Pepper and egg sandwich facts for kids
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| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Chicago, Illinois |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | bell pepper, egg |
A pepper and egg sandwich is a yummy sandwich! It's made with grilled bell peppers and scrambled eggs. Usually, it comes on French bread.
This sandwich is very popular, especially on Fridays during Lent. Many Catholic families, especially those with Italian-American roots in Chicago, Illinois, love it. People think Italian immigrants in Chicago first made this sandwich a long time ago, around the late 1800s or early 1900s. You can often find it in places that also sell the famous Italian beef sandwich.
Why is it popular?
For a long time, Catholic people were not allowed to eat meat on Fridays. This rule was part of their religious practice.
In 1966, Pope Paul VI changed some of these rules. After that, Catholics only needed to avoid meat on Fridays during Lent. Lent is a special 40-day period before Easter Sunday. It starts on Ash Wednesday.
Chicago has many Catholic people. So, restaurants there wanted to find tasty meals that didn't have meat. This way, customers would still come in on Fridays. The pepper and egg sandwich became a perfect choice! It was a delicious and easy way to follow the rules without serving fish.
