Latest news with #sandwich
BBC News
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
M&S strawberries and cream sandwich: Japanese fruit sando hits high streets
Strawberries and cream – an iconic British combo since the 1800s. But do they belong together in a sandwich?M&S has rolled out a limited-edition strawberries and cream sandwich, made with strawberries, whipped cream cheese and sweetened bread, which it says is inspired by the "viral Japanese fruit sando". The supermarket chain says it was its top-selling sandwich the two days after its sandwiches are available at some Japanese bakeries in the UK, but M&S's offering appears to be the first time they have been widely available on supermarket idea of serving fruit in a sandwich might sound unusual but it's nothing new in Japan. Known as "furutsu sando", they became popular after Japanese fruit shops opened parlours selling desserts for customers to sample their recently became sought-after around the world after going viral on social media, with Western tourists on TikTok scrambling to get their hands on the version sold in Japanese convenience store chain 7-Eleven. Fruit sandwiches are typically made of sweetened, soft, spongy white bread filled with whipped cream and fruit, typically strawberries or clementine, says Shuko Oda, chef at Koya restaurant in London. They're usually cut into triangles so that the fruit is on display."It looks quite pretty," Shuko says, adding that the sandwiches are a "fun play on texture".Some people in Japan make them at home, but they're more commonly bought from convenience stores, food halls or dedicated fruit sando stores, she says. People often enjoy them as a snack with tea or coffee or served on a plate alongside savoury sandwiches. In the UK, it's not as uncommon as you might think to pair fruit with slices of bread for a sandwich. Think of banana sandwiches, served with the fruit sliced or mashed, or the nostalgia of childhood jam sandwiches. Coronation chicken sandwiches are made with dried apricots or sultanas, is a sandwich, at its core? Does it have to be savoury? And does it have to even be made with typical wheat bread - take the jibarito, for example, which is made with fried plantain instead. What about Scandinavian open sandwiches? And if they count as sandwiches, then what about French toast topped with fruit and sauce? The Oxford English Dictionary says sandwiches are made of two thin slices of bread, usually buttered, "with a savoury… or other filling". Though humans have been making bread for thousands of years, the sandwich as we know it today is said to owe its popularity to John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich. The story goes that he asked his staff to bring him meat between two slices of bread so he could continue playing cards without stopping to of the sandwiches we eat in the UK would raise eyebrows around the world. Take crisp sarnies, coronation chicken sandwiches, or the humble chip butty. But if you're feeling inspired by Japan's strawberry sandos and want to up your sandwich game, here are some more sandwiches from around the world. Bánh mì Bánh mì is a Vietnamese sandwich served in a baguette, typically filled with meat, pate, pickles and spicy sauces. It's usually eaten for breakfast. BBC Food has a recipe made with sweet and spicy pork belly and chilli sauce. Croque monsieur Croque monsieur is a French sandwich served hot with gooey, melted cheese. It's made with white sauce, cheese, ham and mustard, cooked under the grill. To mix it up, served with a fried egg on top and - voila - you have a croque madame. Po' boy A po' boy, which comes from "poor boy", is a New Orleans street food sandwich that celebrates Louisiana's seafood. A huge variety of fillings are available, but the most popular include fried shrimp, crab or lobster nestled among lettuce, remoulade and pickles. BBC Food has a simplified version you can make at home more easily using frozen scampi. Arepa Rather than using bread made from typical wheat flour, arepas are made using corn flour. They're also popular in Colombia, but it's Venezuela where they're most often made into sandwiches. One popular filling is Reina Pepiada, which combines chicken, avocado and coriander. Spaghetti or noodle sandwiches We're no strangers to doubling up on carbs in the UK - and the Australian spaghetti jaffle draws on the same principle. It is made by serving leftover spaghetti in tomato sauce inside a toastie. At convenience stores across Japan, you can also pick up a yakisoba pan - noodles served in a hot dog bun. Francesinha Francesinha, a Portuguese sandwich originating in Porto, is a cheese and meat lover's heaven. The impressive structure is made by filling a lightly toasted bread with a steak, sausage, cheese and ham. More cheese is then placed on top, and the whole sandwich is typically baked in the oven until the cheese melts and then served with an egg on top. A spicy sauce made with Port, beer and tomato is then poured over the whole thing. If that wasn't filling enough already, it's usually served with chips on the side. Additional reporting by Polly Weeks, BBC Food
Times
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Times
The sweet sandwich is simply not food
The combination of strawberries, cream cheese and sweet bread arguably makes the sandwich an outright dessert TOM REGESTER F illing and nutritious. Conveniently portable. Capable of being eaten without the mediating instruments of cutlery. Simple, yet susceptible of endless variation. However justly maligned the long history of British cuisine is, the sandwich is one edible artefact this country can take some pride in having bestowed on the world. The culinary conceit of using bread as a wrapper for other foodstuffs is one of those ideas that seems so natural it is hard to believe it had to be invented. Yet one of the sandwich's central strengths — its versatility — is also a source of danger. Its adaptability is easily abused. Does jam, or 'jelly', really belong in a sandwich? Do crisps? Other attempts to extend the genre simply testify to man's overweening hubris. Come winter, the chilly shelves of cafés are now routinely filled with sandwiches that purport to fit an entire Christmas dinner between two slices of bread. The latest attempt to desecrate the legacy of the 4th Earl of Sandwich comes courtesy of Marks & Spencer, where it is now possible to purchase a strawberries and cream sandwich. The 'limited edition Red Diamond Strawberry and Creme on soft, sweetened bread' is even more subversive than it seems. After all, the attempt to transform the savoury sandwich into a sweet snack brings inherent challenges. Here, the combination of cream cheese, sweet bread, and the fact that the sandwich takes the form of a sinister, single sleeve, arguably make the object an outright dessert. M&S, which pioneered the shop-bought sandwich in the late 1970s, is an innovator to be reckoned with. The strawberry sandwich has certainly given the internet's 'clickbait' food influencers something to chew on, as they film themselves sampling the novel delicacy. Yet it is hard not to think Britain's sandwich makers really ought to stick to the bread and butter methods of ages past.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Is Marks & Spencer's Wimbledon-inspired strawberry and cream sarnie a Grand Slam... or a total flop? We try the sandwich everyone is talking about to find out
One major British institution has paid homage to another, as Marks & Spencer has released a strawberry and cream sandwich just in time for Wimbledon - but is it a Grand Slam or a total flop? Celebrating the traditional summer treat, the UK supermarket has unveiled a limited edition sweet snack, inspired by Japanese 'sweet sandos'. Retailing for £2.90 at the High Street Kensington branch, the shop opted for brioche-style sweet bread, filled with soft cheese and crème freche that housed full, decadent slices of its curated Red Diamond strawberries. And sampling the fruity snack, FEMAIL awarded it a full three points. With a sandwich where ingredients are minimal, quality is key - and M&S more than delivers on that front. On first bite, I was wowed by how fresh and richly sweet the berries were, cutting through the creamy barrier with a fragrant tang. The specially grown variety, provided by 'trusted M&S Select Farms' are 'left to ripen for longer to ensure they're deliciously sweet and juicy', proving their prowess in not just their huge size but juicy crimson red hue. The supermarket isn't stingy either, offering a solid spread of three big strawberry halves. Elsewhere the cream mixture - thickened by the addition of cheese - added an icing-like feel to the sandwich whereas as the sweet bread resembled a cakey sponge. The offering felt more like a dessert than a sarnie - and was presented more like one - so expect to fill up on the sugary flavours. While the sweet treat is certainly filling, I did notice that it sat heavy in my stomach for the rest of the day, and I wasn't able to finish it all. Strawberries and cream are a quintessentially refreshing two-ingredient snack; so adding another carb element to it certainly made the meal feel more staunch. The only thing I felt it was lacking was a third addition - perhaps a new texture like a runny jam or a crunchy smattering of sprinkles. It's also not one you can nibble on throughout the day. Within a few hours, the remnants of my sandwich started sagging and falling apart. And M&S isn't the only brand to offer a Wimbledon-themed treat; American restaurant Subway is offering free strawberry and cream sandwiches for one day only. Selected locations will give away subs to fans on Monday 30th June 2025. Lighter and less sweet than the cakey M&S sandwich, strawberry slices, clotted creme and a fruity puree are laid out on savoury Italian white bread. While the ingredients don't feel as flavourful as the UK supermarket's, Subway offers a more delicate treat that doesn't settle as intensely. The creme mixture is less decadent, but allows for a more relaxed and moreish snack. Each participating Subway restaurant will have 100 6-inch Strawberries & Cream Subs to give away on its single day debut; in the below locations: Wimbledon (6/6A Hartfield Road), Birmingham (80 Smallbrook, Queensway), Liverpool (Central Shopping Centre), Derby (Pride Park) and Bristol (Galleries Food Court). Marks & Spencer announced the release of their product - inspired by Japanese fruit sandwiches which originated as fruit shops opened near major train stations and business districts in the early 1900s - earlier this week. As these businesses grew, many began to open cafes to allow the public to access luxury fruits at a reasonable by incorporating them into dishes such as parfaits, shortcakes and sandwiches. M&S said that while its latest creation may be mistaken for a dessert, shoppers will find it in the regular savoury sandwich section. It added the sandwiches were available to purchase in stores now, with some customers claiming to have already tried it. Lighter and less sweet than the cakey M&S sandwich, strawberry slices, clotted creme and a fruity puree are laid out on savoury Italian white bread One person rated it a '100000/10' and said it was the 'best sandwich ever' while commenting on M&S' Instagram account. Another said: ''I have tried this already and it is berry berry good.' A third penned: 'Where are my car keys!!!! I need to get this NOW.' A fourth commented: 'I might have to treat myself to one on the way to work tomorrow,' while another compared it to 'cake on the go'. M&S said: 'Inspired by the Japanese sweet sandos, recently spotted popping up in London 's trendiest Japanese patisseries, our product developers have long dreamed of creating a dessert sandwich. 'With our exclusive Red Diamond Strawberries at their juiciest best, the time has finally come to create the ultimate strawberries and creme experience.' M&S is saying its strawberries and cream sandwich is ideal for 'alfresco lunches, afternoon tea at home, summer picnics, courtside snack breaks or a sweet afternoon pick me up'. M&S Food first sold freshly made sandwiches in the 1920s, and expanded sales with pre-packed sandwiches in the 1980s. The retailer's food halls have sold four billion sandwiches to date. One person rated it a '100000/10' and said it was the 'best sandwich ever' while commenting on M&S' Instagram account Strawberries and cream are a popular British dessert often enjoyed in the summer months when the fruit is in season in the UK. The combination is thought to date back to the Tudor era, where dishes of strawberries and cream would be served at Henry VIII's royal banquets. It has also been made popular after being served at Wimbledon every year and is a popular snack with spectators. Wimbledon announced are raising the price of their world famous strawberries and cream for the first time in 15 years. The All England Club have taken great pride in freezing the price of strawberries at £2.50 per portion since 2010, but Mail Sport can reveal that will increase by 20p for 2025. A spokesperson for the All England Club commented, 'We have taken the decision to slightly increase the price of strawberries this year from £2.50 to £2.70. 'We feel this modest increase still ensures that our world-famous strawberries are available at a very reasonable price.' With tournament running costs increasing every year, the price hike shows even Wimbledon is not immune to the cost of living crisis. The club sell around 140,000 punnets per year, meaning the new price will bring in an extra £28,000. At £2.70 the event's iconic snack is easily the best value food on site. Wimbledon is also one of the very few sporting events which allows fans to bring in their own food and drink - including alcohol - so visitors on a budget can always bring in their own strawberries. They would not be as fresh as those served up at Wimbledon, however, who only serve strawberries picked that morning and shipped in from the family-run Hugh Lowe Farm in Kent.
CTV News
4 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Sponsored content: Bologna for breakfast!
Atlantic Watch Suzette Belliveau and our partners at Chris Brothers are sharing a very Maritime-inspired breakfast sandwich recipe.
The Guardian
21-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Meera Sodha's recipe for spring greens and cheddar picnic focaccia
Last month, while on a book tour in New York, I ate a sandwich that moved me to utter profanities. It was unusual behaviour from me, and more so because the sandwich in question was packed with an excessive amount of spring greens, but then, that is the genius of Brooks Headley, chef/owner of Superiority Burger: like Midas, he has an ability to turn the ordinary into gold. Here, I've tried to recreate it by cooking down a kilo of spring greens until they are melting, soft, collapsed and buttery, before tossing them with sharp cheddar. It's pure picnic gold. You don't have to have this on a picnic, but it really does work well, plus you can make the greens in advance and refrigerate them, provided you give them time to come up to room temperature afterwards. Buy the best focaccia you can find, or make your own – I make a 20cm x 30cm one like this (minus the garlic). Prep 10 minCook 30 minServes 6 1kg baby spring greens 80g unsalted dairy butter 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp fine sea salt 100g mature cheddar, grated – I like TicklerFocaccia, to serve (homemade or bought in) Wash the greens, shake off the excess water, then cut off the ends and compost them or save for soup – as a general guide, I cut away any stalks that are thicker than the base of my little finger. Shred the leaves into 3cm- to 4cm-wide strips. Put half the butter and half the oil in each of two large, deep frying pans and put them on a medium heat. When the butter has melted and started to foam, distribute the leaves and salt between the two pans and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes, until the greens have given up all hope of freshness and turned forest-black, glossy and soft. Tip all the leaves into one of the pans, toss through the grated cheese, then take off the heat. Slice open the focaccia horizontally, then evenly pile the greens on the bottom half. Slap the lid on top and compress. If you like a bit of theatre, tightly wrap the focaccia in foil, pop it in a bread tin and pack with a large bread knife; once on location, turn out and slice with panache. Or, more sensibly, slice into portions before you leave and wrap individually.
