Fried brain sandwich facts for kids
Brain sandwiches, onion rings and German fries in Evansville, Indiana
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| Type | Sandwich |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Main ingredients | Sliced bread, cow or pig brain |
A fried brain sandwich is a special kind of sandwich. It is usually made with thin slices of calves' brains that have been fried. These fried slices are then placed on sliced bread.
A Unique Sandwich: Fried Brains
This unique sandwich became popular in St. Louis, Missouri, in the late 1880s. This was when many stockyards, places where livestock are kept, grew in the city. People would fry thin slices of brain and serve them on white toast.
Today, not many restaurants in St. Louis still offer this sandwich. However, it remains quite popular in the Ohio River valley. Here, the fried brains are often served with a lot of batter on hamburger buns.
In Evansville, Indiana, you can still find fried brain sandwiches at several small, family-run restaurants. It's a favorite dish there and is even featured at the city's yearly West Side Nut Club Fall Festival. Also, Kissner's, a traditional place for workers in Defiance, Ohio, has been serving a brain sandwich since 1928.
A Change for Safety
For safety reasons, brains from cows older than 30 months are no longer allowed to be sold for people to eat in the United States. This rule was put in place because of concerns about a health issue called bovine spongiform encephalopathy. This is often called "mad cow disease."
Because of these concerns, some restaurants now use pig brains instead of cow brains. Pig brains are much smaller than cow brains. This means more work is needed to prepare each sandwich. Each pig brain must be carefully cleaned before it can be sliced. Also, one pig brain makes fewer slices than a cow brain.
See also
In Spanish: Sándwich de sesos fritos para niños
