BLT sandwich
Encyclopedia
A BLT is a type of bacon sandwich. The standard BLT is made up of five ingredients: bacon
, lettuce
, tomato
, mayonnaise
, and bread
. The five ingredients can be altered according to preference; for example, the bread can be toasted and the mayonnaise home-made. The sandwich has a high sodium and fat content, and has been specifically targeted by UK café chains in an effort to reduce salt and fat.
The BLT evolved from the tea sandwich
es served before 1900 at a similar time to the club sandwich
, although it is unclear when the name BLT became the norm. It is currently one of the most popular sandwiches both in the United States and the United Kingdom, enjoyed by all social classes. The sandwich's popularity has led to a number of oversized reproductions (the current record for the "world's largest BLT" is over 209 ft (64 m)) and a pop art
sculpture by Claes Oldenburg
.
Iceberg lettuce is a common choice because it does not add too much flavour whilst adding crunch. Food writer Ed Levine
has suggested that BLT does not require lettuce at all, as it is "superfluous", a suggestion that Jon Bonné, lifestyle editor at MSNBC, described as "shocking". Michele Anna Jordan, author of The BLT Cookbook
, believes the tomato is the key ingredient and recommends the use of the beefsteak tomato
as it has more flesh and fewer seeds. Controversially, Ty Kauffman of the food quarterly Lebensmittel, has suggested that egg is the most important and under-appreciated ingredient.
The mayonnaise used significantly influences the flavour of the BLT. The bread can be of any variety, white or wholemeal, toasted or not, depending on personal preference.
in lieu of normal bacon. One of the variations on the BLT is the club sandwich
, a two-layered sandwich in which one layer is a BLT. The other layer can be almost any sort of sliced meat, normally chicken or turkey.
The BLT has been deconstructed into a number of forms, for example Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock created a BLT salad in The Gift of Southern Cooking, by cutting the ingredients into 1 inches (2.5 cm) pieces and tossing in mayonnaise. This variation was described by New York Times writer Julia Reed as "even more perfect than a BLT".
The BLT became popular after World War II
because of the rapid expansion of supermarket
s, which allowed ingredients to be available year-round. The initials, representing "bacon, lettuce, tomato", likely began in the American restaurant industry as shorthand for the sandwich, but it is unclear when this transferred to the public consciousness.
, and a poll by OnePoll
in 2008 showed that it was the "nation's favourite" sandwich in the UK
. BLT sandwiches are popular especially in the summer, following the tomato harvest. In the USA, the BLT-season is associated with an increase in the price of pork-bellies, which are processed into bacon.
sculptor Claes Oldenburg
created a giant BLT sandwich sculpture, currently on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art
. It measures 32 by 39 in (81.3 by 99.1 cm) and uses vinyl, kapok
and wood, painted in acrylic. Every time it is moved, it must be restacked, which means it varies between exhibits. The artist has said that he has not set it up personally since its creation in 1963.
In 2003, a record for the world's largest BLT was created by Michele Anna Jordan, measuring 108 feet (32.9 m) in length. It was prepared at a 2003 tomato festival in Sonoma County, California
and had a total area of 14976 square inches (96,619.2 cm²). In 2008, Marie Ganister and Glenda Castelli created a 146 feet (44.5 m) BLT – a sandwich which was originally planned with Jordan. The record was broken again the Iron Barley restaurant in St. Louis, Missouri
, with a BLT measuring 179 feet (54.6 m), and is currently held by Bentley Dining Services for their 2009 attempt, measuring 209 in 1 in (63.73 m).
In 2004, the New Statesman
reported that the sandwich chosen by a politician as his "favourite" is loaded with political symbolism. For example, it suggested that a Chicken Tikka
sandwich would be a "gentle nod to an imperial past and a firm statement of a multicultural present and future." The article went on to explain that the then Leader of the Opposition William Hague
had accused the then Prime Minister
Tony Blair
of being a hypocrite with regards to food, telling one portion of society that his favourite meal was fish and chips
and another that it was a fresh fettuccine
dish. The conclusion of the article was that Blair choose the BLT as his favourite sandwich, which appeals to all classes.
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
, lettuce
Lettuce
Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...
, tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
, mayonnaise
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
, and bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
. The five ingredients can be altered according to preference; for example, the bread can be toasted and the mayonnaise home-made. The sandwich has a high sodium and fat content, and has been specifically targeted by UK café chains in an effort to reduce salt and fat.
The BLT evolved from the tea sandwich
Tea sandwich
A tea sandwich is a small prepared sandwich meant to be eaten at afternoon teatime to stave off hunger until the main meal.The tea sandwich may take a number of different forms, but should be easy to handle, and should be capable of being eaten in two bites. It may be a long, narrow sandwich, a...
es served before 1900 at a similar time to the club sandwich
Club sandwich
A club sandwich, also called a clubhouse sandwich or double-decker, is a sandwich with two layers of fillings between 3 slices of toasted bread. It is often cut into quarters and held together by hors d'œuvre sticks....
, although it is unclear when the name BLT became the norm. It is currently one of the most popular sandwiches both in the United States and the United Kingdom, enjoyed by all social classes. The sandwich's popularity has led to a number of oversized reproductions (the current record for the "world's largest BLT" is over 209 ft (64 m)) and a pop art
Pop art
Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art...
sculpture by Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg is a Swedish sculptor, best known for his public art installations typically featuring very large replicas of everyday objects...
.
Recipe
Whilst there are variations on the BLT, the essential ingredients are bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and bread. The quantity and quality of the ingredients are matters of personal preference. The bacon can be well cooked or tender, but as it "carries" the other flavours, chefs recommend using higher quality meat; in particular, chef Edward Lee states "Your general supermarket bacon is not going to cut the mustard".Iceberg lettuce is a common choice because it does not add too much flavour whilst adding crunch. Food writer Ed Levine
Ed Levine
Ed Levine is a New York-based food writer and blogger, and a frequent New York Times contributor. His stories on iconic American foods such as hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream and cheesecake have appeared in many U.S...
has suggested that BLT does not require lettuce at all, as it is "superfluous", a suggestion that Jon Bonné, lifestyle editor at MSNBC, described as "shocking". Michele Anna Jordan, author of The BLT Cookbook
The BLT Cookbook
The BLT Cookbook was written by Michele Anna Jordan about the preparation of various types of BLT sandwich. The cookbook was published by William Morrow Cookbooks in the United States in June 2003. Jordan is a food writer and has written for The Press Democrat; The BLT Cookbook is her 14th...
, believes the tomato is the key ingredient and recommends the use of the beefsteak tomato
Beefsteak tomato
Beefsteak tomatoes are the largest varieties of cultivated tomatoes, some weighing or more. Most are pink or red with numerous small seed compartments distributed throughout the fruit, sometimes displaying pronounced ribbing similar to ancient pre-Columbian tomato cultivars...
as it has more flesh and fewer seeds. Controversially, Ty Kauffman of the food quarterly Lebensmittel, has suggested that egg is the most important and under-appreciated ingredient.
The mayonnaise used significantly influences the flavour of the BLT. The bread can be of any variety, white or wholemeal, toasted or not, depending on personal preference.
Variations
Due to the high sodium and fat content of the BLT, low-fat mayonnaise is a common substitute along with low salt bread and less fatty bacon. In 2009, seven large cafe chains in the UK made a commitment to reducing salt and fat through similar substitutions. A more visible solution is to use turkey baconTurkey bacon
Turkey bacon is a meat product usually prepared from smoked, chopped and reformed turkey and commonly marketed as a low-fat alternative to traditional bacon...
in lieu of normal bacon. One of the variations on the BLT is the club sandwich
Club sandwich
A club sandwich, also called a clubhouse sandwich or double-decker, is a sandwich with two layers of fillings between 3 slices of toasted bread. It is often cut into quarters and held together by hors d'œuvre sticks....
, a two-layered sandwich in which one layer is a BLT. The other layer can be almost any sort of sliced meat, normally chicken or turkey.
The BLT has been deconstructed into a number of forms, for example Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock created a BLT salad in The Gift of Southern Cooking, by cutting the ingredients into 1 inches (2.5 cm) pieces and tossing in mayonnaise. This variation was described by New York Times writer Julia Reed as "even more perfect than a BLT".
History
Although the ingredients of the BLT have existed for many years, there is little evidence of BLT sandwich recipes prior to 1900. In the 1903 Good Housekeeping Everyday Cook Book, a recipe for a club sandwich included bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and a slice of turkey sandwiched between two slices of bread. Whilst the 1929 book Seven Hundred Sandwiches does include a section on bacon sandwiches, the recipes often include pickles and none contain tomato.The BLT became popular after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
because of the rapid expansion of supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s, which allowed ingredients to be available year-round. The initials, representing "bacon, lettuce, tomato", likely began in the American restaurant industry as shorthand for the sandwich, but it is unclear when this transferred to the public consciousness.
Popularity
According to food historian John Mariani, it is the second most popular sandwich in the US, after the ham sandwichHam sandwich
The ham sandwich is a common type of sandwich. It is made by putting sliced ham between two slices of bread. The bread may be toasted and buttered.- History :...
, and a poll by OnePoll
OnePoll
OnePoll is a survey-led marketing research company specialising in online and mobile polling. It has offices in London, UK and Bristol, UK. The company is owned by PR and marketing firm 72 Point and forms part of the South West News Service Group, which is the UK's largest independent press...
in 2008 showed that it was the "nation's favourite" sandwich in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. BLT sandwiches are popular especially in the summer, following the tomato harvest. In the USA, the BLT-season is associated with an increase in the price of pork-bellies, which are processed into bacon.
BLT in culture
In 1963, pop artPop art
Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art...
sculptor Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg is a Swedish sculptor, best known for his public art installations typically featuring very large replicas of everyday objects...
created a giant BLT sandwich sculpture, currently on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
. It measures 32 by 39 in (81.3 by 99.1 cm) and uses vinyl, kapok
Kapok
Ceiba pentandra is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae , native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and to tropical west Africa...
and wood, painted in acrylic. Every time it is moved, it must be restacked, which means it varies between exhibits. The artist has said that he has not set it up personally since its creation in 1963.
In 2003, a record for the world's largest BLT was created by Michele Anna Jordan, measuring 108 feet (32.9 m) in length. It was prepared at a 2003 tomato festival in Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
and had a total area of 14976 square inches (96,619.2 cm²). In 2008, Marie Ganister and Glenda Castelli created a 146 feet (44.5 m) BLT – a sandwich which was originally planned with Jordan. The record was broken again the Iron Barley restaurant in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, with a BLT measuring 179 feet (54.6 m), and is currently held by Bentley Dining Services for their 2009 attempt, measuring 209 in 1 in (63.73 m).
In 2004, the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
reported that the sandwich chosen by a politician as his "favourite" is loaded with political symbolism. For example, it suggested that a Chicken Tikka
Chicken Tikka
Chicken tikka is a chicken dish served in Indian and Pakistani cuisine. It is popular in countries all over the world. It is traditionally small pieces of boneless chicken baked using skewers, in a clay-based oven called a tandoor, after marinating in spices and yogurt.The word tikka means "bits,...
sandwich would be a "gentle nod to an imperial past and a firm statement of a multicultural present and future." The article went on to explain that the then Leader of the Opposition William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
had accused the then Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
of being a hypocrite with regards to food, telling one portion of society that his favourite meal was fish and chips
Fish and chips
Fish and chips is a popular take-away food in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada...
and another that it was a fresh fettuccine
Fettuccine
Fettuccine is a type of pasta popular in Roman Cuisine. It is a flat thick noodle made of egg and flour wider than but similar to the tagliatelle typical of Bologna...
dish. The conclusion of the article was that Blair choose the BLT as his favourite sandwich, which appeals to all classes.