A Gilded Age Elevation of Sandwiches

“At a recent formal luncheon, when ten courses made the repast seem more of a dinner than a light meal, several different kinds of sandwiches were served. Oysters were accompanied by tiny squares of thin brown bread. Broth had cracker sandwiches, fish had triangles of white bread, chops had white bread spread with anchovy paste, birds were served with jelly sandwiches, entrées with crackers so thin, and held together with a pickle paste, that they were almost broken in one's fingers, and salad was accompanied by a mayonnaise sandwich.” 1895 — Just about anything edible is made more delicious perched atop or slathered between slices of bread.

—Photo source Etiquipedia private library

How the Rise of the Sandwich Affects the Bread-and-Butter Plate

It sounds quite absurd to hear about the fashions in bread and butter, but it is true that they exist. No sooner had we adopted the delightfully tidy and convenient bread-and-butter plates and our maids had become trained to their use, then it was announced that they had gone out of fashion. There was no reason given for this change, and we wondered in what lay the wisdom of it. How could we ever do without the little piece of china serving as a crumb holder, and doing away with that vulgar practice of sweeping off the crumbs, which generally fell into one's lap while the servant’s elbow intruded upon one's head or shoulder?

The small boy discovered why the bread-and-butter plate was put aside. His beloved sandwich had been enthroned, and he now revels in his very heart's desire. Sandwiches are the fashion. Whether it be pure love a variety or a sudden spasm of dietetic good sense that has made this very sensible and wholesome edible the proper thing, makes no difference. The real value is attached to their elevation, and while we shall not give up the pretty little plate for breakfast rolls and muffins, we heartily hail the sandwich, prepared in the kitchen, and served to us in ways galore.

At a recent formal luncheon, when ten courses made the repast seem more of a dinner than a light meal, several different kinds of sandwiches were served. Oysters were accompanied by tiny squares of thin brown bread. Broth had cracker sandwiches, fish had triangles of white bread, chops had white bread spread with anchovy paste, birds were served with jelly sandwiches, entrées with crackers so thin, and held together with a pickle paste, that they were almost broken in one's fingers, and salad was accompanied by a mayonnaise sandwich.

Of course, under such service, the bread-and-butter plate has no place. Each plate of sandwiches was so daintily prepared that one marveled at the cook's skill. Each kind exactly fitted the special course in flavor and taste, and simplified the serving, as well as the menu. It is no longer “good form” to overserve your guests. The lavish display, and waste of food generally accompanying a formal meal is considered vulgar, and there should now be no more than a guest can comfortably consume. The sandwich fills a want, for its simplifies and yet adds a flavor, or, rather, a condiment, otherwise impossible to introduce. What goes between the bread or cracker is the vital point. Everything from ham to jam, a condiment or pickle sauce or paste, is used, suiting the kind to the course.

For children's lunches and dinners they are invaluable, because it is possible to get them to eat in this way what they would not touch if spread upon a plate. A sandwich invariably appeals to a child's taste, and from a dietetic point it is as good a way to serve a meal to a child as can be found. Whole wheat bread, brown bread, and a graham bread can be made so appetizing by being cut thin and spread with honey or jam or chopped tongue or ham or any other palatable mince that almost any child can be coaxed in this way to eat this nutritious and actual staff of life. — The New York Times, 1895

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