Deli Meats Go Global!

People around the world might fight over territories, political and cultural differences, foreign policy or oil prices, but one thing that holds us all in common is food. In particular, deli meats have had so many variations in so many countries that it has reached worldwide fame. Sure, our favorite lunch meat might be readily available in the nearest Whole Foods or Whole Foods Bakery, but people around the world are going to their favorite delicatessen for exactly the same reason you have – to solve their pastrami fix.

We should also be aware that people around the world have their own take on sandwiches – and is a great way to study different cultures and infuse on our own. Especially in the information age, the world seems to grow smaller, and it’s so easy to be part of a worldwide culture. The same goes with sandwich recipes, and how the simple PB&J became a global sensation.

Here is a look on how people around the world are taking deli meat into their daily lives. Take on these famous concoctions and see how you can make them at home, and make a difference in your meal plans.

Aside from the Montreal beef sandwich, Canadians have a big appetite for beef and deli meat. They mainly use strips of beef and stew it, and usually put in two slices of baguette and cheese. Like many of us they are also fond of prosciutto, with shards of it tossed in spinach leaves and feta cheese. They also like mortadella, and even with Canadian kids love it plainly with bread. Another version of mortadella is eating it with cheese and peppers and stuffed into a calzone.

It is also undeniable that Italians are passionate on pepperoni. One classic pepperoni sandwich would involve pepperoni slices, pesto, and pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese. This typical sandwich in Italy fills their delight with the salty taste of pepperoni and the basil and nut flavors of pesto. They would also put ham slices in the sandwich to make it fuller. The classic Italian sub is comprised of salami, prosciutto, and Italian sausages layered with lettuce, celery, basil and dill pickle relish.

In Germany, the Butterbrot is a slice of bread lathered with butter and comes in a thousand variants. One famous version is with salami on top of it, layered with onions and lettuce. The Butterbrot is famous with German sausages and any kind of meat spread. Others even make a desert out of it, putting chocolate or fruit spread on it.

The Norwegians have their sandwiches open-faced and take their ham sandwiches seriously with layers of whole wheat bread, ham and scrambled egg. Sandwiches in Norwegians also like salmon, shrimp or anchovy, and topped with hardboiled egg and tomatoes. The key to this sandwich is the use of fresh ingredients.

Even Africans have their take on a super sub. This is the Gatsby, or the African sandwich which contains chunks of roast beef, lettuce, fries and a rich dressing all in one combo. They also have various kinds of this, but the concept of the Gatsby is to make it huge, and overflowing with stuffing, enough to feed at least a group of four. This sandwich is made to feed a group of people according to how it was first discovered in 1976.

The French do it simply with the croque-monsieur. This sandwich, or roughly translated to Mr. Crunch in English, is two pieces of bread and in between, a combination of ham and Emmental cheese. This French version of ham and cheese sandwich is called croque-madame if topped with egg. Other types of the croque-monsieur use Bolognese sauce, tomatoes or Gouda cheese.

The El Cubano hails from Cuba. This delicious and famous sandwich is a combo of ham and roast beef with mustard, pickles and Swiss cheese. The kicker in this sandwich is the Cuban bread. It is pressed on the grill and is always best served with sweet potato fries.

But in the free land of the USA, deli meats and sandwiches are synonymous to Walmart and Whole Foods. These two outlets offer the best ingredients when it comes to deli meat, or making an all-American lunch meat sandwich. You can also get hard to find ingredients here, if you wish to be a globe-trotting sandwich chef.

We are all great fans of the sandwich and wherever we are, we take pride in our culture and our food. What is important to us usually reflects on the way we make our food. It’s amazing how we all have food as a common denominator, and usually, it’s the food that reflect the way we live. We should never forget that we are a person of the world now, and for us to appreciate this more, let’s give respect to the way our sandwiches speak our global language.