Cheese sandwich

Acheese sandwichis asandwichmade withcheesebetween slices of bread. Typically,semi-hard cheesesare used for the filling, such asCheddar,Red Leicester, orDouble Gloucester. AGuardianarticle described the cheese sandwich as a "British lunchtimestaple."Using apie ironorfrying pancan transform the cheese sandwich into acheese toastie.
When ameat sandwichis prepared, the cheese becomes an accompaniment, and the sandwich is known by other names such as aham sandwichortuna sandwich. If the cheese is melted on such a sandwich, it is often referred to as amelt sandwich.
While the exact origin of the cheese sandwich is not documented, some interpretations ofWilliam Shakespeare's1602 play,The Merry Wives of Windsor, suggest that the line "I love not the humour of bread and cheese" could be the first written reference to a cheese sandwich. However, this interpretation is speculative and not widely accepted as a definitive reference to a cheese sandwich.
In January 1889, inGreenville, Pennsylvania, Henry Hoffman, George Smith, and Teddy Atkins participated in a cheese sandwich eating contest. Hoffman won the contest by eating 16 sandwiches in 15 minutes.
Popular British variants of the cheese sandwich include thecheese and pickle sandwich, thecheese and tomato sandwich, and the cheese and onion sandwich.
Thegrilled cheeseis a popular  variation of the cheese sandwich, in which the sandwich is heated until the cheese melts.In the southern United States, thepimento cheesesandwich is a traditional favorite.
An Italian variation is thecarrozza, a mozzarella cheese sandwich coated in egg and flour and then fried.
By 2014, the cheese sandwich was declining in popularity in the United Kingdom. A survey of 2,000 adults' eating habits conducted by YouGov in December 2014 found that 55% of British adults had not eaten a cheese sandwich during the previous week.In response, in 2015,Anchor Cheddarlaunched a campaign using a bus designed to look like a cheese sandwich to encourage the consumption of this classic food.
In 2017, a survey byYouGovfound that 36% of British people said cheese was their favorite sandwich filling.In 2018, another survey of 2,000 British people found that a plain cheese sandwich was the most popular type of sandwich.However, by 2020, a similar study showed that the plain cheese sandwich had become less popular, with thebacon sandwichemerging as the new favorite.
In 2008, theFood Standards Agencywarned that a cheese sandwich contains more than half the recommended daily amount ofsaturated fat.
In 2012, Action on Salt campaigned for cheese sandwiches to carry a health warning. The group reported that the high quantities of salt in the main ingredients of a cheese sandwich could lead to children consuming an excessive amount.In response, theDairy Councilstated that it was incorrect to claim that cheese sandwiches are not healthy.Action on Salt later retracted the press release, citing an error.
A study byLen Fisherat theUniversity of Bristolin 2003 found that the optimal thickness for the filling in a cheese sandwich depends on the type of cheese used, and that the sandwich should be made with a light spread ofbutterormargarineto enhance the flavor of the cheese.
This research has been criticized as "frivolous".
The 1903 British short silentdocumentary film,The Cheese Mites, features a man making a cheese sandwich and examining it with amagnifying glassas its main storyline.
In the 2001 filmFreddy Got Fingered, the main character, Gord (played byTom Green), works at a cheese sandwich factory.