We Eat What? a Cultural Encyclopedia of Unusual Foods in the United States by Jonathan Deutsch

Author:Jonathan Deutsch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ABC-CLIO
Published: 2018-08-14T16:00:00+00:00

While the sandwich itself stays largely the same with minor variations, the title switches from region to region. The name “submarine” supposedly originated with an Italian immigrant named Dominic Conti, who served long Italian sandwiches in his grocery store in Paterson, New Jersey. After seeing a recovered 1901 submarine called the Fenian Ram, he was inspired to rename his Italian sandwich a “submarine,” or “sub” for short. It’s also possible that the term originated in New London, Connecticut, where the U.S. Navy has its primary submarine base during World War II.

Probably the most colorful and complex term for the sandwich is “hoagie,” which was declared “The Official Sandwich of Philadelphia” by then–Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell. The hoagie unequivocally originated in the greater Philadelphia area, but there is such a wide range of possible etymological roots that it is impossible to determine the word’s exact date or story of origin. In 1953, the Philadelphia Bulletin reported that the sandwich came into existence in a Philadelphia-area shipyard called Hog Island, which served as an emergency shipping depot during World War I. Italians working in the area brought sandwiches to work made of meats, cheeses, and lettuce stuffed between two slices of long Italian roll. The sandwich became known as the “Hog Island,” and later “Hoggie,” after the men who worked in the shipyard. Eventually that was transformed into “hoagie.” Alternatively, the name came from Irishmen working in the shipyard who were called “Hogans.” Once they started eating the sandwich, the name “Hogan” was applied to the sandwich, and later switched to “hoagie.”

There are several other possible sources for the term “hoagie.” In the 1920s, the Italian community in South Philly would say that unemployed or destitute people were “on the hoke.” Deli owners would distribute scraps of meat and bread to these people, which would be eaten as sandwiches, thus taking on the name “hoke sandwich.” This later became “hokie” and then “hoagie.” Similarly, “hokey pokey men” would sell antipasto salads in long sliced buns, creating a “hokey” sandwich, which also became “hoagie.” Yet another variation on the story comes from the 1930s. The lines of meat and cheese in the sandwich resembled the meat butchered from a pig or hog, thus earning the sandwich the name “hoggie.” From there it was switched to “hoagie,” but in some areas the term “hoggie” or “hoggy” is still used.

Still another story claims that the name “hoagie” came from schoolkids playing hooky whose parents would have been notified. They students wouldn’t return home right away, to avoid being punished, and they would eat loaded sandwiches from streetcart delis. Passersby would see children eating “hooky sandwiches,” eventually leading, once again, to “hoagie.” A final, less likely origin of the name “hoagie” was relayed in a 1967 interview with a hoagie shop owner. The owner suggested that the term was derived from the word “honky,” which was what African Americans called whites in the 1940s. While observing whites eating this sandwich in lower-income neighborhoods, they called the sandwich a “honky sandwich,” which eventually was transformed into “hoagie.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.