St. Paul sandwich facts for kids
A St. Paul sandwich
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| Type | Sandwich |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Missouri |
| Main ingredients | White bread, egg foo young patty, pickle slices, white onion, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes |
The St. Paul sandwich is a special kind of sandwich you can find in many Chinese American restaurants. It's very popular in St. Louis, Missouri, and other cities in that state like Columbia and Springfield.
This yummy sandwich has an egg foo young patty inside. An egg foo young patty is like a fluffy omelet made with bean sprouts and chopped white onions. This patty is placed between two slices of white bread. Other tasty ingredients are added too, like dill pickle slices, fresh white onion, creamy mayonnaise, and crisp lettuce. You can also find St. Paul sandwiches with different fillings, such as chicken, pork, shrimp, or beef.
The Story Behind the St. Paul Sandwich
The St. Paul sandwich first appeared in the early 1940s. Chinese restaurants in St. Louis wanted to create a new dish that would appeal to people in the Midwest. They thought a sandwich would be a familiar and tasty way to serve their food. This was an early example of fusion cuisine, which is when different food traditions are mixed together.
A local story says that Steven Yuen invented the St. Paul sandwich. He worked at a place called Park Chop Suey in Lafayette Square, St. Louis. It's said that he named the sandwich after his hometown, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Some food experts, like James Beard and Evan Jones, believed that the famous Denver sandwich (also known as the Western sandwich) might have come from egg foo young. They thought that early Denver sandwiches were actually a lot like the St. Paul sandwich. Many Chinese chefs used to cook for logging camps and railroad workers a long time ago.
This unique sandwich has even been featured in the media! It was shown in a PBS documentary called Sandwiches That You Will Like in 2003. Later, in 2016, artist Kelly Pratt included it in her book Stately Sandwiches. The St. Paul sandwich was chosen to represent the state of Missouri in her book.
Where to Find a St. Paul Sandwich
You will mostly find the St. Paul sandwich in Chinese restaurants around the St. Louis area. Some Chinese American restaurants in other parts of Missouri also serve it. Often, the owners of these restaurants originally came from St. Louis.
Sometimes, you can find similar sandwiches in other states like California and Oregon. They might have different names, such as "Egg Foo Young on Bun." For example, the Lung Fung Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, used to serve one (though it's now closed).
See also
In Spanish: Sándwich St. Paul para niños
