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Written by: Candice McCavitt
Between the age of six and thirteen, I ate a peanut butter and jam sandwich every day. That’s 2,555 PB&Js, easy. Okay, so maybe I swapped out for a turkey sandwich in the days following Thanksgiving, and the odd hot dog during family barbeques, but I’d say I still managed to eat at least 2,000 peanut butter and jam sandwiches over those seven years. They were delicious, they were easy, and they were just the thing you ate for lunch—that’s how it’s supposed to be, right?
I mean, that’s how it’s been for about 250 years, since the sandwich was named and entered into our mainstream cuisine. Most people are familiar with the story of John Montague, the 4th Earl of Sandwich: he couldn’t be pulled away from a game of cards, so instead of leaving the gambling table to eat, he asked for meat to be brought to him between two pieces of bread—giving birth to the sandwich! How much of this story is truth, and how much is an old wives tale, is hard to nail down. People have been eating “sandwiches” for thousands of years, so the Earl didn’t exactly invent the food, but he did help to make the dish popular and gave it the name we all know and love today.
Since the sandwich was, and continues to be, such an important part of my life, I was excited beyond words when I was asked to create a small exhibit honoring its 250 year reign—and I’m not just talking the reign of meat and white bread sandwiches, but all sorts: veggie sandwiches, ice cream sandwiches, roti, wraps, and every incarnation possible. It’s about anything and everything that a sandwich can be!
The exhibit opens August 17th, and will run during the entire CNE. It can be found, appropriately enough, in the Food Building. Just like a sandwich, this exhibit has a number of different delicious layers—you’ll learn a bit about the history of the sandwich, take part in some hands-on activities, learn what your favourite sandwich topping says about you, and look though a large digital gallery of sandwiches from around the world. You’ll also be able to vote for your favourite sandwich at the CNE—we’re curious to know which one you like the best, and why—and share with us your favourite sandwich recipes and memories. Oh, and you’ll be eligible to win a prize, just for sharing.
I’ll probably add a few stories myself, even though I’m technically ineligible to win any of the prizes. I may have given up eating PB&J every day, but not my love of sandwiches. Since I was thirteen, I’ve discovered the joys of smoked bacon, brie cheese, avocado, and focaccia, among many, many other delicious possibilities—although, there is something to be said for reviving an old favourite. Do they have deep-friend peanut butter and jam sandwiches at the CNE? I just might have to track that down in August.
