Is A Pepperoni Roll A Sandwich?
It was a pleasant evening, when my study was interrupted by a sudden vibration of my mobile device. What this could mean, I wondered. For what reason would my evening be sullied by a interruption of this type? Of course, I could do nothing but pick up my phone and find out. It was a text, of which contained an almost unbearably difficult question:
Should a pepperoni roll be classified as a sandwich?
I toiled, and I thought, and I tumbled through this terribly tasty question. I could not justify the pepperoni roll being brought to such levels as an ordinary sandwich, but yet neither could I stomach the thought that it be classified wrongly as merely a pastry. But what other option was there? Tremblingly, I came to my conclusion.
A pepperoni roll is not a sandwich.
How could it be otherwise? The platonic ideal of a sandwich cannot be applied to a pepperoni roll. As our definition of the sandwich is in modern english,
An article of food for a light meal or snack, composed of two thin slices of bread, usually buttered, with a savoury or other filling. … Occasionally with only one slice of bread, as in open sandwich or open-faced sandwich, or with biscuits, sliced buns, or cake.
– Oxford English Dictionary1
Do you see it? Two pieces of bread. There is no world in which we could say that a proper pepperoni roll is made with two pieces of bread. Now, don’t think I’m naive or unattentive, I do see the second defintion. The open sandwich does specify one piece of bread can be used. However, a pepperoni roll certainly cannot fit the description of a open sandwich. The meat is entirely internal to it.
Conclusion
Now that I have belabored the point in many more words than the question deserves, I may go back to my peaceful evening. Perhaps I shall go find a pepperoni roll to celebrate my victory.