Toast Hawaii is a German open sandwich made with ham, pineapple, cheese, and a maraschino cherry. It was invented by Clemens Wilmenrod in the 1950s and is a variation of Hawaiian pizza. The sandwich is popular in Germany and is made with bread, ham, pineapple, cheese, and a maraschino cherry. It is traditionally eaten with a knife and fork.
Toast Hawaii is a type of open sandwich made with slices of ham and pineapple on a piece of toast, topped with melted cheese and topped with a single maraschino cherry. These unique sandwiches have been a staple of German cuisine since they were popularized in the 1950s. Toast Hawaii is a variation of Hawaiian pizza, a type of pizza topped with cheese, pineapple chunks and ham chunks.
Clemens Wilmenrod was the first and one of the most famous German television cooks. In the 1950s, Wilmenrod invented Hawaiian toast and brought it to German audiences, introducing the dish on his television show. Forever, he was associated with this one-of-a-kind creation, which became a popular and easy-to-prepare meal in many German kitchens during the following decades.
Hawaiian toast is thought to have been inspired by grilled Spamwich, the recipe for which first appeared in the late 1930s in a cookbook published by Hormel, the maker of Spam. With Spamwich, a piece of Spam and a wedge of cheese were either grilled open-faced or between two pieces of bread. Adding a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry immediately gave the sandwich a taste of the tropics, and Hawaii toast was born.
Toast Hawaii has maintained its popularity among Germans. It is as famous and well understood to a German as a hamburger to an American or a croque to a Frenchman. Most German restaurants will know how to make Hawaiian toast, even if the sandwich isn’t on the menu.
The classic version of Hawaiian toast consists of a slice of bread, white or wholemeal, that has been lightly buttered. Additionally, a slice or two of ham is placed; you can use a single slice of thicker cut salami or a few slices of meat with ham. With the ham atop the buttered bread, a pineapple ring – or two, if there’s room – is placed on top of the ham, followed by a wedge of cheese. The type of cheese used is entirely up to personal taste; popular choices include cheddar, emmentaler and gruyere.
Once assembled, the Hawaii toast is placed in the oven. It is cooked until the cheese is melted and the bread is lightly browned. After it is removed from the oven and placed on the plate, a single maraschino cherry is placed in the center of the cheese-topped pineapple ring. The finished product is traditionally eaten with a knife and fork.
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