# What did I eat? (thin Spanish sandwich) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 22, 2019, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076 "2019-08-22T18:49:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/1 "2019-08-22T18:49:34Z")
Last summer I was in Barcelona for a couple of days. Our first morning we went to visit Park Guell, and then we just sort of wandered around, walking downhill towards downtown and the shore. Eventually we got hungry and stepped inside a large cafe/deli. I walked around the counter perusing their offerings and picked out a couple of sandwiches that were very thin, about 8-10 inches long, and had jamon and cheese inside. I can’t stress enough how thin the bread was, it was like a split breadstick, but with the bake and texture of a hard roll or a baguette. It was a fantastic breakfast/lunch and if I ever see it on a menu again I’ll order it, but at the time I had it in Barcelona it didn’t have a label or a name it was just premade inside a glass case, so I don’t know what it’s called, if it even has a name. What did I eat? ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/2 "2019-08-22T19:03:14Z")
Sounds like a Cuban sandwich to me. But those originated in Florida/Cuba and might be called something else in Barcelona. Or the one you had might have had a completely different origin… > **[Cuban sandwich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_sandwich)** > > A Cuban sandwich (Spanish: Sándwich cubano) is a variation of a ham and cheese sandwich that likely originated in cafes catering to Cuban workers in Tampa or Key West, two early Cuban immigrant communities in Florida centered on the cigar industry. Later on, Cuban exiles and expatriates brought it to Miami, where it is also very popular. The sandwich is made with ham, (mojo) roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and sometimes salami on Cuban bread. Salami is inc The Cuban sandwich is at... ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/3 "2019-08-22T19:07:27Z")
Just out of curiosity, I searched for bocadillo jamon on google images. Do any of those pictures look familiar? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/4 "2019-08-22T19:13:41Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Just out of curiosity, I searched for bocadillo jamon on google images. Do any of those pictures look familiar? Yes, it looked very much like these: [![](https://cafeteriasvalium.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/bocadillo-jamon-pais-pan-tomate-pr-111.jpg) ](https://cafeteriasvalium.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/bocadillo-jamon-pais-pan-tomate-pr-111.jpg) [https://barcelona.lecool.com/files/2018/10/3-viena-flauta-iberic-optimitzat.jpg](https://barcelona.lecool.com/files/2018/10/3-viena-flauta-iberic-optimitzat.jpg) So I guess “bocadillo” is the word I’m looking for? ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/5 "2019-08-22T19:19:56Z")
The bread is “barra de pan” which is basically the spanish version of a baguette. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/6 "2019-08-22T19:24:27Z")
Possibly. I just dug it up from the recesses of my brain as the spanish word for sandwich. But [this article](https://www.thespruceeats.com/sandwich-vs-bocadillo-3083603) does suggest to me that it is used more specifically to mean sandwiches made with barra de pan rather than sliced bread. I’ve never been to Spain though so take everything I’m saying with a big ole grain of salt. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/7 "2019-08-22T19:35:56Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > But [this article](https://www.thespruceeats.com/sandwich-vs-bocadillo-3083603) does suggest to me that it is used more specifically to mean sandwiches made with barra de pan rather than sliced bread. I’ve never been to Spain though so take everything I’m saying with a big ole grain of salt. Based on that link, bocadillo seems to be what I had. It was just bread, meat, and cheese, no veg or sauce or anything else. The inside of the bread may have been rubbed with tomato and/or garlic and olive oil, but that’s it. Thanks! If it’s not obvious, my Spanish is extremely poor to nonexistent, so I never would have come up with that. It would not have occurred to me to just look up the Spanish word(s) for “sandwich.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/8 "2019-08-23T07:07:24Z")
I suggest a variant of Bocadillo, the [Montadito](https://www.gruporestalia.com/las-ocho-cosas-que-no-sabias-sobre-100-montaditos/). Scroll down for pic. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/9 "2019-08-23T07:40:13Z")
The [jambon-beurre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jambon-beurre) would appear to be the French equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/10 "2019-08-23T19:09:14Z")
Not exactly the same, but wander over to your local Jimmy John’s and order a [Frenchie](https://www.chewboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Jimmy-Johns-Introduces-New-Frenchie-Baguette-Sandwich-678x381.jpg) sandwich. Very tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/11 "2019-08-23T19:13:49Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > sandwiches that were very thin, about 8-10 inches long, and had jamon and cheese inside. If the bread looked like the tiniest baguette ever (rather than being slices), it’s a mini. Normally the type of cheese would be identified, mainly because _jamón y queso_ sounds like you mean “pink ham” rather than serrano. Turns out that a grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich is among the few that have a special name rather than being described: in many places they’re called _bikinis_. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/12 "2019-08-23T19:24:46Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > But [this article](https://www.thespruceeats.com/sandwich-vs-bocadillo-3083603) does suggest to me that it is used more specifically to mean sandwiches made with barra de pan rather than sliced bread. I’ve never been to Spain though so take everything I’m saying with a big ole grain of salt. _Bocadillo_ is the generic name and also the default; _bocadillo_ includes _sandwich_ AKA _bocadillo de pan de molde_ or _bocadillo de pan Bimbo_ (_pan de molde/Bimbo_ being what we call sliced bread), but if the bread isn’t specified you can assume it will be some sort of _barra_. > [@DCnDC](#): > > Based on that link, bocadillo seems to be what I had. It was just bread, meat, and cheese, no veg or sauce or anything else. The inside of the bread may have been rubbed with tomato and/or garlic and olive oil, but that’s it. In Barcelona the default is tomato; in other parts of Spain if you want tomato you need to specify that you want _pantumaca_ (transcription of the Catalan _pà amb tomàquet_, bread with tomato). ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/13 "2019-08-23T19:36:46Z")
Okay I just looked at Google Maps, retracing our path from Park Guell back toward the city. We walked down what seemed like a major road, that was apparently the Travessera de Dalt, and I’m certain the place we stopped was the Store Cafe. The sandwiches I pointed at and ate were out of this case: [Google Maps](https://goo.gl/maps/V52rob5a9JdsWbA27). From the top shelf underneath the beer I got one of the grainy ones from the center and another of the non-grainy ones to the right of them. The filling in both was the same, jamon and some type of cheese. They were both amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/14 "2019-08-23T19:43:09Z")
The “grainy ones” look to me like the bread is a multigrain. The oregano bread from Subway looks similar but it’s all soft, the crust is more look than feel. If the cheese was kind of sharp it was probably a manchego or a Burgos semicurado: those two areas produce a lot of decent, cheap cheeses which are strong enough to hold their own against a serrano. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/15 "2019-08-23T19:44:51Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > (_pan de molde/Bimbo_ being what we call sliced bread) … That’s interesting. I know of “Bimbo” as specifically a Mexican (?) brand of bread. In parts of the U.S., there are grocery distributors who carry the usual American grocery fare right alongside common Mexican/Central American/Carribean grocery items. It’s common here to see signs near in our grocery stores advertising several brands of, say, pastries & bread. On these signs advertising several brands of pastries/bread, Bimbo’s logo is almost always shown even if the store doesn’t carry Bimbo (which is only sold in specialty markets in the New Orleans area). Therefore: _pan de Bimbo_ seems to be a borrowing from Latin American Spanish into _castellano_. There is an analog in American English, though the usage is fading away: some Americans call sliced white bread “_Wonder bread_” – also a brand name. EDIT: [Wow, Bimbo’s more intertwined in the American grocery business than I thought](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimbo_Bakeries_USA). The Mexican parent company has a fully-fledged American arm, and owns/produces dozens of baked-good brands that have been stalwarts in American groceries for decades. Lots of mergers and acquisitions over the last 10-15 years. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-i-eat-thin-spanish-sandwich/839076/16 "2019-08-23T19:47:25Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > That’s interesting. I know of “Bimbo” as specifically a Mexican (?) brand of bread. They are, yes. They’re also the first brand to sell that kind of bread in Spain, back in mumblemumble (before I was old enough to ask for sandwiches anyway… [1965](http://www.bimbo.es/bimbo/bimbo-iberia), according to their website). They didn’t have any noteworthy competition for that kind of bread until 1978, when Panrico started selling it. We didn’t even borrow the expression, we got return-invaded by the company which originated the expression 🙂