Is That Sandwich Called A Submarine, Hoagie, Hero Or Grinder?

A long roll filled with meat, lettuce, tomato, onions, sauce, or mayo to me is called a submarine sandwich. It's all I've known it to be. I'm from the Southern Tier of New York. And most of the rest of the country agrees.

But in some areas of the United States, including the Northeast, regions have different names for this delicious type of food. Why is that? Most other food items don't have different names around the country. I said most.

If you cross the border into Pennsylvania, you will most likely be ordering a 'Hoagie.' Personally, I like that name more than any other. I don't know why, it just sounds more appetizing.

An article on The HuffPost website has a lot to say about the different kinds of names assigned to what we refer to as a submarine sandwich. For example, the website lists the sandwich as being called a 'Hero' in New York City. Also in the Big Apple along with neighboring states, you might be asking for a 'Torpedo.'

In New Jersey, you might be ordering a 'Blimpie' and in the New England states, they call it a 'Grinder.' Some other names HuffPost mentions include the 'Wedge' where you might hear it called in Westchester County, New York. And there's the 'Italian' in the State of Maine, and the 'Po'Boy 'in Louisiana. A 'Po'Boy can be found at some places around the Binghamton area.

To my surprise and delight, The HuffPost article even mentions the Binghamton Spiedie. And they get it correct, mentioning that a Spiedie sandwich usually does not have any toppings. Thank you. If I ever see someone dumping ketchup on a spiedie sandwich again, so help me. Now I have to admit, I enjoy mushrooms and cheese on my spiedie sandwich. That's acceptable to me.

No matter what you call this long, narrow sandwich, it's just as good with any name. My favorite is turkey and ham with tomato, onion, mayo, and black pepper. You can keep the lettuce. I see no point in that topping.

via HuffPost