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Tomato sandwich

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tomato sandwich
Southern-style tomato sandwich
Region or stateAmerican south
Main ingredientsTomato, sandwich bread, mayonnaise
Ingredients generally usedsalt, pepper

A tomato sandwich is a dish closely associated with the cuisine of the American south. Recipes typically call for ripe-to-overripe non-commercially grown tomatoes, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper on soft commercial white bread. It is generally expected to be messy to eat.

Cuisine and origins[edit]

According to Tasting Table, the Virginia Chronicle is "widely credited" with the first mention of the sandwich in 1911.[1] According to Gwinnett Magazine, the Chronicle reported a man describing his lunch as "a tomato sandwich, a slice of watermelon, iced tea, and a slice of coconut cream pie".[2][3]

The tomato sandwich is associated with Southern cuisine and according to Yahoo News is considered an important part of that cuisine.[4][5][6] According to Chuck Reece, editor of Georgia Public Radio's Salvation South, the tomato sandwich is "one thing—one perfect thing—about which every Southerner can agree".[7] The New York Times called it "the sandwich southerners wait for all year".[8] Jenn Rice, writing in Garden & Gun, says "The taste of tomato slathered in mayo is such a part of our summer memories that it’s practically part of our DNA."[6]

Outside of the south the tomato sandwich is not well-known and is sometimes mocked; Seattle food writer Geraldine DeRuiter caused a stir when she opined that "a 'tomato sandwich' is not a sandwich. You just don't have the ingredients to make a BLT".[5][9] North Carolina YouTuber SouthernASMR posted a video of herself making and eating a tomato sandwich and was widely mocked by "plenty of...non-southerners", some calling the sandwich "gross", according to the New York Times.[8] Southern Living writer Rick Bragg said a common reaction from those outside the south when hearing of the sandwich was "yuck".[10] In 2021 TikToker Quenlin Blackwell retweeted a tomato sandwich post with the caption "this is so fucking vile".[11][12]

Ingredients[edit]

The Southern-style sandwich is made with soft white bread, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.[13][10][14] According to Southern Living, this "basic formula...produces a Southern ideal" and a "true taste of summer in the South".[13] According to The Southern Belle Primer, "If you feel like being creative, you might add a pinch of garlic, or, if you’re very daring, even a little curry powder.”[15]

Heirloom tomatoes
Sliced commercial white bread

The sandwich is ideally made with a fresh ripe-to-overripe tomato from a home garden or farmers' market; according to Southern Living, Serious Eats, and Bitter Southerner, a commercially-grown supermarket tomato, which may have been picked unripe and stored refrigerated, "typically lacks the same level of juiciness, sweetness, and flavor complexity".[13][4][16][6] Heirloom tomatoes such as Beefsteak are commonly recommended.[17][18] A single slice of tomato the same size as the bread and at least as thick provides a sufficient filling while preventing thinner slices of tomato from slipping out of the sandwich.[17][6][19]

The bread most commonly called-for is an untoasted soft commercial white sandwich bread such as Sunbeam, Sara Lee or Wonder Bread.[16][13][20][21] Some recipes call for other soft white breads such as challah, brioche or Japanese milk bread, but Bill Smith, former chef at Crook's Corner, says "Use the cheapest store-brand white bread you can find...Never, ever use any kind of fancy, artisanal loaf.[22][6][23] Heirloom tomato expert John Coykendall, speaking to HuffPost, said "you have to have that old, cheap, white bread. The kind you wouldn’t ordinarily touch in your daily life. It’s the one thing that it was created for, tomato sandwiches".[20] Some southern sandwichmakers toast the bread, but more typically untoasted is specified.[6] Mike Barnhardt of the Davie County Enterprise Record wrote "BLTs on toasted bread, yes; tomato sandwiches on toasted bread, no."[3]

Friendly tongue-in-cheek arguments over the exact choices of mayonnaise or bread are common among southerners. According to Reece, among southerners who prefer Duke's or Blue Plate mayonnaise, the preference has been likened to "a battle".[16][7][1][17] Some sandwich makers prefer Hellman's, but Reece says, "Under no circumstances should you use Hellmann’s. It originated in New York City."[7][8] Kewpie mayonnaise is sometimes specified.[6]

A Georgia magazine instructed sandwich makers that "The Official Recipe" called for 'two slices of white bread (“Not toasted. Fresh, so it sticks to the back of your teeth”); a homegrown vine-ripe tomato (“Not peeled. Juicy so you have to hold it over the sink”); black pepper and salt; and “a sizable portion” of mayonnaise (“Not Miracle Whip”)'.[8][1][6] The Washington Post agreed there were rules: "Choose a very soft bread; now is not the time for artisanal multigrain crusty anything. Pick a tomato big enough to fill each sandwich with one thick (1/2-inch) slice. Use a Southern mayonnaise, such as Duke’s or Blue Plate. Season with just a little salt and pepper. Resist the urge to embellish – the idea is to focus on the taste of the tomato. And roll up your sleeves, with plenty of napkins at hand, or eat over the sink."[24]

Because of the seasonal nature of home-grown and locally-grown tomatoes, the sandwich is commonly associated with summer.[25][26]

Variation[edit]

Variations from the classic combination commonly appear in media as tomato season approaches; such tomato sandwich recipes, which typically come from outside the south, may call for additional ingredients such as onion, basil, parsley, anchovies, cheese or other ingredients; for a whole-grain bread or artisan roll or biscuit, sometimes toasted; to be served open-faced; or for the use of sun-dried tomatoes or other flavoring ingredients in the mayonnaise.[27][28][8][29][1]

Lisa Curran Matte of Tasting Table argues that "Some summer foods are so perfect in their simplest form, it would be bordering on travesty to even think about adding a touch of this or a pinch of that in the name of elevating a classic."[1] Joe Yonan, writing in the Washington Post, says "Go ahead and add your cheese, your basil, your bacon, your ricotta, your avocado — all those are nice, but they are not a Southern tomato sandwich."[17] Cookbook author Virginia Willis told the Washington Post, “I love artisan bread, but not when I want a tomato sandwich.”[17] Bettina Makalintal, writing for Vice Media, said additional ingredients "would make it a sandwich, but not a tomato one".[11] Chef Jamie Simpson argues the classic version needs no embellishment, saying. “There are few things we choose not to take creative liberties with, [a]nd one of those is the tomato sandwich.”[30]

Preparation and serving[edit]

Tomato sandwich halves

Some recipes call for selecting tomatoes that are large enough to cover a slice of bread and slicing them at least as thickly as the bread is sliced to avoid slippage of more thinly-sliced or smaller tomatoes.[17][31][23][18][19]

The sandwich is assembled and, according to some recipes, allowed to sit for several minutes in order to allow the salt to release some of the juices into the mayonnaise and bread; others call for serving immediately to avoid the risk of sogginess.[13][10][17][32] Enthusiasts often recommend eating the sandwich over the kitchen sink due to its messiness and even call out that level of messiness as the hallmark of an excellent tomato sandwich.[16][20][13][8][11][33][34] Ernest Matthew Mickler's White Trash Cooking even names the recipe 'Kitchen Sink Tomato Sandwich'.[35]

Events[edit]

Alabama has held an annual Tomato Sandwich Lunch since the early 2000s.[36] The University of North Georgia has awarded scholarships at an annual Tomato Sandwich Supper since the late 2010s.[37]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Matte, Lisa Curran (2023-07-31). "In The South, There's An Art To Making The Perfect Tomato Sandwich". Tasting Table. Archived from the original on 2024-05-17. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  2. ^ "How do YOU make a Tomato Sandwich?". Gwinnett Magazine. 2020-07-21. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  3. ^ a b Barnhardt, Mike (2022-07-12). "Editorial: Tomato sandwiches gone wild". Davie County Enterprise Record. Archived from the original on 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  4. ^ a b Gritzer, Daniel (13 March 2024). "Classic Tomato Sandwich". Serious Eats. Archived from the original on 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  5. ^ a b Romero, Gabby (2022-08-02). "Tomato Sandwiches Are At The Center Of A Controversial Twitter Debate". Yahoo News. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Rice, Jenn (2023-07-12). "Tomato Sandwich Rules and Regulations". Garden & Gun. Archived from the original on 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  7. ^ a b c Reece, Chuck (2024-04-26). "One Perfect Thing: The Tomato Sandwich". Georgia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Kim, Eric (2023-07-19). "The Sandwich Southerners Wait for All Year". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  9. ^ Schlosser, Kurt (16 January 2018). "Seattle writer who wrote viral cinnamon roll post is 'tired and paranoid' after being hacked on Twitter". Geekwire. Archived from the original on 4 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Bragg, Rick (7 May 2023). "Rick Bragg Sets The Record Straight On What Makes The Best Tomato Sandwich". Southern Living. Archived from the original on 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  11. ^ a b c Makalintal, Bettina (2021-03-02). "In Defense of the Tomato Sandwich". Vice. Archived from the original on 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  12. ^ Yarborough, Kaitlyn (5 May 2023). "If You Don't Like Tomato Sandwiches, This Tweak Might Just Change Your Mind". Southern Living. Archived from the original on 2024-07-07. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Pittman, Ann Taylor (13 June 2024). "Southern Tomato Sandwich". Southern Living. Archived from the original on 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  14. ^ McNulty, Ian (2023-07-21). "Ian McNulty: I tried to improve the summer classic tomato sandwich. Here's what I learned". NOLA.com. Archived from the original on 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  15. ^ Hadaway, Catherine (2019-09-24). "An ode to the Vicksburg Tomato Sandwich". The Vicksburg Post. Archived from the original on 2024-07-06. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  16. ^ a b c d Reece, Chuck (2017-07-24). "How to Make and Eat a Tomato Sandwich". The Bitter Southerner. Archived from the original on 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g Yonan, Joe (2023-04-26). "This Southern tomato sandwich is a messy, 5-ingredient ode to summer's star". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2021-09-27. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  18. ^ a b Serra, Maria (21 July 2023). "The Lunch Of The Summer Is A Southern-Style Tomato Sandwich". Spoon University. Archived from the original on 5 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  19. ^ a b Jones, Lee (2021). The Chef's Garden: a modern guide to common and unusual vegetables - with recipes. Chef's Garden (Farm). New York: Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House. pp. 1147–1148. ISBN 978-0-525-54106-6.
  20. ^ a b c Thompson, Julie P. (1 August 2014). "The Secret To Making The Best Tomato Sandwich In The World". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 28 May 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  21. ^ Tracy, Erika (14 August 2014). "4 Reasons Why Southerners Do Tomatoes Better Than Anyone Else". The Kitchn. Archived from the original on 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  22. ^ Kim, Eric (12 October 2023). "Furikake Tomato Sandwich Recipe". NYT Cooking. Archived from the original on 2024-06-11. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  23. ^ a b Kleiman, Evan (2023-08-24). "Tomato sandwiches: Consider using Japanese milk bread | Press Play". KCRW. Archived from the original on 2023-08-27. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  24. ^ "Classic Southern Tomato Sandwiches". Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  25. ^ Hulsman, Matt (9 July 2014). "Update a Classic: Tomato Sandwich". Our State. Archived from the original on 3 July 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  26. ^ McDowell, Erin Jean (4 October 2022). "Herby Biscuit Tomato Sandwiches Recipe on Food52". Food52. Archived from the original on 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  27. ^ Paula Deen. "Tomato Sandwich with Parsley or Basil". pauladeen.com. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  28. ^ Stubbs, Merrill (4 October 2022). "My Best Tomato Sandwich Recipe on Food52". Food52. Archived from the original on 2024-07-07. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  29. ^ "For a change, serve tomato sandwiches on biscuits". Cape Cod Times. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  30. ^ Krader, Kate (2021-06-25). "There's a Trick to Making the Summer's Perfect Tomato Sandwich". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 2021-06-25. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  31. ^ Yonan, Joe. "Classic Southern Tomato Sandwiches". Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  32. ^ Tucker, Aimee (2022-07-07). "Why the Tomato and Mayo Sandwich Is the Perfect Summer Sandwich". New England. Archived from the original on 2023-09-25. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  33. ^ Kazek, Kelly (25 June 2019). "The rules for making a tomato sandwich are serious business. Don't mess them up - It's a Southern Thing". It's a Southern Thing. Archived from the original on 2024-07-07. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  34. ^ Kraft, Chris (2017-08-15). "Tomato Sandwiches Worth Traveling For". Garden & Gun. Archived from the original on 2024-07-07. Retrieved 2024-07-07. The very best tomato sandwich is the one you eat while leaning over the kitchen sink, impervious to the Duke's mayonnaise getting on your fingers and the tomato juice dribbling down your chin. Or so says nearly every story that's ever been written about the South's most beloved sandwich, a glorious summertime treat.
  35. ^ Mickler, Ernest Matthew (2011-09-27). White Trash Cooking: 25th Anniversary Edition [A Cookbook]. Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed. ISBN 978-1-60774-188-6.
  36. ^ Johnson, Gracie (2024-06-26). "Alabama's Tomato Sandwich Lunch highlights local farms and market growth". WBMA. Archived from the original on 2024-06-26. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  37. ^ "Blue Ridge event celebrates scholarships". University of North Georgia. Archived from the original on 2024-07-07. Retrieved 2024-07-07.

Further reading[edit]

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