World Sandwich Day 2025: The stories behind the world’s favourite sandwiches
On World Sandwich Day, we trace how the humble sandwich became a global storyteller, from colonial pasts to modern comfort
Every year on November 3rd, food lovers across the globe celebrate World Sandwich Day, a date that pays homage to one of the most versatile foods ever invented. The story traces back to John Montagu (1718–1792), the 4th Earl of Sandwich, a British statesman and an avid gambler who requested his meat be served between two slices of bread so he could continue playing cards without making a mess.
What started as a nobleman’s convenience has evolved into a global phenomenon with different countries adapting it to their culture, steeped in history. Centuries later, the humble sandwich whispers stories as an edible artefact about colonisation, class and how even revenge can shape what ends up between two slices. From Vietnam’s Banh Mi, born out of French occupation and local ingenuity, to Japan’s Katsu Sando, designed so geishas could eat without smudging their makeup, to our Vada Pav, built for the city’s working class on the go, every sandwich carries a layered story.
This World Sandwich Day, we’re biting into five sandwiches from around the world, each with roots that serve more than just flavour.
Bánh mì
When the French brought the baguette to Vietnam, locals reworked it with rice flour to suit the tropical climate, filling it with pickled carrots, daikon, cilantro, chillies, pâté, and local meats. During World War I, wheat shortages pushed bakers to mix in more rice flour, making bread lighter, cheaper, and finally accessible to ordinary Vietnamese. The result was not imitation but an innovation where a colonial relic was turned into a cultural icon. As Chef Vaibhav Bhargava, the hand behind Vietnom and Chō, puts it, “The bánh mì is Vietnam’s most delicious history lesson, born from French rule but transformed through local creativity. Every bite carries a story of adaptation and pride. Today, it’s Vietnam’s culinary ambassador, found everywhere from Saigon’s street stalls to Indian cafés, proving how the simplest sandwich can become a symbol of resilience and reinvention.
Katsu Sando
The Katsu Sando first appeared in Japan in the early 1900s, when Western-style cutlets met the country’s love for precision and aesthetics. Featuring a breaded, deep-fried cutlet (made usually of pork, but sometimes chicken) tucked between two slices of shokupan (japanese milk bread), it was originally served in geisha houses so that they could eat it neatly without messing up their makeup, which used to take over an hour to do, and they only used to take it off at the end of the day. Over time, it became a popular lunch for travellers, students, and salarymen, appreciated for being practical yet filling. “The cutlet style pork cane about as a quicker but super delicious way to eat a meat that otherwise took longer to cook. Japanese society took to it pretty naturally after and its popularity across the world still lingers today,” says Rishi Pritam Mukherjee, co-founder of Shokupan in Delhi, known for their authentic Japanese sandos.
Hot chicken sandwich
It all started with a breakup and a bad idea gone right. In 1930s Nashville, USA when Thornton Prince’s girlfriend tried to get back at him for cheating by drowning his fried chicken in chilli powder before putting it between slices. Instead of suffering, he loved it and started selling the hot chicken sandwich. “Thornton was apparently oblivious to her heartache … but loved the chicken. He saw a marquee menu item for a chicken shack,” wrote American author Rachel Louise Martin in her book Hot, Hot Chicken: A Nashville Story. What began as payback turned into a Southern staple that defined the city’s flavour profile and is now a staple across multiple American fast food chains around the world. Crispy, cayenne-laced, and unapologetically bold, the hot chicken sandwich is proof that some of the best dishes are born from historical drama.
Vada pav
Born on the bustling streets outside Dadar Station in 1960s Mumbai, the vada pav was never meant to be fancy; it was made to be fast. It is believed that street vendor Ashok Vaidya started stuffing spicy batata vadas into pav rolls to feed hungry mill workers on the go. Cheap, filling, and portable, it became the working man’s fuel and later, the city’s cultural symbol. Padhan Thakur from Ashok Vada Pav stall, the original stall started by Ashok Vaidya, shared, “It has been decades since we started selling this and see people from all walks of life enjoying it. Even Sachin Tendulkar is a fan.” Over time, it became the country’s pride, earning a spot among the Top 50 Best Street Foods in the World by TasteAtlas.
Gatsby sandwich
In 1976, in the Cape Flats neighbourhood of Cape Town, shop owner Rashaad Pandy accidentally created what would become a South African classic. While renovating his store, he threw together a large loaf packed with slap chips, polony, and achaar for his workers and cut it into wedges. When one of them joked it was a “Gatsby smash,” inspired by the film The Great Gatsby playing nearby, the name stuck, and so did the sandwich. “What started as a quick meal for labourers turned into a citywide icon of community eating, now piled high with steak, chicken, or calamari,” writes author Bee Wilson in her book Sandwich: A Global History.
