Denver Sandwich

The Denver sandwich, also known as the Western sandwich, is composed of toasted white bread encasing an omelet filled with diced ham, onion, and green pepper. Several tales have been written about the origin of the Denver sandwich, but as yet none has been confirmed. Some say that it was developed to disguise the tainted taste of no-longer-fresh eggs carried by pioneers or of eggs that were later hauled into settlements in the West. A second theory states that the sandwich was developed by chuck-wagon cooks as a snack to be carried in the saddlebags of cowboys. Finally, James Beard noted in James Beard’s American Cookery (1972) that Chinese cooks working in logging camps and railroad gangs concocted it as an Americanized version of egg foo yong. The first identified print reference to date is from a 1918 restaurant industry publication. The Denver, known as a “cowboy” in diner lingo, is common on American menus throughout the country, and it may actually be America’s oldest breakfast sandwich.