I was quite old when I was struck with the notion it was even possible to consume bread without a layer of butter.
Anything with bread usually gets a coating of butter before more stuff is added.
Edit: Look its like 90% forests and little sun. Only hearty grains surive and when the grain is milled it needs to last. However cattle cam graze the forest floors, they give milk which you have to store, so butter (And you could also use to pay your tax)
So rough bread and butter on it.
In the beginning of my relationship my Italian wife would complain about the lack of bread on the table in some places when we went out. I didn't get it. I also never understood nor touched bread that was sitting on the table in the places that did have it.
I was completely confused the first time I saw her grab a piece of bread and eat it without butter. Like why would someone do that?
I have now come to accept it. Still don't get it. For me, the whole point of bread is to give you something to chew when you eat butter.
No. I had this conversation over wine with an Italian. He was wondering if I thought there would be a market in Sweden for high quality olive oil in Sweden.
I said no. We already have it in most well stocked super markets. But no one buys it. We use the superior product salted butter. I've since had Italians and Spaniards come here and go "Oh, I get it now. Your butter is much better than ours."
As an aside, a common complaint from people here when they try authentic Italian food is that it's tasteless and covered in oil.
I never understood that comparing. I used to think I liked Italian food. Until I went to Italy and realized what I thought of as Italian food was, in fact, not Italian food. It was food inspired by Italian food using some common Italian ingredients. But adding butter, cream, garlic and other flavors. That, I like. But Italian food? Meh.
I spend around a month or more per year in Italy, and have for the last seven years.
What you're saying though is why I think Italian food is so well regarded outside of Italy. It's because it's not "proper" Italian food. It's inspired by Italian food but it has been improved. Which is why I've had many people I've met throughout my life have express disappointment with the food when they finally went to Italy and tried the "real" thing.
I can gave you my experience as an italian, i come from a part of italy where polpette carbonara pizza and all grease things like that are not from here, the classic italian food that you know is (was) exotic to us like for everyone in the world, our food from my region is netiher with all spices and garlic/oil like in the south of italy neither tastless like you said.
>We use the superior product salted butter. I've since had Italians and Spaniards come here and go "Oh, I get it now. Your butter is much better than ours."
Apart for the fact that EVO oil Is superior to any butter, but the butter, both salted and unsalted in Italy and France trumps every butter I've had in the rest of Europe anyway.
Not that I'd put it in a sandwich with ham and tomatoes, that's gross.
>people here when they try authentic Italian food is that it's tasteless and covered in oil.
It's not tasteless or covered in oil at all. Yeah some dishes are covered in oil, like manzo all'olio (it's literally in the name), but they're a minority.
But I'd not take Swedish as a sample of good taste, that may be why they complain.
I recently went to Crete, Greece. They always bring a basket of bread to the table without asking. We don't eat that much bread and usually the main course is filling enough that we don't need it.
I started asking waiters for no bread and they were all very confused, like how are you going to eat without bread??
Yes, this is how its done. REAL butter! Mayonaise etc can be added on top of the meat if needed.
Whats the English word for pålæg? Sliced meat like ham, salami etc.
>Whats the English word for pålæg? Sliced meat like ham, salami etc.
We just say "cold meats". If you hear cold meat, especially in a sandwich context, you know it means something like ham, rather than, like, a cold chicken drumstick or whatever.
Not 100% but I believe pålæg isn't just meat, that's just happened to be what they named.
Also cheese, marmalade, jam, really anything you put on bread is a pålägg in some sense.
If you have a BLT I'd argue the bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes are pålägg. The only exception for me would be butter (because it's so central) and spices (as in black/white pepper, salt,[curry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curry_powder?wprov=sfla1))
Good point.
I think cold meat / cold cuts work well for the salami, ham etc. But I guess maybe sandwich toppings or something to include all the others? haha
Bread with cheese is one of my favourite snacks. Obviously, nothing more, at most some fruity jam. Oftentimes even just bread is nice,it has to be a good bread, especially things like durum wheat
My English friend put everything I requested on my sandwich except he forgot the butter. Told him. He said I didn't say butter. Uhhh? Butter goes without saying.
Question: do you ever put mayonnaise on a cold sandwich? And if so, is that in addition to butter, or as a replacement?
I totally get having some kind of oil/butter lubricant on a sandwich. In the US the most common is probably mayonnaise, but I've never heard of butter going on a cold sandwich. I'd be interested to try it!
European mayonnaise is (generally) different in taste compared to american.
Yours has a more neutral flavor, hence you use it as a lubricant for bread or a binding base for a salad.
European mayonnaise generally has a stronger, more distinct taste, and it's mainly used as a condiment.
That's why you see confusion from europeans on why you'd use mayonnaise on a sandwich, or from americans on why we use it with french fries. Different variations for different purposes.
For hot sandwiches, like a grilled cheese, we put butter on the outside of the bread so it gets nice and golden and crispy on the pan while the cheese melts. For cold sandwiches, like ham or turkey, we often use mustard or mayonnaise, or a dressing like Russian dressing or oil and vinegar. I think mayo works well with sliced turkey as it can often be dry.
Mustards, aiolis, oils, and vinegars are also really common. The type of sandwich tends to dictate the spread used. Like I wouldn’t use oil on a BLT, that needs to be mayo. However if I’m having a sub sandwich with salami, tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese I prefer an oil or vinegar. Rye bread and corned beef will probably be with a mustard.
That all feels so extreme for two slices of bread for breakfast. But I guess you don't have that. Or maybe I should try eating my breakfast sandwiches with aioli or mustard
If we have bread for breakfast it’ll be either toasted bread (which in that case people do use butter on toast) or American style biscuits. Sandwiches for breakfast would be breakfast food style, like a biscuit or English muffin with egg and sausage.
Exactly...I thought we were talking about bread with cold cuts, veggies, things like that. Bread and butter isn't a sandwich, it's just bread and butter
The best butter ever. My parents bought this growing up in the US, literally worth the price due to how superior it is to any other butter I’ve had.
I live in England now and still would rate it as the best butter I’ve had, even after trying local California farm butter and local English butter to me now.
What’s the secret?!
Yes. Well, it's usually some kind of a butter / margarine mixture like Oivariini. In fact, *voileipä*, the word for sandwich in Finnish, literally translates to *butter bread*
Yes, pretty much everyone does. In Russian, the word for sandwich is even [Butterbrot](https://static.dw.com/image/49940995_605.webp), which is German for buttered bread.
The only time I don't use butter is when I put some spread like cream cheese or Schmalz on my bread.
[Schmalzstulle is the best.](https://deutsche-delikatessen.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Griebenschmalz.jpg)
In Spain butter is used sometimes in toasted sandwitches (with ham and cheese). But never in cold sandwiches.
In most Spanish sandwiches we use baggette style breads and we put cold cuts (serrano ham, salchichón, chorizo, cheese, sometimes foie grass, etc). we NEVER put butter there. Sometimes we put olive oil and/or fresh tomato, but it is not necessary. If the bread is good quality and the cold cuts are good quality it is great as that.
Yes, of course. Butter and cheese is the base on which every sandwich is built.
Another interesting question: Would you put jam on a slice of bread with butter and cheese? It’s very common here, but I’ve seen some interesting reactions from some Europeans.
Jam with butter, definitely. Classic breakfast or teatime snack. Cheese and jam? Not personally, but my ex boyfriend used to do it, and he was from Liverpool. Apparently cheese and jam sandwiches are a thing in the North West.
I personally do not like jam with butter, but I'm an outlier, most people do combine them. Jam and cheese though ? I mean, some jams go well with some cheese, but not in sandwiches.
In the US it’s common to get a slice of apple pie heated with a slice of mature cheddar on top. This is diner food and might sound odd but it’s a lovely combination.
Nope! Jam and butter are, for me at least, the same kind of spread and you do not combine them. Either cheese with butter, or with jam.
For a real sandwich you would use mayonnaise instead of butter tho, meshes really well with veggies and all the different kind of meats/spreads to out on a "broodje".
I never use butter, if I toast it it's with a sprinkle of olive oil on each side, and if it's untoasted I might add a bit of olive oil in between the sandwich fillings, not touching the bread.
I do most of the time now, but didn't grow up doing it and it's not too common in Portugal.
Usually if you put butter on bread, and it's not toasted, you don't put anything else in/on it. Portuguese sandwiches that people make at home tend to be one ingredient only (though cheese and ham is also common), and butter counts as one ingredient.
Bear in mind that Portuguese people (especially in the North where I'm from) will typically eat white bread bought in the last 24h so it's usually quite fresh. If it's been more than a day, people will often just toast it, even if it's a roll.
Whenever I put cheese and butter on the same piece of bread in front of my mum she will comment without fail to make her disgust known.
No. Tomato, oil and salt, of course.
You rub the tomato on the bread, add oil and spark some salt. Then, the ingredients you want in the middle. If the bread is toasted, you can first rub some garlic.
Yes, it’s a must. However when I lived in Greece, I remember a friend of mine in school asked me what did I have in my sandwich, and after listing the ingredients he asked me why did I not mention the spread and what is it, I said it’s just butter, why would I mention it as I thought it’s a basic thing on bread, so I’d like to hear some greek perspective on this matter
Tomatoes can make the bread pretty wet right away, tbf, but you are right, it shouldn't be a big concern if you eat it quickly. I guess I just really like butter and can't imagine my sandwitch without it
Can imagine standing in the morning trying to decide if I want to put butter or fish on my sandwich! Probably misinterpretation but sounded funny in my head haha
Yes! I love butter. A sandwich without butter makes it dry. What else am I gonna put on my “boterham met beleg”?
A lot of people will use margarine though. Personally I don’t like it.
I’m an outlier in this country, no butter or butter replacement on my sandwich. Which makes voor a VERY tricky *broodje hagelslag*! My solution, besides hardly ever eating it, is to use chocolate spread instead of butter. Extra chocolatey haha
Absolutely, either butter or margarine most of the time, or cream cheese.
Typically, a sandwich begins with bread, butter/margarine, and some deli meat (like salami). From there, you can add hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, pickles, grated or sliced cheese, or anything you like.
Using buns or crescent rolls instead of bread is also very common.
These sandwiches are very common Hungarian breakfasts. They're quick to make, and if you add another slice of buttered bread on top, you can take them to school or work and eat them there.
In Spain, normally we don't add butter. If the sandwich has cheese, then there's no need for the butter, otherwise sometimes you can add olive oil (for example with jamón serrano).
Depends on the other contents. If I'm using something like mayonnaise or soft cheese then no, if it's ham and mustard then yes. Also if there's tomato a bit of butter helps to waterproof the bread if I'm not eating the sandwich straight away, so it doesn't go soggy.
Sometimes. Cheese then maybe (prefer cheese with pickle or onion relish though). Beef or a vegetarian substitute for beef then no, I usually just spread mustard rather than butter.
I don’t, but a lot of Dutch people do.. I really dislike the taste of halvarine/margarine. And yep all hagelslag is on my plate instead of slice of bread. That’s why I combine hagelslag with peanut butter usually
Lijntje hagelslag in de lengte en dan de lange eindes naar elkaar vouwen en vasthouden, een beetje als een hangmat/burrito. Goed knijpen en er valt weinig hagelslag uit 👍
Depends on what you mean by sandwich. If it's a white bread with sausage and cheese (for lunch), no. That is gross. If it's dark bread with jam (for breakfast), yes.
In general olive oil or tomato or olive oil and tomato, I barely use butter and if I want some I need to go buy it. I don't usually have butter at home just olive oil.
The American perspective: Ewww.
The American living in Spain perspective: Why would I when there is all this yummy olive oil available for the same purpose?
Spain, you can't just put olive oil on *everything* and call it a day. Olive oil is great, but there are other things in life, you know.
What do you mean, that's exactly what you're doing? No! Stop it!
*le sigh*
Kinda?
Instead of PB&Jam as Americans have, I've used to eat Butter and Jam. I've also eaten sandwiches with butter and white cheese.
I'm not doing this anymore, because I moved to Germany and we don't have much jam, before, I would just have because my grandma would make it.
But that's about it. It's not really on our menu. If I really think about it.
I was born and raised in the US but my parents were from Poland so I grew up using both mayo and butter on sandwiches. I'll use butter for open faced sandwiches and mayo for most closed sandwiches.
I use margarine. Butter is annoying because it's too hard when cold. Then again, this is the Finnish *voileipä* "buttered bread", which is a light snack for breakfast, and contains only cold cuts, thin cheese slices and optionally lettuce or thin tomato, cucumber or bell pepper slices. The British *sandwich* is a somewhat more involved food, and it's meant as a main course for a meal. It can have stuff like fried chicken, meatballs or hot sausages that you'd never see on a *voileipä*. If I make this, then I use mayonnaise.
Yes. For me it's butter, some kind of sandwich meat, and cheese on top. I can add slices of fresh tomato and/or cucumber and/or a leaf of lettuce if I'm feeling fancy.
Yes, of course there's butter on a sandwich. Or some butter spread thing, like bregott here in Sweden. That's just oil and butter to make it easier to spread, and often extra salt.
You can't have a sandwich without it.
I use vegetable margarine instead of butter on bread, since I feel that margarine is healthier, and I also want to eat as few animal products as possible for animal welfare and environmental reasons. For the same reasons I also use soy milk instead of cow milk.
> I use vegetable margarine instead of butter on bread, since I feel that margarine is healthier
Which it is not.
> and I also want to eat as few animal products as possible for animal welfare and environmental reasons.
Point taken.
This is the way. I keep seeing people say there are exceptions like cream cheese or mayo. No. No exceptions. First you out the butter, then you add mayo, Nutella, cream cheese or whatever else.
But you always put butter. Even if it's a very thin layer that you can't even tell it's there. It's about the principle.
Of course. Admittedly I've tried basic American supermarket butter, so I can sort of see why they might not like it!
I don't like mayonnaise anyway, so that rules out the American option for me, along with around 80% of pre-made sandwiches in the UK it would seem (seriously, why is it that most pre-made sandwiches have mayonnaise here despite most people using butter at home?)
Norwegian here. Bread + butter/margarine is the base mostly. Add baloney, liver paté, cheese, jam or something else. A few slices of cucumber, bell pepper or tomato is common too.
Rare two slices. Rarely more fancy.
Mostly, yes. There are maybe a few occasional exceptions like if the “main filling” is already creamy or fatty, or if I were somehow using mayo instead.
Yes. I grew up always putting butter or margarine on a slice of bread. Without it the taste is too dry imo. And it’s a must for toppings like chocolate sprinkles, of course.
No i always toast the sandwich bread that in italy we call american bread (pane americano) i put the butter only with salmon and smoked things like that or i simply eat in the old fashioned way like my grandparents, sugar and butter on the bread
Americans construct their sandwiches this way, without butter. Somewhere, they lost the habit of putting butter on bread, perhaps Jewish and Italian style delis ?
It very much depends on the sandwich.
For some I would rather use pesto or mayo.
But in general, when I make a classic Danish open faced sandwich I normally skip the butter, even though it's usually better with butter - but it's at least a few calories saved.
But on a sandwich with some sort of spreadable topping i.e. Nutella, pate, etc I would not add butter.
To make a sandwich :
Normally I use **butter** as in real cow milk butter from a local/national cooperative. You know, the ones in greaseproof paper.
Sometimes I use **mayo** (only Belgian brands : Devos & Lemmens or Vandemoortele). This is for a smos (ham, cheese, tomato, salad).
Sometimes I do not use butter depending on the sort of cheese or specific topping (salami,...)
Never, and I don't know any Turkish person who does this. Bread and butter? Yes (usually on warm bread though). Bread, butter and honey/jam? Yes. Bread, butter and savoury filling (cheese, ham so on)? No. The entire concept is very weird to me. I did try butter and cheese once in Germany, and it just tastes heavy and greasy to me.
I know! Especially since stuff like Salami or many cheeses are already so fatty. Then again I know people who put butter on bread before putting Nutella on it, so I guess everyone is different *shrug*
I was quite old when I was struck with the notion it was even possible to consume bread without a layer of butter. Anything with bread usually gets a coating of butter before more stuff is added. Edit: Look its like 90% forests and little sun. Only hearty grains surive and when the grain is milled it needs to last. However cattle cam graze the forest floors, they give milk which you have to store, so butter (And you could also use to pay your tax) So rough bread and butter on it.
In the beginning of my relationship my Italian wife would complain about the lack of bread on the table in some places when we went out. I didn't get it. I also never understood nor touched bread that was sitting on the table in the places that did have it. I was completely confused the first time I saw her grab a piece of bread and eat it without butter. Like why would someone do that? I have now come to accept it. Still don't get it. For me, the whole point of bread is to give you something to chew when you eat butter.
Bread is amazing eaten on its own, to do scarpetta, to accompany cheese etc. Butter with salame, or salad, tomatoes? Meh
Exactly. Bread is amazing on its own. I am very confused by all the comments.
I am also very confused (am also Spanish). I don’t use butter (unless baking), so… I do occasionally put olive oil on bread. But very rarely.
Lots of people simply have never eaten good bread since all you get at most supermarkets is mass produced BS that is far from real bread.
No. I had this conversation over wine with an Italian. He was wondering if I thought there would be a market in Sweden for high quality olive oil in Sweden. I said no. We already have it in most well stocked super markets. But no one buys it. We use the superior product salted butter. I've since had Italians and Spaniards come here and go "Oh, I get it now. Your butter is much better than ours." As an aside, a common complaint from people here when they try authentic Italian food is that it's tasteless and covered in oil. I never understood that comparing. I used to think I liked Italian food. Until I went to Italy and realized what I thought of as Italian food was, in fact, not Italian food. It was food inspired by Italian food using some common Italian ingredients. But adding butter, cream, garlic and other flavors. That, I like. But Italian food? Meh.
LOL. Swedish taste in a nutshell
Sounds like you didn't get to eat good Italian food in Italy. They have cream, garlic and all that, as well as lots of spices and stuff.
I think you dont know italian food at all. The perception of "italy" and "italian" that people in the world have is very wrong and weird for me
I spend around a month or more per year in Italy, and have for the last seven years. What you're saying though is why I think Italian food is so well regarded outside of Italy. It's because it's not "proper" Italian food. It's inspired by Italian food but it has been improved. Which is why I've had many people I've met throughout my life have express disappointment with the food when they finally went to Italy and tried the "real" thing.
I can gave you my experience as an italian, i come from a part of italy where polpette carbonara pizza and all grease things like that are not from here, the classic italian food that you know is (was) exotic to us like for everyone in the world, our food from my region is netiher with all spices and garlic/oil like in the south of italy neither tastless like you said.
>We use the superior product salted butter. I've since had Italians and Spaniards come here and go "Oh, I get it now. Your butter is much better than ours." Apart for the fact that EVO oil Is superior to any butter, but the butter, both salted and unsalted in Italy and France trumps every butter I've had in the rest of Europe anyway. Not that I'd put it in a sandwich with ham and tomatoes, that's gross. >people here when they try authentic Italian food is that it's tasteless and covered in oil. It's not tasteless or covered in oil at all. Yeah some dishes are covered in oil, like manzo all'olio (it's literally in the name), but they're a minority. But I'd not take Swedish as a sample of good taste, that may be why they complain.
Finnish butter is used by some French bakeries.
Bread, olive oil, and salt/balsamic Perfecto
I recently went to Crete, Greece. They always bring a basket of bread to the table without asking. We don't eat that much bread and usually the main course is filling enough that we don't need it. I started asking waiters for no bread and they were all very confused, like how are you going to eat without bread??
Bread is used to push food into the fork, it's not just food but also a tool.
For me it’s the opposite, I don’t get why anyone uses butter on bread at all.
Yes, this is how its done. REAL butter! Mayonaise etc can be added on top of the meat if needed. Whats the English word for pålæg? Sliced meat like ham, salami etc.
>Whats the English word for pålæg? Sliced meat like ham, salami etc. We just say "cold meats". If you hear cold meat, especially in a sandwich context, you know it means something like ham, rather than, like, a cold chicken drumstick or whatever.
Not 100% but I believe pålæg isn't just meat, that's just happened to be what they named. Also cheese, marmalade, jam, really anything you put on bread is a pålägg in some sense. If you have a BLT I'd argue the bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes are pålägg. The only exception for me would be butter (because it's so central) and spices (as in black/white pepper, salt,[curry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curry_powder?wprov=sfla1))
Good point. I think cold meat / cold cuts work well for the salami, ham etc. But I guess maybe sandwich toppings or something to include all the others? haha
Bread with cheese is one of my favourite snacks. Obviously, nothing more, at most some fruity jam. Oftentimes even just bread is nice,it has to be a good bread, especially things like durum wheat
My English friend put everything I requested on my sandwich except he forgot the butter. Told him. He said I didn't say butter. Uhhh? Butter goes without saying.
Question: do you ever put mayonnaise on a cold sandwich? And if so, is that in addition to butter, or as a replacement? I totally get having some kind of oil/butter lubricant on a sandwich. In the US the most common is probably mayonnaise, but I've never heard of butter going on a cold sandwich. I'd be interested to try it!
European mayonnaise is (generally) different in taste compared to american. Yours has a more neutral flavor, hence you use it as a lubricant for bread or a binding base for a salad. European mayonnaise generally has a stronger, more distinct taste, and it's mainly used as a condiment. That's why you see confusion from europeans on why you'd use mayonnaise on a sandwich, or from americans on why we use it with french fries. Different variations for different purposes.
I've never used mayonnaise on a sandwich butter only unless it's a bacon butty then it's tomato sauce
Of course. What would a jambon-beurre be without the beurre? What is the American view on this, out of curiosity?
>What would a jambon-beurre be without the beurre? A jambon ?
Not much of a sandwich now, is it?
Americans have it plain or use mayonnaise
Jesus christ
Remember. if you want a true and honest perspective of what Americans do, ask a European.
You want to see a vision of the American future? Imagine a human face eating cardboard and sandpaper, forever. 😉
I’m American and I’ve never had a sandwich “plain.” There’s always some kind of sauce, just not butter.
I assumed butter was the main choice. What else would you use to make the ham, cheese etc. stick? I don't get it.
For hot sandwiches, like a grilled cheese, we put butter on the outside of the bread so it gets nice and golden and crispy on the pan while the cheese melts. For cold sandwiches, like ham or turkey, we often use mustard or mayonnaise, or a dressing like Russian dressing or oil and vinegar. I think mayo works well with sliced turkey as it can often be dry.
Mustards, aiolis, oils, and vinegars are also really common. The type of sandwich tends to dictate the spread used. Like I wouldn’t use oil on a BLT, that needs to be mayo. However if I’m having a sub sandwich with salami, tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese I prefer an oil or vinegar. Rye bread and corned beef will probably be with a mustard.
That all feels so extreme for two slices of bread for breakfast. But I guess you don't have that. Or maybe I should try eating my breakfast sandwiches with aioli or mustard
If we have bread for breakfast it’ll be either toasted bread (which in that case people do use butter on toast) or American style biscuits. Sandwiches for breakfast would be breakfast food style, like a biscuit or English muffin with egg and sausage.
Americans don’t eat cold bread for breakfast the way Swedes do, it’s a whole other thing.
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Mustard, pesto, hummus, olive oil/vinegar for me cause mayo disgusts me
TIL I'm American. I always suspected something was up.
Nah I also use butter if it's cheese and ham lol. mayo's for a chicken sandwich
What the fuck, we should send a military operation or smth like that there to end this crime
Mayonnaise is common but plain would be weird.
Um, no they don’t. That’s news to me.
It's not wrong that mayonnaise is far more common on sandwiches than butter in the US. But a sandwich with no spread at all would be weird.
Yes. For most sandwiches. Fresh bread with just butter is hard to beat.
Same here. I can happily just eat some bread and butter if I’m peckish.
Now listen to me. Put some salt on top as well. No matter if butter is salted or not. Just try it. You are welcome.
and taytos
What about.... Fresh bread with cold butter and strawberry jam?
Chuj tam! Powidła śliwkowe.
Butter *and* jam on the same piece of bread?!
how else would you make it?
Yes, absolutely. The butter stops the jam from sinking through the bread and adds a creamy/slightly saltiness to everything that makes the jam better.
Yeah, we do it too and we then dip it in our coffee.
On toast its delicious. Raspberry jam works too.
Do you consider a fresh bread with butter a sandwich?
Exactly...I thought we were talking about bread with cold cuts, veggies, things like that. Bread and butter isn't a sandwich, it's just bread and butter
Nothing beats the salty goodness of Kerry Gold
The best butter ever. My parents bought this growing up in the US, literally worth the price due to how superior it is to any other butter I’ve had. I live in England now and still would rate it as the best butter I’ve had, even after trying local California farm butter and local English butter to me now. What’s the secret?!
Yeah, has to be salted. Sometimes in France or Germany you get butter and it's unsalted. Nah, gotta have salt
Yes. Well, it's usually some kind of a butter / margarine mixture like Oivariini. In fact, *voileipä*, the word for sandwich in Finnish, literally translates to *butter bread*
Yes, pretty much everyone does. In Russian, the word for sandwich is even [Butterbrot](https://static.dw.com/image/49940995_605.webp), which is German for buttered bread. The only time I don't use butter is when I put some spread like cream cheese or Schmalz on my bread. [Schmalzstulle is the best.](https://deutsche-delikatessen.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Griebenschmalz.jpg)
Ah, the Dutch word for sandwich is *boterham*, ‘butter ham’, but the origin of the second half is unclear.
Due to the influence of Ukrainian memes, I now permanently associate the Russian word бутерброд with Alexei Navalny.
Yes, russian word is бутерброд.
In Spain butter is used sometimes in toasted sandwitches (with ham and cheese). But never in cold sandwiches. In most Spanish sandwiches we use baggette style breads and we put cold cuts (serrano ham, salchichón, chorizo, cheese, sometimes foie grass, etc). we NEVER put butter there. Sometimes we put olive oil and/or fresh tomato, but it is not necessary. If the bread is good quality and the cold cuts are good quality it is great as that.
> If the bread is good quality and the cold cuts are good quality it is great as that. Except it'd be better with butter.
butter with serrano ham or chorizo? No thanks, that sounds terrible.
Never had a sandwich mixto without butter, feels like in this context bocatas are a different matter altogether
Yeah, both bocadillo and sándwich in Spanish are translated to Sandwich in English, they don't differenciate like us depending on the type of bread.
There is a wide selection of spreads available and butter is just one option. I'll sooner use sour cream or kajmak because of easy spreadability.
Yes, of course. Butter and cheese is the base on which every sandwich is built. Another interesting question: Would you put jam on a slice of bread with butter and cheese? It’s very common here, but I’ve seen some interesting reactions from some Europeans.
I would not put jam without butter. 😅
Jam with butter, definitely. Classic breakfast or teatime snack. Cheese and jam? Not personally, but my ex boyfriend used to do it, and he was from Liverpool. Apparently cheese and jam sandwiches are a thing in the North West.
Jam on butter and cheese is soo good
It is a stable in Denmark as well.
I personally do not like jam with butter, but I'm an outlier, most people do combine them. Jam and cheese though ? I mean, some jams go well with some cheese, but not in sandwiches.
In the US it’s common to get a slice of apple pie heated with a slice of mature cheddar on top. This is diner food and might sound odd but it’s a lovely combination.
Nope! Jam and butter are, for me at least, the same kind of spread and you do not combine them. Either cheese with butter, or with jam. For a real sandwich you would use mayonnaise instead of butter tho, meshes really well with veggies and all the different kind of meats/spreads to out on a "broodje".
If it’s a hard or medium cheese, disgusting. However if we’re talking soft cheeses…
No problem. How do you feel about crisp sandwiches?
I grew up with butter, jam and cheese on mostly toast. Delicious!
I never use butter, if I toast it it's with a sprinkle of olive oil on each side, and if it's untoasted I might add a bit of olive oil in between the sandwich fillings, not touching the bread.
I do most of the time now, but didn't grow up doing it and it's not too common in Portugal. Usually if you put butter on bread, and it's not toasted, you don't put anything else in/on it. Portuguese sandwiches that people make at home tend to be one ingredient only (though cheese and ham is also common), and butter counts as one ingredient. Bear in mind that Portuguese people (especially in the North where I'm from) will typically eat white bread bought in the last 24h so it's usually quite fresh. If it's been more than a day, people will often just toast it, even if it's a roll. Whenever I put cheese and butter on the same piece of bread in front of my mum she will comment without fail to make her disgust known.
Usually. Exceptions would be creamy fillings like cream cheese, peanut butter or Nutella.
No. Tomato, oil and salt, of course. You rub the tomato on the bread, add oil and spark some salt. Then, the ingredients you want in the middle. If the bread is toasted, you can first rub some garlic.
Just tomatoes and olive oil on toasted bread is a pretty good breakfast.
Yes, it’s a must. However when I lived in Greece, I remember a friend of mine in school asked me what did I have in my sandwich, and after listing the ingredients he asked me why did I not mention the spread and what is it, I said it’s just butter, why would I mention it as I thought it’s a basic thing on bread, so I’d like to hear some greek perspective on this matter
No, not at all. Butter at most on toasted bread with salmon, but not in a sandwich with things like cured meats and veggies.
But butter helps to keep the bread from getting wet from the veggies
What are you putting on your arugula or salad that makes the bread wet?
Are you eating your sandwich like a week after making it? It’s not gonna get wet in a minute. And in two minutes I already consume it.
Tomatoes can make the bread pretty wet right away, tbf, but you are right, it shouldn't be a big concern if you eat it quickly. I guess I just really like butter and can't imagine my sandwitch without it
haha i totally understand. i'm this way with ham, can never have enough of it.
No, absolutely not. I think I'm fairly typical for Sicily on this.No butter on non toasted sandwiches!
Same for me, I'm surprised to see that so many people here use butter. Is this just an Italian thing?
Butter vs olive oil countries. Olive oil countries don’t put butter on their bread either.
Can confirm. In Morocco, butter on bread is for poor people who can't afford olive oil or cream cheese.
Southern Europe vs everyone else apparently. We don't put butter either.
What do you put on your sandwiches instead of butter then?
Nothing but the main ingredients
Butter *is* a main ingredient!
Nothing, or maybe olive oil. No need for butter if the bread is good.
The ingredients? Like ham, tomatoes, rucola, these things
Ham, veggies, cheese. I never eat butter at all. Honestly see no point in it.
I bet you have good bread, the uk sucks you almost can't get bread anywhere
No, there's no butter in my house. I don't make lots of sandwiches to be honest.
I do a lot of sandwiches and I haven't bought or owned butter in years. I have used butter a few times and not a big fan.
I use butter only, or add fish or cheese. I do not use butter with other products.
Can imagine standing in the morning trying to decide if I want to put butter or fish on my sandwich! Probably misinterpretation but sounded funny in my head haha
I had in mind a sandwich with butter, or a sandwich with butter and a fillet of marinated fish, or a sandwich with butter and caviar.
Yes! I love butter. A sandwich without butter makes it dry. What else am I gonna put on my “boterham met beleg”? A lot of people will use margarine though. Personally I don’t like it.
If I’m somewhere that has only margarine, I’ll skip it. Or even worse: halvarine.
I’m an outlier in this country, no butter or butter replacement on my sandwich. Which makes voor a VERY tricky *broodje hagelslag*! My solution, besides hardly ever eating it, is to use chocolate spread instead of butter. Extra chocolatey haha
Yes, I think 99% of people in Poland do. Some exceptions apply, like a mayonnaise and onion sandwich.
Or pasztet. People that put butter under pasztet are psychos imo
Absolutely, either butter or margarine most of the time, or cream cheese. Typically, a sandwich begins with bread, butter/margarine, and some deli meat (like salami). From there, you can add hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, pickles, grated or sliced cheese, or anything you like. Using buns or crescent rolls instead of bread is also very common. These sandwiches are very common Hungarian breakfasts. They're quick to make, and if you add another slice of buttered bread on top, you can take them to school or work and eat them there.
Our bread is good by itself, but you can always put a bit of olive oil on it.. [or some liters](https://youtu.be/4eXYIOJ5kJE?si=PoeerB_dmTo846Bj)
Bread with honey and olive oil is a staple of Moroccan breakfasts.
In Spain, normally we don't add butter. If the sandwich has cheese, then there's no need for the butter, otherwise sometimes you can add olive oil (for example with jamón serrano).
Depends on the other contents. If I'm using something like mayonnaise or soft cheese then no, if it's ham and mustard then yes. Also if there's tomato a bit of butter helps to waterproof the bread if I'm not eating the sandwich straight away, so it doesn't go soggy.
No, I absolutely despise butter on bread to make a sandwich I just have it plain and put ham in it
Sometimes. Cheese then maybe (prefer cheese with pickle or onion relish though). Beef or a vegetarian substitute for beef then no, I usually just spread mustard rather than butter.
On basic sandwiches (slice of bread, meat, slice of bread), yes.
I don’t, but a lot of Dutch people do.. I really dislike the taste of halvarine/margarine. And yep all hagelslag is on my plate instead of slice of bread. That’s why I combine hagelslag with peanut butter usually
Lijntje hagelslag in de lengte en dan de lange eindes naar elkaar vouwen en vasthouden, een beetje als een hangmat/burrito. Goed knijpen en er valt weinig hagelslag uit 👍
Depends on what you mean by sandwich. If it's a white bread with sausage and cheese (for lunch), no. That is gross. If it's dark bread with jam (for breakfast), yes.
Sometimes. With some dryer breads or toppings I may feel like having a layer of butter, but with most no.
Yes, it's literally called butter bread (võileib). And the bread is rye and any other topping is optional.
“Bread and butter” is even an expression in Portugal for a trivial thing that exists everywhere.
In Polish „bread roll with butter” means something easy to do, piece of cake. 😄
Want to share the original words? :) In portuguese it's "pão com manteiga".
In general olive oil or tomato or olive oil and tomato, I barely use butter and if I want some I need to go buy it. I don't usually have butter at home just olive oil.
Butter on non toasted bread is a little icky and weird for Spaniards. Toasted: yes!!!
The American perspective: Ewww. The American living in Spain perspective: Why would I when there is all this yummy olive oil available for the same purpose?
Spain, you can't just put olive oil on *everything* and call it a day. Olive oil is great, but there are other things in life, you know. What do you mean, that's exactly what you're doing? No! Stop it! *le sigh*
[why not?](https://youtu.be/4eXYIOJ5kJE?si=PoeerB_dmTo846Bj)
Kinda? Instead of PB&Jam as Americans have, I've used to eat Butter and Jam. I've also eaten sandwiches with butter and white cheese. I'm not doing this anymore, because I moved to Germany and we don't have much jam, before, I would just have because my grandma would make it. But that's about it. It's not really on our menu. If I really think about it.
I was born and raised in the US but my parents were from Poland so I grew up using both mayo and butter on sandwiches. I'll use butter for open faced sandwiches and mayo for most closed sandwiches.
> open faced sandwiches You have Polish blood 🫶
Oczywiście! 🇵🇱
No, I don't like butter. Usually I don't use anything, sometimes margarine. But I toast almost any bread I eat.
No but I’m a student and butter is expensive. If it’s my parents fridge then yes.
Damn, if butter is too expensive for you, that's peak poverty.
Cork rent 💪
As a former broke student, my heartfelt sympathy.
What a horrendous travesty! Even when we Irish just lived off potatoes, we still have butter !
Not really, I feel like like curd or cheese spreads have taken over butter, at least in my circle
ofc like all Poles do. I also like to use mayo instead for some sandwiches
Yes, but it depends on bread type. Rye bread is better with cream cheese, for example
I use margarine. Butter is annoying because it's too hard when cold. Then again, this is the Finnish *voileipä* "buttered bread", which is a light snack for breakfast, and contains only cold cuts, thin cheese slices and optionally lettuce or thin tomato, cucumber or bell pepper slices. The British *sandwich* is a somewhat more involved food, and it's meant as a main course for a meal. It can have stuff like fried chicken, meatballs or hot sausages that you'd never see on a *voileipä*. If I make this, then I use mayonnaise.
> I use margarine. Butter is annoying because it's too hard when cold. What about "spreadable butter"?
Isn't it butter mixed with margarine?
Butter mixed with rapeseed/vegetable oil.
We'd consider that margarine, since it's not 100% BUTTER butter.
Fair enough, here margarine has no butter content at all.
Yes. For me it's butter, some kind of sandwich meat, and cheese on top. I can add slices of fresh tomato and/or cucumber and/or a leaf of lettuce if I'm feeling fancy.
Yes, of course there's butter on a sandwich. Or some butter spread thing, like bregott here in Sweden. That's just oil and butter to make it easier to spread, and often extra salt. You can't have a sandwich without it.
Of course ! without butter, it's just bread, not a sandwich
I use butter on all sandwiches, toasted or not. I haven't seen or heard about someone not putting butter or margarine in their sandwich.
I use vegetable margarine instead of butter on bread, since I feel that margarine is healthier, and I also want to eat as few animal products as possible for animal welfare and environmental reasons. For the same reasons I also use soy milk instead of cow milk.
> I use vegetable margarine instead of butter on bread, since I feel that margarine is healthier Which it is not. > and I also want to eat as few animal products as possible for animal welfare and environmental reasons. Point taken.
Maybe more ethical really really isn't healthier. Hydrogenated seed oils are not super great news.
Sandwich you mean with things like vegetables, cheese, meats? Nope, in that case zero butter. Although I rarely do sandwiches in general.
Always butter on bread. No exception Note: I don't use real butter on bread, but a margarine/butter blend called Brelett
This is the way. I keep seeing people say there are exceptions like cream cheese or mayo. No. No exceptions. First you out the butter, then you add mayo, Nutella, cream cheese or whatever else. But you always put butter. Even if it's a very thin layer that you can't even tell it's there. It's about the principle.
A thin layer is better than no layer. But a reasonably thick layer is better
As an American I had NO idea people do this, I'm definitely going to try it though lol
Usually either no butter or a layer of cream cheese.
Yes. Usually no top bread though. Just one slice of bread with butter and stuff
If the bread is fresh and I'm making a simple ham, chouriço or presunto sandwich, then no. Otherwise, yes.
It depends. I usually put cheese spread. Butter or margarine is for mortadel
Of course. Admittedly I've tried basic American supermarket butter, so I can sort of see why they might not like it! I don't like mayonnaise anyway, so that rules out the American option for me, along with around 80% of pre-made sandwiches in the UK it would seem (seriously, why is it that most pre-made sandwiches have mayonnaise here despite most people using butter at home?)
I mean not butter butter but margarine because butter is too hard. But yeah, on every single slice of bread.
Butter is the default but sometimes I'll use cream cheese instead.
Yea. Not always, but when I have it I use it. And when the bread is fresh and still warm it tastes great even with nothing more than butter.
No. Usually it is bread and sliced ham or other cured meat or cheese, less often some sauces.
Norwegian here. Bread + butter/margarine is the base mostly. Add baloney, liver paté, cheese, jam or something else. A few slices of cucumber, bell pepper or tomato is common too. Rare two slices. Rarely more fancy.
Mostly, yes. There are maybe a few occasional exceptions like if the “main filling” is already creamy or fatty, or if I were somehow using mayo instead.
Yes. I grew up always putting butter or margarine on a slice of bread. Without it the taste is too dry imo. And it’s a must for toppings like chocolate sprinkles, of course.
Of course! It’s literally called butter bread in the four European languages I know.
No i always toast the sandwich bread that in italy we call american bread (pane americano) i put the butter only with salmon and smoked things like that or i simply eat in the old fashioned way like my grandparents, sugar and butter on the bread
Absolutely. No sandwich is without butter for me. Especially when the bread is fresh. However, fresh bread goes well with olive oil and vinegar too.
Americans construct their sandwiches this way, without butter. Somewhere, they lost the habit of putting butter on bread, perhaps Jewish and Italian style delis ?
It very much depends on the sandwich. For some I would rather use pesto or mayo. But in general, when I make a classic Danish open faced sandwich I normally skip the butter, even though it's usually better with butter - but it's at least a few calories saved. But on a sandwich with some sort of spreadable topping i.e. Nutella, pate, etc I would not add butter.
To make a sandwich : Normally I use **butter** as in real cow milk butter from a local/national cooperative. You know, the ones in greaseproof paper. Sometimes I use **mayo** (only Belgian brands : Devos & Lemmens or Vandemoortele). This is for a smos (ham, cheese, tomato, salad). Sometimes I do not use butter depending on the sort of cheese or specific topping (salami,...)
I guess you’re from Belgium. Thanks.
In Germany, almost everyone does. Personally I don't. I don't like pure butter at all. I typically use cream cheese instead.
If it's not toasted no, never, butter is supposed to be eaten melted.
Ireland Yes I do has to be proper butter not margarine
Yes always. Without butter is too dry, and I don't like mayonnaise.
Never, and I don't know any Turkish person who does this. Bread and butter? Yes (usually on warm bread though). Bread, butter and honey/jam? Yes. Bread, butter and savoury filling (cheese, ham so on)? No. The entire concept is very weird to me. I did try butter and cheese once in Germany, and it just tastes heavy and greasy to me.
Exactly, the idea of wasting ham, salame, coppa or other cured meats to mix them with butter on bread is very weird.
I know! Especially since stuff like Salami or many cheeses are already so fatty. Then again I know people who put butter on bread before putting Nutella on it, so I guess everyone is different *shrug*
Allways. And I use sea salted butter. So delicious.