Gatsby (sandwich) facts for kids
A close-up view of a personal-sized Gatsby sandwich prepared with calamari and chips
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| Type | Sandwich |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | South Africa |
| Region or state | Cape Town |
| Main ingredients | Bread rolls, French fries, meat or seafood (masala steak, chicken, polony, Vienna sausage, calamari, fish), sauce |
The Gatsby is a super popular sandwich from South Africa! It's like a giant submarine sandwich, packed with crispy chips and lots of other yummy fillings and sauces. This big sandwich started in Cape Town and is famous all over the Western Cape area. People usually share a Gatsby because it's so huge!
Contents
What's Inside a Gatsby?
There isn't one exact recipe for a Gatsby. But it usually comes in a long, French-style bread roll. This roll is often a foot (about 30 cm) or more in length. Sometimes, people use hot dog buns or flatbreads called roti instead. However, a filled roti is usually called a salomie.
Popular Fillings
Gatsbys are made to be shared, often cut into four pieces. The main part of the filling is always chips. But then you can add all sorts of other tasty things!
- Meats: You might find grilled steak, spicy masala steak, chicken, or different kinds of sausages like polony, Vienna, or Russian sausage.
- Seafood: Fried or pickled fish and calamari are also popular choices.
- Other: Some Gatsbys even have curry or eggs inside.
Sauces and Toppings
To make it even more delicious, Gatsbys are often topped with achar pickles or spicy peri peri sauce.
Healthy and Vegan Options
Even though Gatsbys are usually made with meat, you can find vegan versions too. These often use marinated soy steak instead of meat. Some healthier Gatsbys use ingredients like beans. These can help lower cholesterol and fat levels.
The Story Behind the Gatsby
The first Gatsby sandwich was made in 1976. It happened in Athlone, a part of Cape Town. A food shop owner named Rashaad Pandy needed a quick and filling meal. He was feeding workers who were helping him fix up his store.
He took a large round loaf of bread. Then he filled it with "slap chips" (South African-style chips with vinegar), polony sausage, and achaar pickles. He cut this big sandwich into wedges.
How it Got its Name
One of the workers, nicknamed "Froggy," took a bite. He loved it so much that he shouted, "Gatsby smash!" He was thinking of the movie The Great Gatsby. That movie had just been shown at a cinema in Athlone.
The name stuck, and Rashaad Pandy started selling the sandwich in his shop. The Gatsby quickly became very popular. Over time, it changed from a round loaf to the long French-style roll we see today.
Images for kids
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A store in Cape Town, South Africa with signage for Gatsby sandwiches, 2014
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A Gatsby sandwich
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See also
In Spanish: Gatsby (sándwich) para niños
