Whenever I meet someone that eats a sandwich for lunch every day, I get curious. When I ask, "What kind of sandwich is it?," I am usually answered with something like "Oh, just the usual. Deli meat and cheese" or "PB&J." When I follow up with questioning whether they ever get bored of those sandwiches, I am usually told no, because there is variety in the taste of the different cuts of deli meat, cheese, and bread.
But isn't there a limit to that variety?
If I only had those sandwiches to choose from, I think I'd die of boredom. The world of food is vast, with numerous flavors, and most things can be sandwiched between two slices of bread.
For instance, I enjoy guacamole and scrambled egg sandwiches. Not only do they provide a wealth of nutrients, but they also have the perfect texture when combined. The crunchiness of the toasted bread melds with the peppery, creamy guacamole and buttery scrambled egg to provide a satisfying lunch experience.
Another amazing sandwich on my list of favorites is a cream cheese, ham (fresh ham from the bone), and over-easy egg sandwich. Heating up the cream cheese makes it more creamy and easy to work with, and offsets the crunchiness of the toasted bread wonderfully. Meanwhile, browning the thick slice of ham hardens the outside and keeps the juices from leaking out and causing the bread to get soggy by the time lunch rolls around.
The addition of the over-easy egg is a must; the egg yolk tastes different otherwise, and the flavor and texture of a runny egg yolk work much better with the browned ham than a fully cooked one.
However, when I share my favorite sandwich recipes with others, most seem to shake their head or back away slowly. They had never tried such things in a sandwich, and my suggestions seemed blasphemous to their definition of a lunch sandwich.
It took enormous effort to convince them to try these new sandwiches, and they always seemed surprised by how it appealed to their palates.
But why do new sandwiches require so much persuasion?
Part of the reason seems to be that people are not very adventurous when it comes to food. In this society, a lot of emphases [when it comes to cooking] is placed on tradition.
"Oh, that's a secret family recipe," or "those recipes were taught by my dad, and his dad, and his dad before that" are commonplace quotes when asked about food that is served at family gatherings or community get-togethers. As such, many people are raised by foods and recipes pioneered by their grandparents' and great- grandparents', and seldom experience food that is culturally different at a young age. Additionally, because many people are not exposed to a variety of different foods at a young age, they grow up to be picky eaters. This results in a lack of willingness to try new foods.
