bread that’s softer than the clouds themselves.
For an Australian toasted jaffle at home, plain sliced wholemeal works best.
My German dad also introduced me to pumpernickel when I was a kid, which tastes incredible. Don’t tell him, but I might even like the Dutch version a bit more (hides).
Do you like condiments?
Mustard is so good, I’d eat it with a damned spoon. I’m not a fan of the wholegrain mustard, but otherwise I’ve yet to meet a mustard I don’t like. German, French, Dijon (yes, that’s distinct from French), Hot English, the ones from IKEA, even the most basic American mustards in a tube. It’s all great.
I also go through an embarrassing amount of original red Tabasco.
What about pickles?
Pickles and gherkins are excellent, as are sliced picked onions, sauerkraut, and kimchi. A restaurant in Chatswood in Sydney’s north does a kimchi cheese toastie which is, if you’ll pardon the French, fucking amazing.
This was a light tuna toastie Clara and I had in Japan last year. I took one bite and it was so good I took out the OM-3. And yes, pickle was integral.
Sweet or savoury?
Savoury, with one and only one exception: kaya toast. A slab of kaya and butter in a cute cube of toasted bread at a busy kopitiam with a teh tarik is basically heaven. I miss Singapore and Malaysia dearly.
Do you cut your sandwiches?
I do not, though that’s down to convenience over any philosophical stance. My parents used to cut sandwiches diagonally, which was satisfying as a kid to bite the corners from.
What’s the worst sandwich crime?
Tomato sauce/ketchup. In Singaporean: wah lao eh. In Australian: mate, what are you doing?
What’s your ideal sandwich-eating environment?
Coffee shops are my favourite favourite favourite places in the known universe, and that includes having sandwiches.
That said, probably the best sandwich environment ever was the SCVMaglev Museum in Nagoya last year. IT CAME WITH A SHINKANSEN BENTO BOX AAAAAH!
Why sandwiches?
Sandwiches unite the world. I love that local cultures are able to take something so utilitarian and make it their own.
I have a carb budget per day, which I usually “spend” on rice or noodles. But I think I need to reallocate more to sandwiches again :).
