People have been eating sandwiches for thousands of years. And, while there are some that we can’t imagine life (or lunchtimes) without, many have fallen out of favour. However, one man has set himself the task of rediscovering the inventive sandwiches that have been wrongfully – or rightfully – consigned to the past. Here, Barry Enderwick takes us through the sandwiches of history, from a peanut and fried egg delight to the one he never wants to eat (or see) ever again.
Click or scroll through our gallery to hear about Barry's experiences creating and tasting more than 1,000 sandwiches from the past – and discover which ones he thinks we should all be eating (or avoiding).
It all started in 2018 when a friend sent Barry a PDF of a 1909 book called The Up-to-Date Sandwich Book: 400 Ways to Make a Sandwich by Eva Greene Fuller. "We were both just fascinated,' says Barry, who lives in San Jose, California and has always been a keen cook. "This was the cutting edge of sandwich recipes at the turn of the 20th century, so seemed like a fun thing to explore." And that's exactly what he set out to do, eventually discovering unusual creations such as the 'after-the-movie' sandwich pictured here – a heady mix of hotdog, scrambled eggs and Parmesan.
He decided to film himself making and tasting one historical sandwich each day, posting the videos on social media as Sandwiches of History. The first sandwich Barry tried from The Up-to-Date Sandwich Book from 1909 was the oyster sandwich. "I like oysters. I like fried oysters, and I like raw oysters as well," he says. "But this had you chop up raw oysters, mix them with olive oil and Worcestershire sauce and put it in bread between lettuce. It was just... no." But despite that unhelpful start, Barry was determined to work his way through the book before branching out into other lost sandwiches of the past.
A more successful creation from the book was the 'Milwaukee sandwich', a hefty dish made with fried oysters, crispy bacon, sliced chicken and tartare sauce, all topped with a slice of lemon to cut through the richness. The idea for Sandwiches of History didn't come totally out of left field, either – Barry had previously set up social media accounts reviewing craft beer and another where he tasted crisps.
Another 'interesting' recipe in the book was the cannibal sandwich (pictured), essentially raw minced beef on buttered bread – which Barry says is surprisingly tasty. By this point, Barry was really enjoying his sandwich project (by day he works in marketing), but he had no idea what a global hit it would go on to become. "I did think, 'Oh, other people might be interested in this as well.' But this many? Around the world?" Today, Sandwiches of History has around 700,000 followers on social media, and Barry has recreated more than 1,000 historical sandwiches.
After Barry has made and tasted a vintage sandwich, he'll often make the recipe again with what he calls 'plus-ups', to turn an OK sandwich into a great one. Usually, he'll do this by adding a slice of melted cheese, a drizzle of hot sauce or a crunchy pickle to take it to the next level. But, sometimes, the sandwiches are pretty tasty right out of the gate. Memorable (and surprising) favourites include a peanut butter and fried egg sandwich (boosted with the addition of some spicy sriracha) and a crispy bacon and banana sandwich from 1965 (pictured).
To uncover more unusual sandwiches, Barry researches forgotten fillings online and hunts down old recipe books for inspiration. To keep things interesting, he doesn't repeat a book, a year or a main ingredient in back-to-back videos. "I've done one from 200 BC, I did some from the 1800s, some from the 1900s," Barry says. In the past, strange flavour combinations have included a popcorn, cayenne pepper, sardine, ketchup and Parmesan sandwich from the 1909 book, and a banana and salmon sandwich from a 1967 recipe.
As well as the surprise hits, there have been some true food nightmares. "Oh my god, the yeast sandwich!" Barry remembers in horror. "It was compressed yeast cake mixed with 'table sauce' between slices of buttered bread. It was like eating wallpaper paste. It was terrible!" But that hasn't stopped him from coming back for more. "It's the curiosity of, 'Is this sandwich going to be good?'" he says. "'Is this chicken liver and bacon sandwich going to be good? Is the bacon going to add a nice smokiness and mitigate the iron flavour of the liver?' It didn't, but still!"
There's also something to be said for trying something new. Who knows whether they'll like an unusual combo such as waffles, mayo, ham and turkey (a recipe for the pictured 'waffle sandwich') until they've tried it? "One thing I've noticed as I've gotten older is that my tastes change," Barry says. "What I thought was gross in my 20s, I kind of like now. Even foods that I steadfastly do not like, I will try again every once in a while, just to see if it's changed." People clearly love seeing Barry work his way through these recipes, because Sandwiches of History is about to enter a new era.
In November 2024, Barry released his first recipe book, Sandwiches of History: The Cookbook. It includes updated versions of retro sandwiches, some of Barry's famous plus-ups, and more. "I wanted to make them sandwiches that people could make and enjoy now," says Barry, promising that "none of them are gross!" So, while readers might find new favourites, that infamous yeast sandwich will not be in the mix.
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