The Sporkful What Makes A Sandwich A Sandwich? (Reheat)
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Apr 24, 2026 
Helen Zaltzman, language and word expert from The Allusionist, and Peter Kim, founder of the Museum of Food and Drink and food-culture advocate, spar over what counts as a sandwich. They debate spreads versus fillings, legal and cultural tests like the turkey club and burrito cases, and whether sparkling water, brunch, panini plurals, and donut spellings deserve special labels.
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Sandwich Defined By Intent And Form
- A sandwich's soul is defined by its intent and form rather than strict labels like 'bread'.
- Peter Kim and Dan test prototypes (turkey club, buttered roll, burrito) to probe filling vs spread and hand-ready criteria.
Two Part Practical Sandwich Test
- Dan proposes a two-part test: pick-up-and-eat without utensils and fillings sandwiched between two separate hand-ready items.
- He uses examples (burrito, burger, buttered roll) to show edge cases and legal implications.
Panera Qdoba Burrito Lawsuit Story
- Dan recounts the Panera v Qdoba lease dispute where a judge used ordinary dictionary meaning requiring two pieces of bread.
- The case illustrates how legal definitions can exclude burritos despite culinary arguments.
