The 16 Best Sandwiches in the World
Every culture eventually puts its best ideas between bread. Vietnam layered a French baguette with pâté and pickles, Uruguay built a steak sandwich that needs cutlery, Porto drowned one in beer sauce. These are the 16 best sandwiches in the world, each with an authentic recipe.
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Bánh Mì
VietnamA French baguette filled with pâté, pork, pickled carrot and coriander. Colonialism, repurposed.
Meet Banh Mi, the very good Vietnamese sandwich that packs a whole world of flavour into a single crisp baguette. The name simply means fresh bread, and that crackling crust is the canvas for savoury meat, pickled vegetables, …
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Chivito
UruguayBeef, ham, cheese, bacon and salad in a bun. The name means little goat and there is none.
Chivito means little goat, and there is no goat in it. The story is that in the 1940s a customer in Punta del Este asked for goat, the cook had none, and improvised with a beef sandwich. The name stuck.
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Francesinha
PortugalBread, sausage and steak under melted cheese, drowned in a beer and tomato sauce.
Meet the Francesinha, the pride of Porto and one of Portugal's most indulgent creations. This towering sandwich stacks layers of juicy grilled meats between toasted bread, drapes the lot in melted cheese and drowns it all in a …
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Philly Cheesesteak
USAChopped ribeye and onions on a hoagie roll. Whether the cheese is Whiz or provolone starts fights.
Sink your teeth into the Philly Cheesesteak, the legendary sandwich born on the streets of Philadelphia. Thin slices of tender beef, sweet griddled onions and a generous blanket of melted cheese all pile into a soft, fresh hoagie …
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Croque Monsieur
FranceHam and cheese toasted under béchamel. Add a fried egg and it becomes a madame.
Meet the Croque-Monsieur, the toasted ham-and-cheese sandwich that turned a simple Parisian café snack into a national treasure. Crisp and golden on the outside, oozing with melted Gruyère within, it is the kind of unpretentious …
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Torta Ahogada
MexicoA crusty birote roll of fried pork, dunked whole in chilli sauce. Guadalajara eats it with a bib.
Meet Tortas Ahogadas, the gloriously messy pride of Guadalajara. These crusty rolls are stuffed with tender pork and then quite literally "drowned" in a fiery, deeply savoury chilli sauce, ahogadas means "drowned" for good reason. …
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Vada Pav
IndiaA spiced potato fritter in a soft bun with chutney. Mumbai's entire lunch for a few rupees.
Bring the buzz of a Mumbai street corner straight into your kitchen with Vada Pav, India's beloved answer to the burger. A spiced potato fritter is tucked into a soft bread roll and slathered with punchy chutneys, giving you a …
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Sabich
IsraelFried aubergine, egg, hummus and amba in pita. Brought to Israel by Iraqi Jews.
Discover Sabich, one of Israel's best-loved street foods. This generous pita sandwich brings together silky fried aubergine, sliced hard-boiled egg and a swirl of nutty tahini, all lifted by fresh herbs and a spoonful of fiery …
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Choripán
ArgentinaGrilled chorizo split open in bread with chimichurri. The first thing off an Argentine asado.
Meet Choripán, Argentina's most sociable street food. A chorizo sizzled over open coals, tucked into a crusty roll and crowned with punchy green chimichurri. It is the sandwich that fuels football terraces, roadside grills and …
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Gyros Pita
GreeceMeat off the spit with tomato, onion, tzatziki and chips, all inside the wrap.
Discover Gyros Pita, one of Greece's most beloved street foods. Tender, well-seasoned meat, crisp fresh vegetables and a generous swirl of cool, herby sauce all come wrapped in warm, pillowy flatbread. It is the kind of food that …
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Chicken Shawarma
LebanonMarinated chicken shaved from the spit with garlic toum and pickles.
Say hello to Chicken Shawarma, a Lebanese favourite that has won over food lovers the world over. Tender, marinated chicken is layered with warm spices and fresh vegetables, then tucked into soft flatbread or served on a plate …
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Panino con Porchetta
ItalySlow-roasted pork with fennel and crackling, on plain bread that stays out of the way.
Meet the Panino con Porchetta, one of Italy's best-loved street-food sandwiches. Tender, herb-scented pork is tucked between fresh, crusty bread to create something far greater than the sum of its parts. Born in the Lazio …
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Räksmörgås
SwedenPrawns piled on buttered bread with egg, dill and mayonnaise. Sweden treats it as a full meal.
Say hello to Räksmörgås, Sweden's beloved open prawn sandwich and a true celebration of the country's love of fresh seafood. Piled high with juicy prawns, creamy mayonnaise and crisp vegetables on a slice of hearty rye, it is as …
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Broodje Kroket
NetherlandsA deep-fried ragout croquette in a soft roll with mustard. Best from a wall vending machine.
Meet the Broodje Kroket, the Netherlands' most cheerfully unpretentious street snack. A piping-hot, crispy croquette filled with a velvety ragout, tucked into a soft bread roll and finished with a generous swipe of mustard. It is …
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Gatsby
South AfricaA foot-long roll from Cape Town stuffed with masala steak, chips and peri-peri, cut into four.
Meet the Gatsby, Cape Town's legendary submarine sandwich and a true feast for the senses. Born in the working-class kitchens of the Cape Flats, it crams crispy chips, juicy meat and punchy sauces into a soft, pillowy roll. …
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Cucumber Sandwich
EnglandWhite bread, butter, thin cucumber, no crusts. England's least filling contribution.
Few things say afternoon tea quite like a plate of cucumber sandwiches. These dainty little triangles pair soft, crustless white bread with a smear of creamy butter or cream cheese and wafer-thin slices of crisp cucumber. The …
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