Toast Hawaii facts for kids
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| Alternative names | Hawaiian Toast |
|---|---|
| Type | Open sandwich |
| Course | Breakfast or Lunch |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Created by | Clemens Wilmenrod |
| Main ingredients | Toast, ham, pineapple, maraschino cherry, cheese |
Toast Hawaii is a yummy open-faced sandwich. It has a slice of toast, topped with ham, cheese, and a slice of pineapple. A bright red maraschino cherry often sits in the middle of the pineapple. This tasty treat is then baked until the cheese melts and gets bubbly.
A German TV chef named Clemens Wilmenrod helped make Toast Hawaii famous. It became very popular in West Germany during the 1950s. Some people think it came from an American recipe called "Grilled Spamwich." This recipe used Spam instead of ham. Since Spam was not easy to find in Germany, Wilmenrod used ham instead. That's how Toast Hawaii came to be!
How to Make Toast Hawaii
Making Toast Hawaii is quite simple. First, you lightly toast a slice of bread. Then, you spread a little butter on it. Next, you add a slice of cooked ham. On top of the ham, you place a slice of pineapple. Finally, you add a slice of cheese, usually a processed cheese.
After building your sandwich, you bake it until the cheese is melted and golden. Sometimes, people add a cocktail cherry or a sprinkle of sweet paprika powder on top. Many other "Hawaiian-style" dishes also use pineapple and cheese. Examples include Hawaiian pizza and Hawaiian steak.
The Story of Toast Hawaii
Most people give credit to TV chef Clemens Wilmenrod for inventing Toast Hawaii. He first showed it in Germany in 1955. However, some believe he might have learned the recipe from another chef, Hans Karl Adam.
Historians think Toast Hawaii might be a German version of the "Grilled Spamwich" from the United States. The original Spamwich recipe used Spam and grated cheese. But since Spam was not sold in German stores, ham was used instead. Another idea is that it came from the French croque monsieur sandwich.
Over the years, many different versions of Toast Hawaii have appeared. A TV chef named Tim Mälzer even made a modern version. His recipe used brown bread, Serrano ham, and Manchego cheese.
Where Toast Hawaii is Eaten
Toast Hawaii was a common meal for German families until the 1970s. It was also a popular dish in pubs and party places in the 1980s. Today, Hawaiian pizza is more famous for using pineapple in Germany. Unlike Hawaiian pizza, which is eaten all over the world, Toast Hawaii is mostly a German food.
About ten years after it first appeared, Toast Hawaii also became popular in East Germany. But there, it was mostly found in restaurants. In Austria, people saw Toast Hawaii as a sign of American culture in the 1950s. It also came to Switzerland in the 1950s. The restaurant at Zurich Airport was one of the first to serve it around 1960. Even today, it remains a well-known dish there.
See also
In Spanish: Tosta hawái para niños
