BLT

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Bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich

title: "BLT" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["american-sandwiches", "bacon-sandwiches", "lettuce", "tomato-dishes"] description: "Bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLT" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox food"]

FieldValue
nameBLT sandwich
imageFile:Mmm... BLT for me! (5487341380).jpg
captionA BLT sandwich on toast
alternate_nameBacon, lettuce, and tomato
main_ingredientBacon, lettuce, tomato, bread
variationsClub sandwich
calories350
calories_ref
protein16
carbohydrate42
fat34
countryUnited States
::

|name = BLT sandwich |image = File:Mmm... BLT for me! (5487341380).jpg |caption = A BLT sandwich on toast |alternate_name = Bacon, lettuce, and tomato |main_ingredient = Bacon, lettuce, tomato, bread |variations = Club sandwich |calories = 350 |calories_ref = |protein = 16 |carbohydrate = 42 |fat = 34 |country = United States A BLT is a type of sandwich, named for the initials of its primary ingredients, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. It can be made with varying recipes according to personal preference. Simple variants include using different types of lettuce or tomatoes, toasting or not, or adding mayonnaise. More pronounced variants include using turkey bacon or tofu in place of regular bacon, removing the lettuce entirely, or adding other ingredients such as a fried egg, avocado (BLAT), or sprouts.

History

Although its ingredients have existed for many years, there is little evidence of BLT sandwich recipes before 1900. In the 1903 Good Housekeeping Everyday Cook Book, a recipe for a club sandwich included bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and a slice of turkey sandwiched between two slices of bread. While the 1928 book Seven Hundred Sandwiches by Florence A. Cowles includes a section on bacon sandwiches, the recipes often include pickles and none contain tomato.

The BLT became popular after World War II because of the rapid expansion of supermarkets, which made its ingredients available year-round. The initials, representing "bacon, lettuce, tomato", likely began in the U.S. restaurant industry as shorthand for the sandwich, but it is unclear when this transferred to the public consciousness. For example, a 1951 edition of the Saturday Evening Post makes reference to the sandwich, although it does not use its initials, describing a scene in which: "On the tray, invariably, are a bowl of soup, a toasted sandwich of bacon, lettuce and tomato, and a chocolate milk shake."

A 1954 issue of Modern Hospital contains a meal suggestion that includes: "Bean Soup, Toasted Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich, Pickles, Jellied Banana Salad, Cream Dressing, and Pound Cake." By 1958, Hellmann's Mayonnaise advertised their product as "traditional on bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches", suggesting that the combination had been around for some time. However, there are several references to a "B.L.T." in the early 1970s, including in one review of Bruce Jay Friedman's play entitled Steambath titled: "A B.L.T. for God – hold the mayo." The abbreviation used in title references a line of dialogue in the play in which God yells, "Send up a bacon and lettuce and tomato sandwich, hold the mayo. You burn the toast, I'll smite you down with my terrible swift sword."

Popularity

According to a 2019 poll by YouGov, it is the fifth-most popular sandwich in the United States, tying with the ham sandwich and falling behind the roast beef sandwich, turkey sandwich, grilled chicken sandwich, and grilled cheese sandwich. A 2008 poll by OnePoll showed that the BLT was the "nation's favourite" sandwich in the UK. BLT sandwiches are popular especially in the summer, following the tomato harvest.

Ingredients and preparation

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Making_a_BLT_sandwich_with_avocado_and_basil_mayonnaise.jpg" caption="A BLT sandwich preparation"] ::

While there are variations on the BLT, the essential ingredients are bacon, lettuce, and tomato, between two slices of bread (usually white), often toasted.

Iceberg lettuce is a common choice because it does not add too much flavour while adding crunch. a suggestion that Jon Bonné, lifestyle editor at MSNBC, described as "shocking". Michele Anna Jordan, author of The BLT Cookbook, believes the tomato is the key ingredient and recommends the use of the beefsteak tomato as it has more flesh and fewer seeds.

The sandwich is sometimes served with dressings, like mayonnaise. The bread can be of any variety, white or wholemeal, toasted or not, depending on personal preference.

Variations

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Bacon,_lettuce,_tomato,_and_avocado.jpg" caption="language=en}}"] ::

The sandwich has a high sodium and fat content, and has been specifically targeted by UK café chains in an effort to reduce salt and fat. Due to this, low-fat mayonnaise is a common substitute along with low salt bread and less fatty bacon. A more visible solution is to use turkey bacon in lieu of normal bacon. One of the variations on the BLT is the club sandwich, a two-layered sandwich in which one layer is a BLT. The other layer can be almost any sort of sliced meat, normally chicken or turkey.

In culture

United States

In 1963, pop art sculptor Claes Oldenburg created Giant BLT, a soft sculpture representing the sandwich, now in the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art. It measures 32 x and uses vinyl, kapok and wood, painted in acrylic. Every time it is moved, it must be restacked, which means it varies between exhibits. The artist has said that he has not set it up personally since its creation in 1963.

In 2003, Michele Anna Jordan set a record for the world's largest BLT, which measured 108 ft in length. The record was broken again by the Iron Barley restaurant in St. Louis, Missouri, with a BLT measuring 179 ft, and is currently held by Bentley Dining Services for their 2009 attempt, measuring 209 ft.

United Kingdom

In 2004, the New Statesman reported that the sandwich chosen by a politician as his "favourite" is loaded with political symbolism. For example, it suggested that a chicken tikka sandwich would be a "gentle nod to an imperial past and a firm statement of a multicultural present and future". The article went on to explain that the then Leader of the Opposition William Hague had accused the then Prime Minister Tony Blair of being a hypocrite with regard to food, telling one portion of society that his favourite meal was fish and chips and another that it was a fresh fettuccine dish. The conclusion of the article was that Blair chose the BLT as his favourite sandwich, which appeals to all classes.

References

References

  1. "Sandwich, BLT (5 strips bacon, 2 tbsp mayo) w. 3 oz Bread". CalorieKing Wellness Solutions, Inc.
  2. Gordon Curtis, Isabel. (2002). "Good Housekeeping Everyday Cook Book". Hearst Books.
  3. Cowles, Florence. (1928). "Seven Hundred Sandwiches". Little, Brown & Company.
  4. Mariani, John F.. (1999). "The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink". Lebhar Freidman.
  5. Martin, Harold H.. (27 January 1951). "Lightning Joe, the GI's General". [[The Saturday Evening Post]].
  6. (July 1954). "Modern Hospital". Modern Hospital.
  7. (20 October 1958). "Hellmann's Mayo Ad".
  8. Prideaux, Tom. (21 August 1970). "A B.L.T. for God – Hold the Mayo". [[Time Inc.]].
  9. Friedman, Bruce Jay. (1971). "Steambath". Knopf.
  10. "What's America's Favorite Sandwich? {{!}} YouGov".
  11. (27 October 2008). "BLT is named nation's favourite sandwich". [[Daily Record (Scotland).
  12. Tuttle, Brad. (5 July 2011). "Is It Time to Start Stockpiling Bacon".
  13. McFerron, Whitney. (4 August 2010). "Bacon Price Surge May Last Through August as Herd Cutbacks Tighten Supply". [[Bloomberg.com]].
  14. Bonne, Jon. (12 September 2006). "Secrets to a perfect BLT sandwich". [[MSNBC]].
  15. (17 August 2020). "A BLT is Not a Bacon Sandwich. It is a Tomato Sandwich".
  16. Pruess, Joanna. (2006). "Seduced by Bacon: Recipes & Lore about America's Favorite Indulgence". Globe Pequot.
  17. (9 November 2012). "Ultimate BLT". Good Food.
  18. (7 March 2009). "Cafe chains promise to reduce salt and fat". Belfast Telegraph.
  19. Bricklin, Mark. (1994). "Prevention Magazine's Nutrition Advisor: The Ultimate Guide to the Health-Boosting and Health-Harming Factors in Your Diet". Rodale.
  20. Civitello, Linda. (2007). "Cuisine and culture: a history of food and people". John Wiley and Sons.
  21. "Whitney Focus presents Claes Oldenburg's "Giant BLT"".
  22. "Claes Oldenburg / Giant BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich)". AMICA library.
  23. Kino, Carol. (15 May 2009). "Going Softly Into a Parallel Universe". [[The New York Times]].
  24. Schultz, Brian. (5 November 2009). "Bentley cooks up world record BLT". [[Eagle Eye]].
  25. Vigor, Anthony. (12 April 2004). "Exposed by his sandwich". [[New Statesman]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

american-sandwichesbacon-sandwicheslettucetomato-dishes