Cheese and pickle sandwich (British)

Cafe Society
1

Okay, I’m reading a murder mystery (The Silkworm) set in England, mostly London, written under a pseud by J.K. Rowling. I swear, it seems like every other day the hero/detective is eating a ‘packet’ of cheese and pickle sandwiches … with no other explanation given. As if it’s like, what else is there to say, a cheese and pickle sandwich is a cheese and pickle sandwich.

Like they are a standardized item, no matter where you get one, it’s going to be exactly the same and not worth talking about.

But American me, is left going, uh? I mean, there must be scores of types of cheese, and almost an equal variety of pickles.

For example, I like the ‘basic’ cheese sandwiches my mother made me as a child: cheap white bread, a slice of American (very bland cheddar) cheese, with some green pickle relish spread on it. Absolutely nothing stellar, but sometime nostalgia hits, you know?

More often I make a grilled cheese and pickle sandwich this way: sourdough bread, spread with yellow mustard on the inside surfaces of bread, sliced swiss cheese, covered with a layer of sliced dill pickles, closely tiled together. Spread the outsides with butter, and toast very slowly in an iron skillet so the cheese gets thorough melted.

My sister however makes her own giardiniera and takes a loaf of italian bread, splits it horizontally, heaps it with slices of cheese (generally at least three varieties) then a thick layer of the drained pickled vegetables, and slices it crosswise into inch or two wide slices. Yummy.

But, would any of those three be considered a ‘cheese and pickle sandwich’ over in England? Or all of them?

If not, what is supposed to be on it?

2

Cheddar and Branston Pickle.

(disclaimer: I am not British)

3

I have both in my fridge. They’re a summer treat.

4

I fell in love with cheese and pickle sandwiches when I was living in Cambridge. At the cafe I frequented, they were always made with baps (soft buns). They’re best when made with white cheddar cheese. The older and sharper the cheese, the better.

Rustic bread, pickle, and sharp cheddar are at the heart of a traditional ploughman’s lunch.

“Pickle,” BTW, is a condiment, so it’s an uncountable noun (like mustard and ketchup). There’s a big difference between cheese and pickle and cheese and pickles.

5

Huh. So it’s sort of a relish-y thing? Chopped up bits of whatever vegetables with vinegar and spices? Okay, sound acceptible. :slight_smile: I’ll keep an eye out for it, all sorts of random ‘foreign’ foods pop up at the grocery stores.

6

They have it at Walmart, at least here in Canada.

7

It may be worth pointing out:

i. Branston is a brand and other brands of similar pickle exist in the UK (often called a generic ‘farmhouse pickle’).

ii. ‘Pickle’ is another of those divided by a common language words. In the UK, if used on its own, it almost exclusively means Branston or equivalent. However, if you were visiting a British house and were offered a cheese and pickle sandwich, you might get a choice of pickles/chutneys (we do tend to have quite a selection knocking round in the back of our fridges).

iii. What Americans call ‘a pickle’ we would call ‘a gherkin’ (or some older people might call it ‘a wally’). Although if you asked for ‘a’ pickle, with the indefinite article, many British people would know what you meant.

OB

8

Although I love Branston Pickle with many things, including cheese, if I am having a cheese sandwich I prefer sweet mustard pickles. Which I guess is piccalilli in the UK. Come to think of it, I prefer them with corned beef in a sandwich too. Presumably all from decades of habit. Branston on a plate, mustard pickles on a sandwich.

9

Cheese and pickle sandwiches are one of things British people grow up with, like Americans and peanut butter and jello. An easy lunch for school kids and workers, because everyone has some sliced bread, cheddar cheese and a jar of Branston pickle to hand.

So yes, British audiences can picture precisely what J.K. is referring to.

10

I’ll go out on a limb here and guess you’re referring to peanut butter and jelly?

Jelly is like jam, but without chunks of actual fruit. This is what is normally used to make lunchbox sandwiches (usually on Wonder Bread). Personally, I prefer jam and peanut butter.

Jello is fruit-flavored gelatin. Like Kleenex and Xerox, it started out as a brand name and is now used generically (“Jell-O” vs “jello”). It can be eaten straight as a dessert (preferably with whipped cream) or made with embedded chunks of fruit and/or shredded carrot as a kind of salad.

If I remember my Britspeak correctly, what Americans call “jello” is “jelly” (or “a jelly”) in the UK.

11

And while the distinction between jelly and jam does exist in American English, in practice, the two terms are often used interchangeably. The fruit preserve on a PBJ might be grape jelly, for instance, but strawberry jam would be nearly as common. And if a family is sitting around the table, one might say “pass the jam” and receive jelly, or vice versa, without it being considered remarkable.

12

The summer I spent in England (1976), I was invited to go on a camping trip with some kids from a children’s home. Of course, you had your choice of the two kinds of white-bread sandwiches they brought with them: thinly spread Marmite or bully beef (tinned corned beef; no mayo or butter).

They were fascinated when I sat down and started to make myself a PBJ. They apparently had never heard of such a thing. One kid was watching every move I made and said “Oooooooh, peanut butter and jam!”" like he couldn’t imagine anything more disgusting.

I finally got one of the counselors to take a bite and he nodded approvingly, saying “That’s actually quite nice!”

13

Ian Dury listed ‘cheddar cheese and pickle’ as a Reason To Be Cheerful. Right up there with ‘slap and tickle.’

14

I have to try this, since I have a jar of piccalilli in my pantry, just waiting to be opened! I’m assuming, however, that you’re talking about thinly sliced corned beef from a deli, and not bully beef out of a tin? :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

15

I was always thinking it was actual pickles (what an American would call pickles). Nothing better than an open face grilled cheddar sandwich with kosher dill pickle slices with a discreet touch of garlic salt. Yum.

I hate relish on a sandwich (usually too sweet for me), so no English cheese-and-pickle sandwiches for me!

16

I grew up (in Detroit) eating cheese (“American cheese”) and pickle (Vlasic-quality) sandwiches (using store brand white bread) frequently.

17

Wait, pickle relish?
On re-scan, I see where I missed that, and yeah, pickle relish goes on hotdogs.

Cheese and pickle … oh yeah, cheddar or colby jack, whichever is available, lettuce, tomato, onion, some variety of wheat bread (white just ain’t gonna stand up to this) horseradish sauce or sweet spicy brown mustard (I have Brown Beaver brand for both in the fridge) and some sliced dill pickle, at this point, which brand, while important, is probably not going to make that much difference unless it is truly bad or good.

18

I’ll bet Brown Beaver is finger-lickin’ good! :slight_smile:

19

You need dill relish for sandwiches. Preferably this:

Ingredients
Cucumbers, Water, Vinegar, Dehydrated Red Bell Pepper, Sea Salt, Calcium Chloride (Firming Agent), Natural Flavors, Polysorbate 80 and Turmeric (for Color).

20

Ooooo, that’s sounds really good! I usually just chop some kosher dills.