The sandwich we know and love today was invented in 1762 in England, according to historians. Most food historians agree that the sandwich was invented by John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich (named after the town of Sandwich in Kent, UK). 

Montagu was notorious for being a problem gambler who would spend hours and hours at the card table. During one of his long days of playing, he of course got hungry and asked for something from the kitchen that he could eat with his hands. He was served a sandwich, which consisted of two pieces of bread with meat in the middle. Who knew!

The sandwich has since made its way around the world and taken on (multiple) lives of its own. Every country, sometimes even city, has its own version(s) of this humble and awesome invention. At shoopit, we’re such fans of a good sandwich, we figured it deserved its own blog post. Here are some of our favorites:

Chivito (Uruguay)  The national dish of Uruguay is a steak sandwich! And we love it. It's definitely for a hungry appetite, as the steak is topped with bacon, ham, a fried egg, tomato and mozzarella cheese. Not exactly a light meal. But no visit to Uruguay is complete without tasting one of these. Highly recommended!

Croque Monsieur (France) The title Croque Monsieur comes from “croquer”, to bite and “monsieur” meaning mister. It's literally a gentleman's sandwich. This toasted hot sandwich is made with ham and cheese. The dish originated in French cafés and bars as a quick snack and survives as a firm favorite with the French to this day. Simple and tasty. Yes, please and thank you.

Bunny Chow (South Africa) First off, no bunnies or rabbits were harmed in the making of this dish! During the apartheid era, Bunny Chow began in Durban's Indian community. Apartheid prohibited blacks from visiting restaurants or cafes, so they ordered take-out meals from the sides or backdoors of restaurants. The "Bunny Chow," South Africa's most famous fast food, was established when Indian owners began utilizing loaves of bread as take-out containers for curries. So today it is still a half loaf of bread, hollowed out, filled with the tastiest curry ever. Seriously!

Reuben (United States) We won’t get into the argument between Nebraska and New York, all we know is that we love this sandwich. It’s now become a staple of the American sandwich scene, with restaurants often creating their own twist on this classic. The original recipe is a “Hot Mess on Rye” - the perfect combination of crispy rye toast, flavorful corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, and creamy Russian dressing. We’ll take two!

Pambazo (Mexico)  You might not immediately think of a sandwich when thinking about Mexican food, fair enough.This  mouth watering Mexican sandwich stuffed with a mixture of potatoes and chorizo, lettuce, queso & crema and honestly, an unforgettable taste sensation. Originally from the Veracruz region, it was created in honor of Empress Carlota, by a chef named Josef Tüdös, who was inspired by the shapes of the Citlaltépec volcano. It's muy muy bueno and tasty!

Sabigh (Israel) This beauty of a sandwich was brought to Israel by Iraqi refugees in the early 20th century and has become an icon of the Israeli street food scene. Made of pita or laffa bread stuffed with fried eggplants, hard boiled eggs, chopped salad, parsley, amba and tahini sauce - it was originally made as a quick breakfast! Definitely a great way to start your day, but we’ll take it anytime.

Hungry for one of these? Find the best way to go get’em by downloading the shoopit extension!