From (deli) turkey to Mumbai

Yesterday for lunch I made myself a turkey sandwich, as I often do, and wondered “could turkey be the most popular sandwich type?” I don’t mean that as best tasting or most coveted, I mean more literally the most often made or ordered. It’s possible, right? 

Wrong. In the US, turkey gets the bronze medal in terms of popularity (at least according to this sandwich study), right behind runner up, chicken. Topping the list was a sandwich that felt like the obvious answer once I'd seen it - grilled cheese. That said, grilled cheese is kind of unfair as a number one because there are lots of cheeses you could use to fill your sandwich.

But this got me thinking - what about globally? Surely the most popular sandwich in the world would be even harder to pin down. After a bit of research I came across a few articles and videos claiming to highlight the most popular sandwich in the world. The first one I found was for a sandwich called La Paradiso made by All'Antico Vinaio.

All'Antico Vinaio, once only found in Italy, actually has a number of NYC outposts now and as a result I've been lucky enough to stuff a La Paradiso in my face. It was freakin’ delicious with what is basically a peanut butter of pistachios richly surrounding the thinly shaved meat on one side and fresh stracciatella smothering it on the other. Alas, it's a bit complex for me to believe it's the most popular even if there is usually a long line for it.

The “Yes Chef” guy on instagram (@jacksdiningroom) had some thoughts and put out a video calling Katz’s Pastrami Reuben the most famous sandwich in the world. Most famous I can believe, and I think we all know how I feel about the reuben at Katz’s, but I’m not sure that translates to being most popular - especially at a $35 price point. 

So here I was doubting the information I was finding on the internet (can you imagine), and thinking it may just be impossible to track down the world’s most popular sandwich. Little did I know that a short while later in a moment of cosmic sandwich coincidence, a good friend and sandwich lover would send me a video about the Vada Pav (wada pao).

This little bundle of joy checks a lot of boxes for most popular sandwich in the world. Sometimes known as the "Bombay Burger," the vada pav supposedly originated in the late 60's at a food stall outside of a Mumbai train station as a cheap and convenient food for cotton mill workers to take with them on their work day. Today it's largely recognized as Mumbai's number one street food and is sold at over 20,000 food stalls. That feels like a lot.

What makes the vada pav so popular? It's cheap (often costing just a few rupees), filling, and portable. Compare that to a pastrami sandwich that’s over 100 times more expensive, and you start to understand how the vada pav became so ubiquitous. Maybe more importantly, it sounds and looks delicious.

It’s prepared by mixing green chili, garlic, and spices with mashed potato. That is formed into a potato puck, coated in chickpea flour, and then deep fried (that’s the “vada”). Once it’s crispy, it’s placed on a soft bun (the “pav”) and served with more chilis and some chutney. 

They say that 2 million are sold and eaten each day - and now that I know it exists I’ll aim to make it 2,000,001.

We’re gonna start to explore more sandwiches that are popular around the world but may not be as well known in the US. If you know of a good one send it through the MSD. And if you find a vada pav to eat locally (or if you’re in Mumbai), send that through too!

Until next time, may your potato patty be extra crispy.

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