The Best Sandwiches From Around The World To Put On Your Culinary Bucket List
How many different kinds of sandwiches have you eaten in your lifetime? You've probably tried the classic peanut butter and jelly, and you've probably had a deli meat sandwich or a meatball sub, but have you ever had a Leberkäsesemmel? What about a Welsh rarebit sandwich?
There are so many delicious bread and topping combos out there just waiting for you to taste them. As far as we're concerned, every day is sandwich day.
Panino - Italy
A panino is another name for a panini. It's basically any toasted sandwich made with Italian bread. These sandwiches are crunchy on the outside and melted on the inside.
You can really fill a panino with anything, but the classic Italian way is to stuff it with cheese and tomato and basil pesto. A little sliced deli meat doesn't hurt either. You can make a sandwich like this at home if you have a panini press, just make sure you invest in some authentic Italian cheeses.
Gyro - Greece
The name of this sandwich comes from the Greek word for "turn" because these pitas are filled with rotisserie meats that are cooked on a turning spit.
The original Greek gyros were filled with lamb meat, but now you can get them filled with pretty much anything, including pork and chicken. You can't have a gyro without tzatziki sauce, which is a cucumber and yogurt sauce that goes perfectly with pita and slow cooked meat.
Chopped Barbecue - America
America might be going through a tough time right now. People are more divided than ever. But there is one thing that everybody can agree on— barbecue sandwiches are a gift sent down to us from the heavens.
There are few things in this life better than roasted pig smothered in barbecue sauce on a fluffy bun. Throw in some pickles and onions and you have a sandwich that's more American than apple pie.
Medianoche - Cuba
In some places in America, this sandwich is simply known as a Cubano. Medianoche means midnight, I guess because this sandwich makes the perfect midnight snack?
This grill-pressed sandwich is filled with roast pork, ham, mustard, swiss cheese, and dill pickles. The bread gets really toasty on the outside and soft on the inside. If you want to order this sandwich properly, you should always ask for extra pickles on the side.
Chivito - Uruguay
Chivitos are small steak sandwiches which were made for a quick lunch or a cheap, early dinner. You should be able to eat them with one hand, and you should be able to polish one off with just a few bites.
Chivitos are always served on a kaiser roll. Top that roll with some flattened steak, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, cheese, and a slice of hard boiled egg. This little meal will give you all the energy you need.
Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich - Canada
If you've never tasted Montreal smoked meat, you are seriously missing out. A true Montreal smoked meat sandwich is made with rye bread, some gourmet mustard, and a whole stack of glistening smoked meat.
The stack of smoked meat should be too big to fit in your mouth all at once. That's how you know you've made it right. Oh, and this sandwich is served warm. Nobody wants a cold smoked meat sandwich.
Tripleta - Puerto Rico
The tripleta is what all street food wishes it could be. The sandwich gets its name from the three meats at its center -- grilled chicken, ham, and beef -- which are served on a sweetened sandwich roll.
You can add whatever condiments you want— a little bit of barbecue sauce, some ketchup, mayo— but really all you need is a few lettuce leaves to take this sandwich from delicious to super delicious.
Pork Chop Bun - Macau
Macau or Macao is a former Portuguese dependency on the Southeast coast of China. It's a magical country full of intricate architecture, beautiful temples, and most importantly, pork chop buns.
This pork chop bun combines Asian-marinated pork with sweet Portuguese bread to give you the sweet and savory combo you never knew you needed. You don't put any toppings on this fried pork chop. It doesn't need any lettuce or tomato.
Arepas - Venezuela
The arepa, which refers to small buns made out of maize dough or cooked flour, can be split in half and filled with toppings to make a delicious sandwich. It's the most common pre-hispanic food item still popular in Venezuela.
The Venezuelan arepa is usually filled with beef, avocado, and yellow cheese. It's kind of like a breakfast sandwich, but better. These little sandwiches are deceptively filling. They look so small, but they're full of so much flavor.
Jambon Beurre - France
A jambon-beurre is an extremely popular French ham sandwich made of on a delicious crusty baguette. The baguette is sliced open, spread with butter, and filled with slices of ham.
Each day in France, over 3 million jambon-beurre sandwiches are sold, more than almost any other kind of sandwich, except for hamburgers sold at fast food establishments. Even though the classic jambon-beurre is just ham and butter, a few slices of swiss cheese just makes everything better.
Falafel Sandwich - The Middle East
Falafel balls are fried balls of crushed chickpeas mixed with spices like cumin and parsley. They're super delicious on their own, but they're even more delicious in a fresh pita stuffes with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, roasted eggplant, tahini, humus, and other fresh veggies.
These sandwiches are almost always completely vegan, but that doesn't mean they're super healthy. They still feature a deep fried ball of carbs. If you've never tried a falafel sandwich, you're seriously missing out.
Doner Kebab - Turkey
The doner kebab from Turkey is made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Seasoned meat is stacked onto a spit, and then the outer layer of meat is cut into thin slices for sandwiches. It's very similar to the Greek gyro or Middle Eastern shawarma.
You can get these sandwiches from food trucks or higher end restaurants. They're usually filled with lamb and a delicious yogurt sauce, and sometimes with lettuce, onion, and cabbage.
Bánh mì - Vietnam
People go absolutely crazy for bánh mì sandwiches. In Vietnam, báhn mì is usually eaten as a snack because it's considered too dry to be a full meal. These sandwiches contain pork, pickled carrots, cabbage, hot peppers, mayonnaise, and a whole lot of cilantro.
If you're one of those people who has a genetic aversion to cilantro, maybe stay away from this sandwich. If you love cilantro, this is definitely the sandwich for you.
Leberkäsesemmel - Germany
If you want a simple sandwich that just hits the spot, you need to try the Leberkäsesemmel from Germany. I know the name of this sandwich doesn't sound simple, but it's really just a thick slice of meat served on a roll. You can add some mustard if you'd like, but mustard isn't entirely necessary.
The Leberkäsesemmel is filled with a very specific kind of meat called Leberkäse. It's basically corned beef, pork, and bacon ground together and baked in a loaf pan.
Cemita - Mexico
The word cemita refers to both the sandwich pictured above and the type of bread that the sandwich is on. Cemita's are served on egg buns topped with sesame seeds that are very similar to brioche buns or challah buns.
The sandwiches are usually topped with fried beef, avocado, onions, cheese, and red salsa. When you think of Mexican street food, you probably think about tacos, but sometimes it's nice to mix it up and have a cemita instead.
Bosna - Austria
This hearty Austrian street sandwich is made of a thick slab of sausage, onions, peppers, sausage, and curry spices smothered in mustard and shoved into lightly grilled white bread. It's the perfect sandwich to go with a classic Austrian beer.
Think of a hot dog, and then turn your hot dog expectations up to eleven. If there's one thing Austria does right, it's Bratwurst. This sandwich alone is worth the trip overseas.
Shuco - Guatemala
Speaking of sausages, have you ever tried a shuco sandwich from Guatemala? It's basically a delicious grilled hot dog slammed into a bacon sandwich. Toppings include mayonnaise, mustard, guacamole, and sauerkraut.
This just seems like a hot dog but better, and I didn't think hot dogs needed much improvement to begin with. his means I need to either find a Guatemalan restaurant in my area or I need to go to Guatemala.
Bauru - Brazil
This Brazilian sandwich looks pretty scary, but it also looks like a mess of cheese, which is the best kind of mess that you can get.
This sandwich originated in 1934 when a law student in São Paulo asked a cook to make a sandwich to his exact specifications. His specific requirements were roast beef, melted cheese, tomato, and pickled cucumber on a bun. The sandwich was a massive hit and now it's a Brazilian staple.
Arepas - Columbia
We're talking about arepas again, but this time we're talking about the Columbian version. They're very similar to the Venezuelan arepas, they have the same fluffy corn flour bun, but these ones are stuffed with chorizo sausage.
I'm using the term "stuffed" loosely. This is barely a sandwich. The sausage to bread ratio is way off, but I wouldn't have it any other way. More sausage is always better than less sausage.
Choripán - Argentina
If you haven't seen enough hot dog type sandwiches yet, check out the choripán, a sandwich that's popular in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. Its name comes from a combination of the names of its ingredients: a grilled chorizo sausage and a pan, or crusty bread like a marraqueta or a baguette.
This sandwich is usually spicy and if you add an over easy egg over the whole thing, it gets even more special.
Katsu-Sando - Japan
Tonkatsu is a breaded and deep fried pork cutlet usually served with shredded cabbage. If you put tonkatsu in a sandwich, you get a katsu-sando.
The bread is commonly spread with a type of thick brown sauce called tonkatsu sauce or simply sōsu (sauce), and karashi, which is a kind of Japanese mustard. This sandwich could easily become your new obsession. Clearly, Japan has more to offer food-wise than just sushi and sashimi.
Welsh Rarebit Sandwich - Wales
Newsflash: there is no rabbit meat in a Welsh rarebit sandwich. Rarebit and rabbit are two very different words. Welsh rarebit is basically an open-faced cheese sandwich with a sort of saucy underlayer.
Recipes for this delicious toast include ingredients like ale, mustard, cayenne pepper, paprika, and melted cheese. This is kind of like a grilled cheese sandwich, only way more flavorful. Also, there are tons of Welsh rarebit recipes online, so you could easily make this sandwich at home.
Gua Bao - Taiwan
I have two words for you. Steamed. Bun. If you've ever looked at a pillow and wondered what it would be like to eat it, you're in luck. Eating a steamed bun is basically like eating a delicious pillow.
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Bocadillo - Spain
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Mitraillette - Belgium
This sandwich, whose name literally translates to sub-machine gun, is kind of like a delicious cross between a burger and a sub. It's basically a burger, but because it's from Belgium it comes on a baguette and it's topped with french fries.
Also, it's smothered in sauces like mayonnaise, bearnaise sauce, and ketchup. Throw some caramelized onions on there and you've got yourself the most beautiful sandwich in all of Europe
Zapiekanka - Poland
Zapiekanka is a halved baguette or bread loaf grilled with mushroom and cheese, sometimes also with ham, other types of meat, or vegetables. The zapiekanka is a common Polish street food that you should totally order in Poland if you ever figure out how to pronounce it.
The sandwich is believed to have been invented in the 1970s Communist Poland given its simple ingredients and low price tag. This kind of looks like a pizza on a baguette and I'm all for it.
Francesinha - Portugal
Francesinha (meaning Little Frenchie or simply Frenchie in Portuguese) is a sandwich originally from Porto, made with bread, wet-cured ham, linguiça, fresh sausage, steak or roast meat— oh yeah, and it's absolutely covered with melted cheese and a thick tomato and beer sauce.
Don't forget the french fries, because you're going to need something to soak up all that extra cheese and sauce with. This sandwich is the perfect hangover cure.
Pljeskavica - Serbia
Pljeskavicas are Serbian hamburgers that are named after the way the patties are formed. Pljesak means "to clap the hands" which is exactly what you have to do when you form meat patties.
They can be made with any combination of pork, lamb, and beef, and they can be grilled, broiled, baked, or pan-fried. Grilling is definitely the superior cooking method, though. Top with lettuce, tomato, and a creamy sauce, and you're good to go.
Gatsby - South Africa
The South African Gatsby sandwich is as extravagant as its name suggests. It's pretty similar to an American hoagie, and it can be filled with everything from french fries to masala steak, chicken, bologna sausage, Vienna sausage, calamari, fish, or chargrilled steak.
These Gatsbys are typically sold as foot-long sandwiches cut into four portions. These sandwiches are definitely made for sharing, and the piece pictured above is likely one small portion of a huge sandwich.
Kaya Toast - Singapore
Kaya toast is a sweet sandwich that's all the rage down in Singapore. To make one of these delicious treats, you smother white bread in butter and kaya jam (which is a mixture of coconut milk and egg). Then you fry the bread french toast style and eat it for breakfast with bacon and boiled eggs.
I've never thought about making french toast with coconut milk, but now I think I'm going to have to try it.
Smørrebrød - Denmark
Head on over to Denmark for this unique sandwich that starts on a piece of buttered rye bread. Doesn't sound tasty yet? Well, then you add cold cuts, cheese or spreads, and pieces of fish or meat.
In all honesty, this sounds more like a good night with friends and bottles of wine. These sandwiches should be able to hold you over while not spoiling your appetite. If you give it a go, be sure to share with your friends.
Breakfast Roll - Ireland
It looks like Ireland knows how to make breakfast sammies! There are a lot of variations to the great breakfast roll in Ireland, but the general idea is that they have white and black pudding (sausage for those who don't know that) and a fried egg.
Sounds straight forward and delicious. You can also add mashed beans to make it a more interesting experience for your taste buds but the original way sounds just fine to us.
Porilainen - Finland
This is for sure one of the most classic Finnish street foods you can find. It features white bread and a half-inch slice of thick sausage if that's your thing (it sure is ours).
To make things more interesting, the sandwich usually has some diced up sweet onion, ketchup, chopped pickled cucumber, mayonnaise and mustard. It's pretty much a crossover of the got dog and hamburger if you think about it. Sounds all good with us.
Vada Pav - India
India has a great sandwich dish as well if you were wondering. The vada pav is pretty much the meal the guy in your dorm who stays under the influence created, but its amazing still.
You can find battered and fried potatoes between buns. They are usually served with different chutneys to satisfy whatever mood you're in at the moment. Whenever you feel like taking a trip to India, be sure to try these out for size.
Broodje Kroket - The Netherlands
The Netherlands is a glorious place to venture of to. Besides the many museums and the famous canal, the food isn't so bad out there. If you're looking for a sandwich, then you've got to try this one.
The broodje kroket is a log shaped nugget made of meat ragu. They are battered and fried meat nuggets mashed into rolls or between pieces of white bread with mustard. If you're feeling fancy, you can drizzle soy sauce over the fillings.
Yakisoba-Pan - Japan
Don't think Japan just has tasty sushi. You can get a pretty good sandwich out there as well. This one dons the name of the Yakisoba-Pan. it may seem strange at first, but after that first bite, you will change your mind.
The roll has sweet and savory Yakisoba noodles inside and it gets topped off with seaweed, mayonnaise, and katsuobushi. It sounds super obscure, but you'll be wondering why you never had one before.
Roti John - Malaysia
If you're a native in Malaysia, then you know that the Roti John is super popular for breakfast and as a snack. This also applies to Singapore. Why is it called the Roti John you ask?
Well, they named it after the British Colonials that ventured into the country back in the 18th and 19th century. It also has a mutton and tomato sauce on a baguette. Sounds pretty tasty and we'd eat one right now.
Chacarero - Chile
The Chacarero sandwich is one of the most interesting ones of the batch. If you like vegetables then this one might be for you. The intriguing ingredient involved in this sammy are the green beans!
Along with the juicy meat, you can add any type of vegetable you want, but you have to be sure to include the green beans or else you'll have just a regular sandwich. This one is for the health freaks out there.
Donkey Burger - China
Yes, the name is quite interesting but, hear us out. Well, it pretty much is exactly what it sounds like. It's a roasted flaky bread pocket with a pile of shredded or chopped donkey meat.
It also has some green peppers or cilantro. It kind of sounds like a Philly cheese steak just minus the donkey meat, of course. We wouldn't say to knock it. You should at least try it and find out if you like it.
Vegemite Sandwich - Australia
A classic sandwich that might never go out of style is the Vegemite hailing from Australia. It's one of their most popular spreads and everyone out there loves it. In fact, its been sung about across the world.
It's pretty simple to make, too. All you have to do is spread the incredible 'mite on some toast and boom! Just call it a down under delight if you will. We're sure you're going to love it.
