Pepito (sandwich) facts for kids
A pepito is a tasty sandwich that comes from Spain. It's also super popular in Latin America, especially in Venezuela. You can find it made with beef, pork, or chicken. In Venezuela, it's a common street food, meaning you can buy it from vendors on the street. Sometimes, people call a pepito a type of "torta" sandwich, which is another kind of sandwich.
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Making a Pepito
A pepito is usually made with grilled meat like beef tenderloin, flank steak, rib eye steak, or strip steak. Sometimes, people use chicken instead. The meat is often served on a soft roll, bun, or a long baguette.
Besides the meat and bread, pepitos can have lots of other yummy things! These might include:
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Lettuce
- Sliced tomatoes
- Avocado or guacamole (a creamy avocado dip)
- Guasacaca (another avocado-based sauce)
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Olives
- Jalapeño peppers (spicy!)
- Onions (sometimes sweet and caramelized)
- Cream or mayonnaise
- Butter or olive oil
- Fresh lime juice
- Different sauces like Worcestershire sauce or hot sauce
- Spices like cumin, salt, and pepper
Some pepitos are loaded with many toppings, while others are kept simple with just a few main ingredients.
Pepitos in Latin America
The pepito is a very common street food in Venezuela. It first became popular in Barquisimeto, which is the capital city of the Lara state in Venezuela. It's one of the most loved street foods there!
You can also find pepitos in some restaurants and stores in Mexico City. In Venezuela, street vendors often sell them. These vendors usually have many sauces you can add to your sandwich. You can even tell the vendor exactly what ingredients and toppings you want on your pepito!
Pepitos in Spain
In Spain, many bars that have a kitchen offer a pepito de ternera. This means a beef sandwich, and it's cooked fresh when you order it. The name "pepito" has also spread to other kinds of sandwiches. For example, sandwiches made with cured pork tenderloin are sometimes called montado de lomo.
Other popular versions might include ham and cheese, bacon, or fried peppers.
There's a fun story about how the pepito sandwich got its name! A food historian named Teodoro Bardají Mas shared it. He said that at the Café de Fornos in Madrid, one of the owner's sons was named José Fornos. Everyone called him Pepito. One day, Pepito asked for a hot sandwich instead of a cold one. So, he was given a beef sandwich. When other customers saw it, they started asking for "one like Pepito's!" And that's how the name stuck.
Pepitos in the United States
You can find pepitos in some restaurants across the United States. Cities like Miami, Chicago, Atlanta, and others in California have places that serve this delicious sandwich.
Other meanings
In Spanish, the word pepito can also mean a long, sweet bun filled with cream or chocolate.
See also
In Spanish: Pepito de ternera para niños
