Are you feeling hungry? If not, you will be after reading about the world's most mouth-watering, life-changing sandwiches of all time, as recalled by 52 writers.
Crab Stick and Taramasalata Baguette
Zoe Williams remembers being young and carefree in Barons Court, west London, in the mid-90s. Delis offered sandwich fillings in silver dishes, inviting adventure. After a financial catastrophe involving actual crab, she discovered the crab stick and taramasalata baguette. Crab sticks taste nothing like crab; they are more delicious. Everything was so pink, making life feel like a fairytale.
Vegetarian Christmas Focaccia
Leah Harper still craves Glasgow cafe Boca's vegetarian Christmas sandwich: salty focaccia stuffed with mushroom and chestnut roast, apricot glazed carrots and parsnips, cranberry and walnut agrodolce, sprout slaw, and hefty slices of brie. Indulgent and Christmassy, with no festive falafel in sight.
Hot Smoked Mackerel Sarnie
Alexi Duggins recalls a hot mackerel sandwich from a smokehouse on Brighton seafront, eaten with his wife at the shoreline. The fresh fish, aromatic with woodsmoke, was transcendent. Ten years later, they returned to find it just as delicious, though a passing gull stole his wife's sandwich.
Halloumi and Grilled Vegetables on Turkish Flatbread
Katharine Viner praises the T9 from City Edge in Sydney's Surry Hills: toasted Turkish bread with grilled halloumi, sun-dried tomatoes, avocado, artichoke, and leaves. The owner Tommy remembers her order even after a decade away. Nothing beats Tommy's T9.
Tortilla and Peppers in a Crispy Roll
Rick Williams enjoyed grilled green peppers with Spanish tortilla in a crispy roll at Bodegas la Mancha in Granada, washed down with beer. Perfect for a siesta.
Fish Finger Concoction
Nick Morgan describes a white bloomer with fish fingers, Emmenthal, rocket, chilli jam, and mayo from a Brighton sandwich bar. The unlikely combination became a favourite, recreated for years.
Brooklyn Tuna Melt
Adrian Horton claims the tuna melt at Agi's Counter in Brooklyn's Crown Heights is unbeatable: hearty, dill-forward, with a secret ingredient that makes it melt in the mouth. Worth every penny of $20.
Turkey, Salami and White Cheddar
Jessica Reed shares the Mad Max sandwich: turkey, hot soppressata, sharp white cheddar, fresh basil, pepperoncini, piquillo peppers, red onion, and mayo. She ate it on a hike in Montana, surrounded by wildflowers and butterflies.
Egg and Cheese Baguette, Senegalese-Style
Estelle Tang recalls a stall in Saint-Louis, Senegal, where the chef whipped raw eggs into a frenzy, fried them, and served in a baguette with Laughing Cow cheese and Knorr chicken powder. She still thinks about it 15 years later.
Cheddar, Piccalilli and Leek Fritters
Tim Jonze experienced nirvana with cheddar and piccalilli on toasted focaccia, featuring delicately battered leek fritters, at 40 Maltby Street near Tower Bridge, London.
Crab with Caper Mayo
Anita Chaudhuri enjoyed fresh white crab meat in caper mayo dressing on a brioche bun at Inveraray, Scotland. The side of tortilla chips added crunch and spice.
Homemade Steak-and-Onion Bun
Louis Staples made a fancy sandwich: perfectly cooked rump steak, onions fried with sugar and balsamic vinegar, rocket, sun-ripened tomato, and mayo mixed with mustard, garlic, and lemon on fluffy white bread.
Merguez and a Parsley Fried Egg
Jason Okundaye devoured merguez sausages, sumac red onions, tomato, cucumber, and a parsley fried egg with garlicky toum at Italo in Bonnington Square, London.
A Delightful Improvisation
Abi Millar and her partner made a sandwich in a camper van on the Yorkshire moors with grated carrots, avocado, hummus, fried mushrooms, and sriracha. It worked perfectly, watched by sheep.
The Bánh Mì I'd Been Waiting For
Yvonne C Lam craved a traditional Vietnamese bánh mì thịt during pregnancy, packed with contraband. After a dramatic birth, her husband delivered it to her hospital bed, making it a moment of delayed gratification.
Catalonian Jamón Baguettes
Christophe Gowans remembers bocadillos with jamón, chorizo, or calamares at a lively garage in Barcelona at 8am, accompanied by cava, curing dire hangovers.
Tuna Mayo on Fresh-Baked Focaccia
Martha Gowans enjoyed a chewy, oily focaccia with tuna mayonnaise at Old Cottage Coffee Shop Cafe in Charlton Park, south-east London, on a sunny spring morning.
Thai-Spiced Philly Cheesesteak
Ammar Kalia found a balmy haven at Thai Diner in New York during a blizzard. The Thai-spiced Philly cheesesteak with bird's eye chillies, Thai basil, and tender beef in cheese sauce was a revelation.
Mortadella and Mozzarella in Rome
Eleanor Biggs had a world-redefining sandwich in Rome: oily focaccia with rosemary, pale pink mortadella, mozzarella, and sumptuous tomato slices, eaten on a sunlit street.
Mum's Picnic Loaf
Lucy Knight helped make a picnic loaf: a hollowed round loaf filled with pesto, tomatoes, mozzarella, and roasted vegetables, pressed under cans of beans. They carried it to a tor on Dartmoor for a scenic bite.
Bacon with Chestnut Stuffing
Nick Hopkins recalls a bacon and stuffing sandwich from a greasy spoon cafe next to Wolverhampton magistrates court. The crispy bacon and chestnutty stuffing on white bread were heavenly.
A Tale of Peter Rarebit
Kate Abbott had the greatest toastie at Lingholm Kitchen in the Lake District: the Lingholm Rarebit, with crispy sourdough oozing cheese and buttery, garlicky tarragon mushrooms.
Chicken Club Unlike Any Other
Joel Snape bought a non-standard chicken club from Squat and Gobble in London: enormous chicken, no bacon, pesto, avocado, and lashings of mayo on an outsized flat bap.
Hot Conveyor-Belt Ham and Cheese
Drew Lawrence discovered a hot ham and cheese from Potbelly in Chicago: sweet, flaky, faintly hickory. He has struggled to take cold sandwiches seriously since.
Chocolate Sprinkles on a Baguette
Morwenna Ferrier enjoyed a third of a baguette with salted butter and fridge-cold chocolate sprinkles, a Dutch hagelslag, on the Costa Brava in 1992. It was the last thing needed in the heat, making it more delicious.
Chicken Schnitzel with Pickled Cucumbers
Georgia Bisbas praises Mondo Sando in south London for using everything bagel seasoning as a crumb coating for crispy chicken thighs, wedged in sourdough with brined cucumbers and kale ranch dressing.
Tuna Mayo by a Waterfall
Carrie O'Grady remembers a humble tuna mayo salad on cheap brown bread from a picnic in Muskoka, Canada, eaten by a waterfall. The extra mayo and her mother's relaxed happiness made it delicious.
BBQ Mushrooms and Coleslaw in a Baguette
Rachel Dixon enjoyed a barbecue torta at Nanita in Oaxaca, Mexico: a bolillo stuffed with sticky barbecue mushrooms, avocado, and coleslaw, with roast potatoes topped with bean chilli and cheese.
Cheese and Brinjal Pickle with Red Peppers
Nell Frizzell recalls her father's eccentric sandwiches: cheese and brinjal pickle with red peppers on wholemeal bread. He included a little note, making them a point of honour among peers.
The Ultimate Smoked Salmon
Felicity Cloake praises the clingfilm-wrapped smoked salmon sandwich from a seafood hut near Oban's ferry terminal: brown sliced bread, iceberg, and home-smoked salmon so good she eked it out all the way to Glasgow.
Falafel with Aubergine
Clea Skopeliti recalls a falafel sandwich from a Paris stall after her jaw unlocked: tahini coating herby green falafel, cucumber, tomato, and grilled aubergine in pillowy pita.
Tuna with Raw Onion and Avocado
Ann Lee, a self-proclaimed sandwich hater, loved a tuna sandwich in Alghero, Sardinia: tuna with raw onion, avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, and olive oil on chewy, pillowy bread.
Egg and Cheese on an Everything Bagel
Sinéad Campbell's first New York bagel was egg and cheese on an everything bagel from Murray's Bagels in the West Village. She still tries to recreate it at home.
Dutch Goat's Cheese, Honey and Walnuts
Hannah Booth ordered a bagel with rocket, goat's cheese, honey, and walnuts at a corner cafe in Amsterdam. The combination blew her mind, and they ate it by a canal in the sun.
Cream Cheese, Anchovies and Olives
Mel Bradman, a waitress at Upper Crust in London, made herself a sandwich with cream cheese, anchovies, chopped olives, and chilli flakes. The salty-sour-spicy combo still hits the spot.
Egg Mayo with Vinegar and Anchovies
Thomas Howells discovered the apex form of egg mayo at Paul Rothe & Son in Marylebone: bloomer bread, egg mayo, vinegar, and anchovies. It felt like a light switching on.
Fresh Crab Meat on Brown
Jenny Stevens ate a sandwich of brown bread, salty butter, and fresh crabmeat on a rock in Little Haven, Pembrokeshire, with mist and seaweed for ambiance. Divine.
A Falafel That Had It All
Sundus Abdi had a wrap from Falafel Guys in Leeds after a final exam: three types of hummus, sweet chilli, tahini, pickles, and crisp falafel. It had contrast and texture.
Full English in a Bap
Andy Welch's favourite sandwich came from Helen's Pantry in Rhyl, Wales: a full English in a bap with sausage, bacon, egg, mushroom, beans, and black pudding on a soft white roll for £2.30. He rationed them, counting down months until the next one.
A Succulent Vegetarian Bánh Mì
Owen Myers loves the veggie bánh mì at V-Nam Cafe in New York's East Village: zippy marinated carrot, earthy coriander, and succulent soy protein, perfectly balanced.
Cheese Toastie, Breville-Style
Paula Cocozza's go-to Saturday lunch was a Breville toastie: bog-standard slices of bread crimped into a toasted pouch with pure molten cheese. Nothing compares.
Chicken, Pickles and Soy Sauce in Beirut
Ellie Violet Bramley recalls the Francisco sandwich from Barbar in Beirut: chicken, cucumber-pickles, romaine lettuce, sweetcorn, mozzarella, mayo, and soy sauce in submarine bread. It represented fun and freedom.
An Airport Cream Cheese Bagel
Catherine Shoard had a toasted bagel with cream cheese in Chicago airport in 2007, after not eating for a day or two. The total heaven of that bread and dairy hit is unforgettable.
Muffuletta with Everything
Dale Berning Sawa made a muffuletta with sourdough boule, tapenade, rocket, capers, olives, cheese, cold meats, pickles, mayo, fried pancetta, and grated beetroot, pressed overnight.
Emmenthal Salad Baguette on the Beach
Jane Richards enjoyed fresh baguettes with Emmenthal cheese, crisp lettuce in vinaigrette, and mayonnaise at a beach cabin near Biarritz in the 90s, with fries and Coke.
Crisps in a White Roll
Emine Saner planned a crisp sandwich: soft white roll, fancy French butter, and supermarket own-brand salt and vinegar crisps. It cost less than £1 but tasted of priceless luxury.
Ground Lamb, Tzatziki and Mint
Eli Block worked at Swich in Lower Manhattan in 2007 and loved the Trojan Horse: ground lamb, tomato, tzatziki, and fresh mint on pressed rosemary focaccia. No other sandwich has come close.
A Forbidden Chip Sandwich
Alfie Packham's best sandwich was a chip butty at a friend's house in the early 2000s: supermarket bread with perfectly cooked oven chips, salt, and vinegar. He has never recreated the ideal texture.
Tuna Melt in a New England Diner
Vincent Forrester tried a friend's tuna melt at Palace Diner in Biddeford, Maine: briny tuna, oozing cheese, buttery chollah, and cool iceberg lettuce. Magnificent simplicity.
A Cheese Toastie Complete with Teeth Marks
Rich Pelley, interrailing at 16, yoinked a half-eaten cheese and tomato toasted sandwich from a restaurant carriage. Squeaky European cheese, fresh tomatoes, and teeth marks in crispy bread.
Thai-Spiced Sausage with Eggs and Ketchup
Alex Barlow ordered the bodega sandwich at Chet's in Shepherd's Bush, London: sai ua sausage wrapped in molten eggs on a kaiser roll with umami ketchup. It was so good he sat in quiet reverence.
Roast Chicken with Watercress and Tarragon Sauce
Steve Rose made sandwiches from leftover roast chicken with creamy tarragon sauce, watercress, and thick buttered white bread, eaten in a stylish bird hide in Dorset with a view across Poole harbour.
