Research has been done: these are the 15 best sandwiches in the world

A generously filled, crispy, freshly made sandwich can make your day. One hundred percent. The Netherlands is packed with great sandwich shops (and honestly: in Amsterdam, you can also score plenty of tasty and affordable sandwiches), so there are plenty of delicious sandwiches within easy reach (Snackspert has another must try for you!). But we Dutch aren’t the only people who love sandwiches. All over the world, people crave a good sandwich. And so there are great universal favorites. TasteAtlas researched which 100 sandwiches worldwide are rated the best. This is the top 15!

15. Prego (Portugal)

We love Portuguese food anyway – it’s not for nothing that this Portuguese restaurant is very high on our list of favorites. They can make sandwiches there too. The Prego is hugely popular: a sandwich with beef fried in garlic, onions and wine, topped with mustard and hot sauce. You can also choose a Prego no prato. Then you get fries, rice and a fried egg with it. Could this be the ultimate hangover food for the Portuguese? It wouldn’t surprise me.

14. Montreal Smoked Meat (Montreal, Canada)

I visited Montreal a few years ago and regret not eating a Montreal Smoked Meat sandwich while I was there. How unprepared can a foodie be?! Simply disgraceful. What I would have gotten: a sandwich with meat. But not just any meat. It is first marinated for 10 days in a mixture of herbs and spices, then smoked and placed on a rye sandwich spread with mustard. It comes with fries, pickles and coleslaw. Did I mention that I regret it?

13. Vada pav (Mumbai, India)

If you’re traveling and want to try the local cuisine, you have to try the street food. The same goes for India, Mumbai to be precise. There, you absolutely have to get your hands on a Vada pav. What is it? A white bun with a ball of spicy mashed potatoes, fried in chickpea batter. Once invented as a cheap, easy-to-prepare snack for India’s working class, it has since become so popular that every rank and class in the country enjoys Vada pav.

12. Chivito (Uruguay)

Chivito means little goat in Spanish. But no, you don’t get a goat sandwich when you order this sandwich in Uruguayan lunchrooms. What you do get is a gigantic tower of ingredients (grilled beef, ham, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, melted mozzarella and fried eggs) on a ciabatta bun. Where did this creation come from? Once, a Uruguayan chef was asked to make roasted goat, but he didn’t have any. So he made something with all the ingredients he could find in his kitchen instead. The Chivito was born – and Uruguayans and tourists alike are still delighted by it.

11. Cuban sandwich (Florida, USA)

You don’t have to go to Cuba to eat a Cuban sandwich. No, you need to be in Florida, the sunshine state of the United States. It was Cuban immigrants who came up with the combination of ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on a sandwich. As a counterpoint to the classic ham-and-cheese sandwich, which they found rather boring. Want to make it yourself? We have a delicious Cuban sandwich recipe for you.

10. Arepa andina (Mérida, Venezuela)

Arepas are practically cultural heritage in Latin America, especially in Colombia and Venezuela. Traditionally, the sandwich is made from cornmeal. The Arepa andina is different: it is made with wheat flour. The sandwich is simple but incredibly tasty – especially when filled with good ingredients. We think this recipe for Venezuelan arepas is divine.

9. Sánguche de milanesa (Tucúman, Argentina)

Milanesa is the Italian version of Wiener schnitzel. Anyone ordering a Sánguche de milanesa in Argentina is treated to a milanesa sandwich (a kind of schnitzel), tomatoes, onions, lettuce and mayonnaise. In some Argentine sandwich shops, you can also get a version with chimichurri, ham or cheese. And with a little luck, your sandwich will also come with fries or mashed potatoes.

8. Toast Skagen (Sweden)

Did you think the Swedish sandwich classic was an IKEA meatball sandwich? Then you’re mistaken (although this is a bizarrely good idea – IKEA, are you listening?). No, Swedes are crazy about Toast Skagen. And we can understand why. It’s a sandwich with chopped shrimp, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, whitefish roe, dill, lemon and butter. How delicious does that sound? I’m going to pitch another idea to our yellow-and-blue friends at IKEA: sell Toast Skagen in your food corner!

7. Choripán (Argentina)

In Argentina, they clearly know how to make good sandwiches. It’s available on almost every street corner: choripán, the Argentine equivalent of the All American hotdog. The sandwich consists of a substantial chorizo sausage and chimichurri. Very simple in principle, because you only need three ingredients. And yet it’s incredibly delicious. For many Argentinians, Choripán is the number-one sandwich, and tourists love it too. Anyone traveling in Argentina is sure to come across an abundance of street-food stalls selling Choripáns. Want to give it a go at home? With this choripán recipe, you won’t know what hit you – it’s that delicious.

6. Lobster Roll (Maine, USA)

Crazy about lobster? Then you’ll want to try a Lobster roll right now. You get a hot dog bun with boiled lobster drizzled with butter, lettuce, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Incredibly delicious. By now, there are countless versions available in America, so you can taste them endlessly during your American road trip.

5. Roasted pork belly/Bánh mì (Vietnam)

We’ve reached the top five, and we’re kicking it off with the Vietnamese Roasted pork belly sandwich, also known as Bánh mì. It’s no surprise that this sandwich ranks so highly among the top 100 best sandwiches: it has been the sandwich of the moment for years. What is a Bánh mì sandwich? A sandwich with crispy smoked pork belly, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, mayonnaise, chives and cilantro. Spicy-food lovers can finish it with some sliced chili peppers. This is a sandwich you could easily wolf down every day. No trip to Vietnam planned? Make the Bánh mì sandwich yourself with this recipe.

4. Spiedie (Binghamton, USA)

Spiedie refers to the Italian word spiedo. No, not Speedo – you only find those in Italian swimming pools. Spiedo is Italian for cooking spit. It refers to the marinated meat roasted on a metal skewer and then placed on the sandwich. Americans love the Spiedie, which is why this sandwich holds a fine fourth place.

3. Sandwich de lomo (Córdoba, Argentina)

There they are again, the Argentinians. You could almost take a sandwich vacation to the country. Argentina’s most popular sandwich – and therefore in third place in this top 100 – is the Sandwich de lomo. This is the extreme version of the steak sandwich. Anyone ordering a Sandwich de lomo is faced with a monstrous meal: a sandwich with lomo steak, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, mayonnaise, chimichurri, ham, cheese and a fried egg. Had a salsa night in Argentina that got a little out of hand? Then this sandwich is your life saver in the morning.

2. Butifarra (Lima, Peru)

On the street, in restaurants, at birthday parties: anyone in Peru sees Butifarras everywhere. This is Peru’s ultimate sandwich. The key ingredient in this sandwich is jamón del pais: pork leg cooked with garlic, oil and chili peppers. You’ll also taste salsa, lettuce, radish and chili. A spicy sandwich, then, but incredibly delicious. So delicious, in fact, that it ranks second in the top 100 best sandwiches in the world.

1. Tombik (Turkey)

And now for number one. The very, very, very best sandwich in the world can be found in Turkey, and it’s called Tombik. Tombik resembles a döner kebab sandwich, but it cannot be compared to the after-party snack you wolf down after a night out. Certainly not when you order it from a truly good sandwich shop in Turkey. Tombik consists of shredded meat in pide ekmek: a flatbread with a soft interior and crispy exterior. It is finished with ingredients of your choice, such as tomato, lettuce and sauce. No sandwich anywhere in the world is rated as highly as Tombik – hence its coveted top spot on the list.

Everything on the list sounds delicious, if you ask me. They deserve to make the top 15. But where is the soft white roll with butter and chocolate sprinkles? And what about the croquette sandwich?! They didn’t even make the top 100! Disappointing. I know what I’m having for lunch today.

Read also:

• This sandwich was the big winner of the 2023 Dutch Tastiest Sandwich Championship
• Breakfast like a king? According to this professor, you might as well skip it
• 15 brilliant sandwiches from around the world

Source and images: tasteatlas.com