Maine Italian sandwich
The Maine Italian sandwich, or Italian,[1] is a submarine sandwich in Italian-American cuisine.[2] The Maine Italian sandwich was invented in Portland, Maine.
Preparation
[edit]The Maine Italian sandwich is prepared using a long bread roll or bun with meats such as ham along with American or provolone cheese, tomato, onion, green bell pepper, Greek olives, olive oil or salad oil, salt and cracked black pepper. It is popular throughout Maine.[3]
Veggie and Vegan Italians
[edit]Veggie Italians are made with American or provolone cheese, tomato, onion, green bell pepper, and olives. Sometimes lettuce is added to Veggie Italians. Vegan Italians are made with vegan cheese, vegan ham, tomato, onion, green bell pepper, and olives.[4]
History
[edit]Giovanni Amato, a grocer in Portland, Maine, claims to have invented the "Italian sandwich" in 1902.[5][6] While selling bread on his street cart, Amato received requests from dockworkers to slice his long bread rolls and add sliced meat, cheese and vegetables to them.[5][2] Amato later opened a sandwich shop named Amato's, and today the sandwich continues to be prepared by Amato's sandwich shops.[2][7] The Amato's version is traditionally prepared using fresh-baked bread, ham, American cheese, slices of tomato, onions, green pepper and sour pickle, Kalamata olives and salad oil.[7]
Many other Italian corner markets in Portland sold Italians. In the 1960s, Portland reportedly had an Italian sandwich shop "every couple of blocks."[3] In the 1970s and 1980s, Italian sandwich shops added Veggie versions of the sandwich without the ham.[4] Monte's Fine Food in Portland was the first Italian shop to add a vegan Italian to the menu in 2019.[4]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "Eat and Run: Anania's, South Portland". The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram. September 27, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
- ^ a b c Stern, J.; Stern, M. (2009). 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late: And the Very Best Places to Eat Them. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-547-05907-5. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
- ^ a b "Maine Voices: That was amore: When Portland was known for Italian sandwiches". Press Herald. 2016-01-25. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ a b c Kamila, Avery Yale (2024-05-26). "A classic Maine sandwich gets a vegan makeover". Press Herald. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ a b Stern, J.; Stern, M. (2007). Roadfood Sandwiches: Recipes and Lore from Our Favorite Shops Coast to Coast. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-547-34635-9. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
- ^ Smith, A.; Kraig, B. (2013). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America (2d ed.). OUP USA. p. 351. ISBN 978-0-19-973496-2. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
- ^ a b Thorne, J.; Thorne, M.L. (2008). Mouth Wide Open: A Cook and His Appetite. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. p. pt106–107. ISBN 978-1-4668-0646-7. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
Further reading
[edit]
- Smith, Bill (January 25, 2016). "Maine Voices: That was amore: When Portland was known for Italian sandwiches". The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
