The BLT sandwich is a popular American classic made with bacon, lettuce, and tomato on toasted bread with mayonnaise. Adding avocado creates a BLTA, and some cooks add a cooked egg to make a BELT. The combination of umami-rich bacon and tomatoes, crunchy lettuce, and toasted bread make for a simple yet tasty sandwich. The first recorded instance of the sandwich was in an American cookbook from the late 1920s, and the bacon can be fried to personal preference.
A bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich (BLT) is a type of sandwich that is particularly popular in the United States. As the name suggests, the sandwich classically includes bacon, lettuce, and tomato, usually with a small smear of mayonnaise on the bread, which is typically toasted. A popular variation is the BLTA, which includes avocado in addition to the three cardinal ingredients. Some cooks have even been known to add a cooked egg to create a BELT.
Several things are at work in the marriage of the ingredients included in a BLT, and some cooks take them extremely seriously. Both bacon and tomatoes have high levels of umami, the fifth taste. Studies have suggested that umami amplifies other flavors, and that combining umami-rich foods will make a dish much tastier. Humans have been aware of this fact for a long time, as many traditional dishes include several foods with high umami levels. The lettuce provides green roughage, which contrasts with the otherwise very heavy bacon.
Bread is also an important consideration in a BLT. Rye and sourdough are two popular bread choices, although technically any type of bread can be used. Typically, the bread is toasted before the sandwich is assembled, so as not to soak in the tomato and bacon fat. Toasting also adds an extra layer of crunchy texture to the sandwich. When combined together, the three main ingredients and the bread make for a simple sandwich that’s also widely considered to be quite tasty.
The first recorded instance of the sandwich appears to be in an American cookbook from the late 1920s. The original cookbook called it a “bacon sandwich,” which could be confusing to people familiar with the bacon sandwich. English bacon, made with bread, bacon and thick butter. A sauce like ketchup is also commonly included in this bacon sandwich; since ketchup is made from tomatoes, it is also high in umami.
To make a BLT, the cook must first prepare the bacon. The bacon can be fried until tender or made crispier, depending on personal taste. It is usually drained or patted with a towel so that it is less oily. Bacon is added to toasted bread, typically on top of a bed of sliced lettuce and tomato. Some cooks like to add salt and pepper to the sandwich, along with the mayonnaise, while others like to keep the BLT simple. Either way, the BLT is best eaten warm, before the bacon starts to taste greasy.
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