I lived in Canada (visiting friends) for almost a year.
While I was there, I witnessed everyone doing something that I had never ever seen before. Namely, whenever they were making up a sandwich (of any kind), they’d butter both the top and bottom pieces (on the side that faced the “inside” of the sandwich, of course).
Didn’t matter what kind of sandwich it was. PB&J, Ham, Turkey, Roast Beef, Hamburgers…
…they would even butter both sides of a hot dog bun.
Not a lot of butter, mind you. Just a thin layer. And obviously I can’t say that EVERYONE in Canada did it, but most all of my friends and their neighbors and everyone’s house I went to or visited; I saw them do it.
Anyway, Canadian thing or not…I’m glad I learned about this. It’s actually quite good no matter what sandwich it’s done with. I do it all the time now.
Do you do it? Well, you should!
I was surprised that the bread was buttered at all. It’s just not something people in the US do very often,… or at least all the people I’ve known of for my whole life.
I even mentioned it to my parents and brother and a few friends before. “You know what they do in Canada? They butter their bread before making any sandwich!” and some were like “Whoa!” and some where like “Ew!” and one was even like “No way, man, you’re pulling my leg.”, but so far none have been “Oh, I do/know people who do that”.
It’s been over 20 years and this Spaniard is still traumatized by Americans not buttering both pieces of bread, but instead buttering one and then piling up the bologna. I can understand making a PBJ by putting PB on one piece and jelly on the other but for anything else? I grew up with the options of either “dry bread” or, if you were using any kind of spread, using it on both pieces.
My mother always did this when she made sandwiches and still does it for herself. When I was younger I naturally followed her example, but I stopped doing it at some point, I think because of the health warnings (right or wrong) about butter and because it didn’t seem to me to add anything to the sandwich.
She even puts it on hamburger and hot dog rolls.
This is the Philly suburbs, so it’s not just a Canadian thing.
Yes, but there are many other spreads than butter. Do you butter something that will also have mayonnaise, mustard, brown sauce, aioli, thousand-island, ranch, hummus, guacamole, gravy, chutney, or relish?
If you are not buttering bread then you are doing it wrong. This is non-negotiable. It is a simple fact, provable with science, and you should just accept it.
Melted butter like buttered toast? Or smeared on pasty butter? I can’t eat it unless the butter is melted. I don’t like the texture of unmelted butter in my mouth.
We butter the bread for grilled sandwiches. It melts in the skillet while the bread toasts and warms the meat.
I grew up with buttered bread, but I also grew up with open-faced sandwiches ,on fairly resilient bread so take that as you will. It seems like my experience is that most people in the US find buttering odd, whether one slice or two, but maybe my sample isn’t representative.
I have never seen anyone butter a hot dog or hamburger bun and I’ve lived in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and New Brunswick. I butter my bread for sandwiches. One slice with butter and one with peanut butter for any peanut butter type sandwich. For meat sandwiches I’ll put a light spread of butter on both slices if I’m not using mayo. If mayo is being used I’ll put one side mayo and the other butter.
It keeps the other condiments or moisture from lettuce from soaking into the bread. Not a big deal if you are eating right away but key if you are packing a sandwich for later.
ETA: My wife grew up in Ontario and the Maritimes and does not butter sandwiches at all.
My parents and grandparents all buttered the bread when making a sandwich, unless the sandwich started with mayonnaise instead. Otherwise, butter was required. I dropped that habit when I was in college due to the price of butter. Now my mother would be scandalized to learn I don’t even butter ham sandwiches!
It was years before my mother stopped saying to me (with a puzzled expression on her face) “are you going to eat that dry?” when I didn’t butter my bread or rolls. Even things like cinnamon buns got buttered. I’m almost surprised that she doesn’t butter cake.
In my family, even with mustard, ketchup, or mayonnaise (or some other spread), you always buttered it first.
I grew up with the options of either “dry bread” or, if you were using any kind of spread, using it on both pieces.