May 5th is National Hoagie Day #NationalHoagieDay and I plan on working all day and David may be working late this evening. Charlie’s tooth is hurting again so I’m sure he will want Cereal for dinner. I’ve got all kinds of Lunch Meat in the Ice Box. I think David and I will have Hoagie dinner this evening. I just need David to stop at the Grocery Store for Bread. Would you want a Hoagie with us? If so what type f Bread and Lunch Meat would you like?
If your #Homeschooling your children think outside the box today and host a #Cooking Class and let your children make Italian Hoagies for dinner. For a #FieldTrip take your Students to a Deli to purchase the ingredients to make Hoagies with. If your students are studying States they could learn about Italian’s and also Philadelphia the City of Brotherly Love.
Remember National Hoagie Day falls on May 5 offers us a welcome alternative to the seemingly endless baskets of Chips and Salsa and mugs of cheap Mexican Beer Americans consume to celebrate on Cinco de Mayo.
Today you can confidently say “no” to Tacos and Burritos, and take your buns to the local deli for a Hoagie. Or a Sub. Or a Grinder. Or a Hero. A Hoagie is a Hoagie by any other name, especially on National Hoagie Day
Did you know Philadelphia is famously known for mouthwatering Steak and Cheese Dubs, but did you know the City of Brotherly Love is also famous for another epicurean delight served on a big beautiful bun: the Hoagie and the humble Hoagie of Italian immigrant heritage that holds the title “Official Sandwich of Philadelphia,’ not the Steak and Cheese Sub.
The traditional Italian Hoagie is a generous Sandwich of Italian deli Meats and Cheeses stuffed into a split long roll, brimming with Pepperoncini Peppers and Veggies, topped with a drizzle of Olive Oil, Vinegar, and Seasonings.
There are no fewer than a dozen credible stories laying claim to who was responsible for inventing the first long Bread Italian Sandwich in America. Most stories point to the New England States where many Italian immigrants settled in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Although whose mama or papa is truly responsible for assembling the first Hoagie in Philadelphia will always be up for debate, we do know Hoagie naming rights belong to the City of Philadelphia.
The most popular story of how the Italian Sandwich got the name Hoagie in Philadelphia is one cited by the now-defunct “Philadelphia Bulletin,” Philly’s daily evening newspaper published from 1847 to 1982. The paper’s story revolves around the lunch box staple of 1950s Italian immigrant workers in a Philadelphia Shipyard known as Hog Island, a long Bread roll stuffed with Italian Meats and Cheeses.
The Sandwiches were commonly referred to as “Hog Island Sandwiches.” The name was eventually shortened to “Hoggies,” which, when said with a South Philadelphia accent, sounded more like “Hoagies,” and the name stuck.
Two other local Philadelphia publications disagreed with the Bulletin’s published story, both insisting that Philadelphia’s Hoagie roots could be traced all the way back 1879. According to the Philadelphia Almanac and the Citizen’s Manual, Street Vendors known as hokey pokey men sold Bakery Rolls called Pinafores stuffed with Antipasto Salad and Meats to theatre patrons before and after attending the Operetta, (light Opera,) “H.M.S. Pinafore” by the famed writer-composer duo of Gilbert and Sullivan. The Pinafores were commonly referred to as Hokies, which again sounded a lot like Hoagies in South Philly.
Regardless of who first stuffed all those delicious Meats and Cheeses into a split Italian Long Roll, topped it with Peppers and drizzled Oil and Seasonings on top, the name Hoagie stuck like the newspaper it was first wrapped with in the City of Philadelphia.
By the end of World War II, the term Hoagie was quite common on the Streets of Philadelphia, and Philly’s favorite Sandwich was turning up on restaurant menus all around the City, spelled Hoagie, Hoggie, Hoogie, and Hoagy.
As the Hoagie’s popularity breached City boundaries and spread to other parts of the Country away from the East Coast, the term Hoagie took on new definitions. Hoagie eventually became a catch-all name for any Sandwich served on a long Bread roll.
In Philadelphia, however, the Hoagie remains true to its Italian roots as an Italian Meat and Cheese Sandwich covered with Roasted and Pickled Veggies and Peppers, with Oil, Vinegar, and Seasonings topping it all.
How to Celebrate National Hoagie Day
- If you feel conflicted because today is Cinco de Mayo and the whole world seems to be eating Tacos and dancing to songs about la cucarachas, we sub pose a 6-pack of imported beer and some limes could pair nicely with your favorite hoagie. Play some lively Italian dance tunes like the “Chicken Dance” and “Tarantella Napoletana” and hoagie on down. Salute!
- You will need to rely on a Sub-contractor for this one because six-feet of hoagie is one big hoagie. Invite family, friends, neighbors, or co-workers to dive into this Submarine adventure.
- Remember nothing transforms the ambiance of a room like lighting a few candles. The glow of candlelight is all that’s necessary to make this National Hoagie Day dinner memorable, although a straw-wrapped bottle of authentic Chianti Wine would be a nice Italian touch. Wouldn’t it?
Essential Authentic Italian Hoagie Ingredients
- Genoa Salami: is the best-known imported salami and a must ingredient on any authentic Italian Hoagie, despite it being outrageously high in saturated fats and sodium.
- Mortadella: The Spam-like smoked beef and pork sausage loaf that looks like a mosaic of fat chunks, peppercorns, and pistachio nuts, was once banned from import into the U.S. market, until the year 2000. If you don’t have a stomach for fatty mortadella, boiled ham is your go-to substitute.
- Mozzarella: Or you can use Provolone…or both? Authentic Italian Mozzarella was once made exclusively with water buffalo milk, while Provolone from the South of Italy is favored for its tangy bite and can be mild, sharp, or extra sharp. Both cheeses are considered essential to an Italian hoagie.
- Pepperoncini: Mild Peppers whose pickling juices add a delightful burst of tangy, sweet-hot flavor and a colorful red or green when you lift the top half of the long roll to take a gander at the fixings.
- Roasted Red Peppers: Roasted red peppers add more than a distinct smokey flavor to a Sandwich that is off the charts in unhealthy fats. Red peppers are the hoagie’s nutritional saving grace, with significant amounts of Vitamin C and beta-carotene.
Why People Simply Love Hoagies
Remember you don’t need special cooking skills or a semester in Home Economics to become a Hoagie pro. Simple rules: buy the highest quality authentic ingredients for the best results. Ask your local Italian grocer for suggestions and your Hoagie will make the honor roll.
It doesn’t matter if you are a Hoagie Snob who insists that a Hoagie is only a Hoagie if it is a classic long roll stuffed full with Italian Cold Cut Meats, Cheeses, Pickled Pepperoncini, Olive Oil and Vinegar dressing seasoned with a blend of Italian Spices, or you are a Meatball-and-Cheese Hoagie aficionado, we all agree that a Hoagie makes a filling and palate-pleasing entrée anytime day or night.
Hoagies are the ultimate take-along lunch or dinner, all neatly wrapped up in deli paper to keep the Oils, Sauces, and juices from dripping down your chin. Just make sure you grab some extra napkins because you will need them.
Recipe for Italian Hoagies
- Total: 20 min
- Active: 20 min
Yield: 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
Italian Sub Dressing:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Subs:
4 large and long Italian sub rolls (something very light but with a crackling crust)
8 thick slices sharp provolone
4 ounces mortadella, sliced very thin
4 ounces Genoa salami, sliced very thin
4 ounces capicola, sliced very thin
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced very thin
4 cups shaved iceberg lettuce
Hot giardiniera, for serving
Special equipment:
a squeeze bottle; white butcher paper
Directions:
For the subs: Split the rolls in half across the equator. Squeeze a liberal amount of the Sub dressing on both interior slices of the Bread. Now let’s build. First layer, the sharp provolone, then fluff and ribbon the mortadella, then the Genoa and then the capicola. Layer on the tomatoes and then the lettuce. Spread with the giardiniera. Wrap in white butcher paper, cut in half, and then wrap again. Mangia!
For the Italian sub dressing: Whisk together the vinegar, Italian seasoning, Dijon and sugar. Slowly rain in the olive oil, whisking, until everything comes together smoothly. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a squeeze bottle and store in the fridge for up to a month. Shake before using.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
