Sometimes a great submarine sandwich just really hits the spot on your lunch break. Even if you frequent sub shops, you might know these deli classics by another name. These sandwiches can be known by several different names and can have all sorts of different ingredients. What do you call it when you head to the sandwich shop?
What is a Submarine Sandwich?
These sandwiches, sometimes shortened to subs, are hot or cold sandwiches made with meats, cheeses, veggies, various condiments, and more. Some ingredients can include salami, pastrami, roast beef and other cold cuts, mozzarella, provolone cheese, swiss cheese, red onion, lettuce, onions, mayo, and so much more.
Usually, these sandwiches are on a loaf of bread, which is often Italian bread or something similar. If you head down to Subway, for example, and ask for a sub sandwich, Italian is one of the options for types of bread to choose from.
What Else Are They Called?
The submarine sandwich is also known as a hero, hoagie, grinder, po'boy, rocket, torpedo, dagwood sandwich, Zepplin, wedge, spukie, or simply an Italian sandwich.
The Italian sandwich seems to have come from Italian American communities in the Northeast United States in places like Connecticut, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The name hoagie came from the Philadelphia area, and hero tends to be a New York City term.
Grinder is a popular term in New England, and wedge seems to be a term used in the counties north of NYC. Spukie is used in Boston and comes from the Italian word spuccadella, which means "long roll," according to Wikipedia. Po'boys are big in New Orleans and are often made with French bread and stuffed with classic Cajun ingredients like shrimp or crawfish.
No matter what you might call it, getting a large sandwich on a roll with something like mortadella, jalapenos, meatballs, cold cuts, and vegetables for a great takeout lunch is something many people are very familiar with.
Do you have a favorite submarine sandwich order?
