A Gatsby is a South African
submarine sandwich
A submarine sandwich, commonly known as a sub, is a type of American cold or hot sandwich made from a submarine roll (an elongated bread roll) that is split lengthwise and filled with meats, cheeses, vegetables, and condiments.
Although "subma ...
consisting of a bread roll filled with
chips (French fries) and a choice of fillings and sauces.
It originated in
Cape Town
Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
and is popular throughout the
Western Cape
The Western Cape ( ; , ) is a provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the List of South African provinces by area, fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , an ...
province.
The sandwich is typically large and shared by several people.
Recipe
There is no standard recipe for a Gatsby, but it is usually offered in a long (one foot or more) French-style bread roll cut lengthwise.
Other breads used may include
hot dog buns or
roti flat breads, although a filled roti is usually referred to as a salomie. The sandwich is made large to be shared, usually four ways. The filling of a Gatsby comprises chips with any number of other ingredients such as meats, fish and eggs. Meat fillings may include
chargrilled steak
A steak is a cut of meat sliced across muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone. It is normally Grilling, grilled or Pan frying, fried, and can be diced or cooked in sauce.
Steaks are most commonly cut from cattle (beefsteak), but can also ...
,
steak,
chicken,
boloney sausage,
Vienna sausage and
Russian sausage. Fried or pickled fish,
,
curry
Curry is a dish with a sauce or gravy seasoned with spices, mainly derived from the interchange of Indian cuisine with European taste in food, starting with the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and British, and then thoroughly internatio ...
and eggs are also frequently offered.
The fillings are commonly dressed with
achar pickles or
peri peri sauce.
Although the Gatsby is typically made with meat fillings,
vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...
versions can be found that are usually made by substituting the meat with marinated
soy. Healthier versions can also be found, using ingredients such as beans which are said to significantly reduce
cholesterol
Cholesterol is the principal sterol of all higher animals, distributed in body Tissue (biology), tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in Animal fat, animal fats and oils.
Cholesterol is biosynthesis, biosynthesized by all anima ...
and fat levels.
History
The Gatsby sandwich originated in 1976 in
Athlone
Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midland Region, Ir ...
, in the
Cape Flats area of Cape Town.
Food shop owner Rashaad Pandy wanted to serve a quick but filling meal to workers helping him renovate his store. He filled a large round loaf with "slap chips" (South-African-style chips with vinegar), polony sausage and
achaar and cut this into wedges. "Froggy", one of the workers, declared the sandwich a "Gatsby smash", alluding to the movie ''
The Great Gatsby'' which had been screened at an Athlone cinema. The name stuck and Pandy subsequently offered the sandwich in his shop. The sandwich grew in popularity and was adjusted to use a long French-style roll. The gatsby sandwich is a popular hangover cure for
Capetonians.
USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
$3.75), 2014
File:Gatsby (1).jpg, alt=A Gatsby sandwich, A Gatsby sandwich
See also
*
Bunny chow—a South African fast-food dish consisting of a hollowed-out loaf of bread filled with curry
*
Chip butty—a French-fry sandwich from the United Kingdom
*
Mitraillette—a French-fry sandwich from Belgium
*
List of African dishes
Africa is the second-largest continent on Earth, and is home to hundreds of different cultural and ethnic groups. This diversity is reflected in the many local culinary traditions in choice of ingredients, style of preparation, and cooking techn ...
*
List of sandwiches
References
External links
*
{{sandwhich
French fries
South African cuisine
Sandwiches
1976 introductions