There's more to the humble sandwich than just fillings packed between slices of bread (or crammed into a bun). This versatile handheld food comes in many different guises around the world, and each recipe speaks a lot about a place's culinary heritage. From shawarma wraps sold in Middle Eastern markets to comfort food classics like croque monsieur, we rank the world's best sandwiches, based on the enduring popularity of each in its place of origin and beyond.

Click or scroll through our gallery as we reveal the best sandwiches the world has to offer, each of which is an absolute must-try. How many have you tasted?

We've based our ranking on the enduring popularity of each sandwich in its place of origin and beyond, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.

Quintessentially British, cucumber sandwiches commonly grace afternoon tea platters alongside equally dainty cakes and (not so dainty) fluffy scones. They're pretty simple: just thinly sliced cucumber on buttered bread. However, if you want to channel Downton Abbey, the crusts should be cut off to keep the sandwiches as delicate as possible. A subtle splash of good quality vinegar – think white wine vinegar, rather than a strong malt version – elevates them to something special.

This simple yet delicious sandwich, featuring thickly cut peameal bacon and mustard packed into a soft bun, is a local speciality in Toronto, Ontario. From 1874 to 1927, the city was home to William Davies Company, the largest pork packing plant in the British Empire. Peameal bacon – wet-cured, unsmoked back bacon made from trimmed, lean and boneless pork loin rolled in cornmeal – was developed here, while Carousel Bakery in St Lawrence Market claims to have been the first to stuff it into this hugely popular sandwich.

Mett – raw, minced pork, seasoned with salt, pepper and sometimes garlic – is a German delicacy that's particularly popular in the north of the country. Between the 1950s and 1970s, it was a celebration staple, shaped into hedgehogs (or mett-hogs) and decorated with onions and gherkins. Now, it's more commonly found in bakeries, served spread on bread rolls with onions, pickles and parsley, and is often eaten for breakfast.

Egg mayo is a love-it-or-hate-it filling for sandwiches, rolls and baguettes – hence the relatively low spot on our list. People who have memories of warm, curly-cornered egg sandwiches of buffet tables past may shun this choice. However, when made fresh and seasoned well, egg mayo sarnies can be delicious. To enjoy this classic British sandwich at its best, mix sliced or chopped hard-boiled eggs with mayonnaise, plenty of seasoning and, if you like yours hot, a splash of chilli sauce or a pinch of chilli powder. For a truly old-school finish, cress can be added to the mix for a touch of peppery greenery.

A staple in kids' lunchboxes across Australia, the humble Vegemite sandwich is loved throughout the country. It's usually kept simple with Vegemite alone, though other ingredients such as cheese, lettuce, avocado or tomato are sometimes added. Vegemite was first developed in 1922, and is now seen as something of a national food in Australia.

Beloved by kids across North America (not to mention Joe Biden), the PB&J sandwich – consisting of peanut butter and jelly (or jam) – is a fusion of salty and sweet flavours that's typically served on sliced white bread. Whether you use crunchy or smooth peanut butter depends on whether you want to add some texture. Grape jelly (or jam) is the de facto flavour to opt for, but strawberry and raspberry are also good options – and you can even use a marshmallow creme instead to turn your sandwich into a 'fluffernutter'. Want to go all out? Add bacon and banana to create an 'Elvis', reportedly the King of Rock and Roll's favourite.

While French cuisine is famously rich and complex, France's favourite sandwich is relatively simple. Created with just three ingredients, the jambon-beurre – which translates to 'ham-butter' and is also known as le Parisien – is sold from boulangeries, street vendors, bars, cafés and supermarkets across the country. The jamon-beurre is made with a baguette de tradition (a thin French stick), slathered generously with butter, and filled with jambon blanc or jambon de Paris – thinly sliced French ham. The butter should ideally be creamy, traditionally churned Normandy or Brittany butter.

This carb-on-carb creation may not be particularly refined, imaginative or good-looking, but boy, is it tasty. The chip butty – in its purest form, two thick slices of white bread stuffed with hot, fat, golden chips, straight from the fryer – is said to have been invented all the way back in 1863 at Britain’s second-oldest fish and chip shop, Mr Lees in Oldham, Lancashire. Over 150 years later, Brits still can’t get enough of this not-so-guilty pleasure, which oozes childhood nostalgia in every bite.

The fischbrötchen is commonly eaten in northern Germany, particularly along the Baltic coast – though you can find variations on it across the country. Traditionally, a fischbrötchen features herring with onion, pickles and horseradish sauce, all served in a crusty baguette. Over time, though, other varieties of fish have entered the mix, including cod, salmon and prawns. You can find traditional sandwiches and modern twists everywhere from seafood shacks to fancy restaurants throughout the region.

Popular across Australia and in areas of Japan, the spaghetti jaffle (or grilled sandwich) simply consists of cooked spaghetti in sauce sandwiched between toasted bread. Often sold at concession stands in subways, the spaghetti jaffle can be elevated with grated Parmesan, garlic and oregano.

Falafel, served in wraps, pittas, or flatbreads, is a hugely popular street food in the Middle East and parts of North Africa, with various countries laying claim to its invention (including Egypt). It's typically made up of a mix of ground chickpeas, broad (or fava) beans, onions and garlic, with herbs and spices bringing that depth of flavour, and is shaped into balls before being deep fried. Salad, pickles, tahini and hummus complete the satisfying handheld package.

Meaning ‘little goat’ in Spanish, the chivito is Uruguay’s national dish – though, somewhat surprisingly, it doesn’t contain any goat at all. The story goes that it was invented back in 1946, when a woman walked into El Mejillón Bar in Punta del Este and asked for a goat sandwich. Having no goat meat available, the owner, Antonio Carbonaro, improvised an all-singing, all-dancing sandwich, piling churrasco steak, ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mozzarella and a fried egg into a ciabatta-like roll. Seriously satisfying, it’s still hugely popular today.

It might not be the most exciting sandwich on our list, but there's no ignoring this classic combo. The British Sandwich Association recently revealed that Brits eat around 119 million cheese and pickle sandwiches annually. The cheese element is typically Cheddar, while the pickle is usually British brand Branston's or similar – a chunky, tangy relish with a dark-brown hue. If you're really hungry, you may want to go for the full ploughman's lunch, a typical pub meal that adds ham, wedges of apple and a few pickled onions on the side.

A tuna melt is another simple sandwich that can be made from store cupboard staples – and it's so simple that it was actually invented by accident. The story goes that a lunch counter cook at a Woolworth's in Charleston, North Carolina was rushing around when a bowl of tuna salad fell on top of a grilled cheese sandwich. Instead of throwing it away, he made the most of it – and created a classic. Its core is tuna and melted cheese, though common add-ins include chopped onions, olives, capers, diced tomatoes and tinned sweetcorn.

The vada pav is a staple of Mumbai's street food scene, and an absolute must-try for anyone visiting the city. Absolutely packed with flavour, it consists of a deep-fried potato-based fritter, spiced with fresh chillies, garlic and ginger, and served in a soft roll, or pav. Dried spices, such as turmeric or garam masala, can also be added. Upping those heat levels, a vada pav usually comes with a chilli pepper inside the bun, while various chutneys can be added for even more flavour.

A Sicilian-American creation, the muffuletta is credited to Central Grocery, a deli in New Orleans, Louisiana. There are two essential elements to a muffuletta: the round, flat sesame loaf of the same name, and the antipasti spread that makes up one of the layers. Recipes for the latter vary, but will typically include olives, capers, pickles, garlic, olive oil and vinegar. The other layers are cheese and cold meats, with Italian cold cuts making for the most authentic mix. Because of the shape of the bread, muffulettas are served cut into quarters.

Leberkäse rolls are particularly popular in the Bavarian region of Germany, and across Austria. Relatively plain in appearance, this simple sandwich sees a semmel bread roll (also known as a Kaisersemmel or Bavarian bread roll) filled with a thick slice of leberkäse – a dense meatloaf made from corned beef, pork, bacon and onions, similar to Spam or bologna. Leberkäse can be served hot or cold, and may be dipped in breadcrumbs and fried.

A must-try in Cape Town, the Gatsby is a giant, sub-shaped bread roll that's stuffed to bursting with a bewildering array of ingredients. French fries are joined by a combination of meats – such as steak, chicken, sausages and cold cuts – plus shellfish, cheese and fried eggs. Next up is salad, and it's all topped off with your choice of sauces, such as curry, spicy peri-peri or tomato. For obvious reasons, this sandwich is pretty popular as a hangover cure.

Smoked salmon and cream cheese are a match made in food heaven. Here, salty, smoke-infused fish is sliced and dressed in lemon, combined with rich cream cheese and a crack of salt and pepper, and stuffed inside a bagel. Also known as 'lox and schmear', it's a staple of Jewish delis and bagel shops.

Hailing from Montreal's famous Wilensky's Light Lunch deli, which opened in 1932, this satisfying sandwich consists of a round, flat pletzl roll that's smeared with mustard and filled with beef salami and beef bologna before being grilled. Swiss or Cheddar cheese can also be added, and it comes served with a pickle on the side.

Bocadillos are a sandwich option you'll find in all Spanish regions, with the choice of fillings varying from area to area. On a very basic level, a bocadillo is a crispy Spanish baguette, or pan de barra, that's split lengthways and filled with primarily protein-based ingredients. Bocadillos can be found as street food, in tapas bars and in cafés. Typical fillings include tortilla, jamón serrano and tuna.

There's only one snack that will do after a night out in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and it's the donair. Widely considered the city's signature sandwich, the donair consists of spit-roasted shaved beef, tomatoes, onions and garlicky donair sauce, all wrapped in a flatbread. The tasty wrap was invented in the 1970s by Peter Gamoulakos, who took inspiration from traditional Greek gyros. It's become so popular that the council voted to make it the city's official food in 2015.

Quite possibly one of the messiest sandwiches in the world to eat, the sloppy Joe is a beefy option that's not for the faint-hearted. With origins dating back to the early 20th century, there are a variety of theories about the sandwich's origin, and whether it was an American or Cuban invention. Today it's particularly popular in the US, where a filling of minced beef, onions and seasoned tomato sauce is served in (or slopped into) a hamburger bun.

The prawn mayonnaise sarnie is an ever-popular lunchtime choice in Britain. It was popularised by high street retailer Marks & Spencer in the 1980s, and the chain still sells more than 100,000 prawn-packed sandwiches in the UK every week. Want to make your own? To channel that retro dinner party favourite, the prawn cocktail, you could transform the mayonnaise into a Marie Rose sauce, adding tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, a dash of Tabasco and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

If you’re wondering what this sandwich is, exactly, its name will give you a clue: ‘choripán’ is a portmanteau of the Spanish words chorizo (sausage) and pan (bread). Best enjoyed straight off the grill, they’re commonly eaten as a starter at asado barbecues throughout South America, usually laced with sauces like chimichurri and mayonnaise – but these days, they can also be found at street food stalls and football matches, too. The dish is said to have been an invention of Argentina’s gaucho cowboys, who were famous for their meat-grilling techniques.

While it may be more usual to see Wagyu beef on the menu of a Michelin-starred restaurant, in Japan it's a popular, if expensive, sandwich filling. Wagyu – from a special breed of Japanese cows that produce rich, marbled meat – is considered by some to be the best in the world. A Wagyu katsu sando (Japanese for sandwich) sees thick slabs of the beef covered in seasoned and flavoured panko breadcrumbs (katsu), then fried and served between two slices of soft, springy milk bread.

New England is famed for its lobster, and particularly for the lobster roll: a fluffy bread roll that's split and generously packed with sweet, delicate meat, then drenched in melted butter. Perry’s in Milford, Connecticut, is credited with serving the first hot lobster roll back in the 1920s, while cold lobster rolls were popularised by the seafood shacks of Maine. Both can be found across the region, and in some Canadian coastal areas, too. Served hot, you can expect that luxurious butter dressing, sometimes laced with lemon; served cold, a mayonnaise mix is de rigueur. A side of salty fries is a classic accompaniment.

Philadelphia's signature sandwich is as synonymous with the Pennsylvania city as Rocky Balboa. Consisting of sliced beef, onions and melted cheese, all served in a toasted hoagie roll, it's said to have been invented by South Philadelphia hot dog seller Pat Olivieri in the 1920s. His creation, mixed up on the grill to make a sandwich for himself, became so popular that he opened Pat's King of Steaks in 1930. There are rivals to the crown in the city and elsewhere in Pennsylvania, though Pat's remains one of the best places to try a cheesesteak.

A definite must-eat for anyone travelling in Scandinavia, the smørrebrød is an open-faced sandwich offered with a plethora of interesting ingredients. Also known as smørbrød or smörgås, depending on the country you're in, the sandwich's premise remains the same: it's simply a mix of ingredients served on dark bread. Toppings include pickled herring, smoked salmon, prawns, egg, chicken, roast beef and liver pâté. There may also be salad, pickled vegetables, capers and beetroot, crème fraîche and horseradish.

Influenced by European immigrants, pastrami on rye became a signature sandwich at New York City's Jewish delis in the early 20th century. Served on traditional rye bread, it packs in a generous portion of pastrami, thinly sliced and stacked tall. The pastrami is the key, obviously, and its cooking process of curing, smoking and steaming creates a uniquely intense flavour. No pastrami on rye is complete with a good dash of mustard, plus a dill pickle on the side. In Canada, a similar sandwich replaces pastrami with Montreal smoked meat, or cured beef brisket.

The conti roll – short for continental – is a Perth institution, and for good reason. To make it, a long crusty roll is filled with a selection of deli meats (such as mortadella, salami and prosciutto), cheese and preserved, antipasti-style vegetables. After the Second World War, many Italian immigrants arrived in Western Australia, and delis sprang up selling foods from home. In the 1950s, The Re Store and Di Chiera Brothers (now closed) started selling these continental rolls – and a much-loved, legendary sandwich was born.

A Floridian invention influenced by Cuban immigrants, the Cubano is an extravagant sandwich. The bread is soft on the inside, crisp on the outside and slightly sweet, similar to a baguette, but baked with lard for a fluffier texture. There are several crucial ingredients, including thinly sliced ham and Swiss cheese. What sets the Cubano apart, though, is its layer of roast pork. Before cooking, it's marinated in the Cuban dressing mojo – bitter orange juice, garlic and herbs – for a piquant result. Add in pickles and yellow mustard, and you've got yourself a genuine Cubano.

Commonly sold in Japanese cafés and convenience stores, these colourful, fruity little treats are as cute as can be. Made by sandwiching seasonal fruits (usually strawberries, oranges, or kiwis) between two slices of soft, pillowy milk bread along with plenty of whipped cream, they’re served cut in half to reveal their pretty, mosaic-like fillings. Bright and cheerful though they may be, their origins are murky: some say they were invented in the cafés of Kyoto in the 1920s, while others insist they were first created at Tokyo’s famous fruit emporium, Sembikiya, in the late 19th century.

This café and bistro staple takes a classic sandwich filling to higher levels of sophistication. Served warm, it starts with sliced white bread filled with ham and cheese, with Emmental or Gruyère being the usual choice. A layer of creamy béchamel sauce is then added, and the whole thing is dipped in beaten egg before it hits the pan, resulting in a richly indulgent sandwich. The addition of a fried or poached egg on top turns it into a croque madame.

This classic Mexican sandwich can be made from a variety of bread types: teleras (white oval rolls), bolillos (short baguettes) or tortillas, which can be layered to create a stacked sandwich effect. Classic filling options include ham, avocado, cheese, adobo pork, egg and chicken. A slight variation to look out for is the torta ahogada, which translates as 'drowned'; this pork-based sandwich is served cloaked in a chilli-infused tomato sauce and finished with a squeeze of lime.

Italy's grilled panini, made with ciabatta or focaccia-style bread rolls, make delicious vehicles for the cold meats, cheeses and fresh vegetables readily available in the country. Cured meats like prosciutto and mortadella work beautifully paired with provolone cheese. A great choice for a meat-free meal is the Caprese panini: slices of ripe tomatoes covered in melting mozzarella, complemented by basil leaves or a dollop of pesto. Tuna, chicken and meatballs are also popular panini fillings.

A shawarma is a kind of kebab that's popular across the Middle East and North Africa, though it's widely believed to have originated in Turkey during the rule of the Ottoman Empire. The most common types of meat for shawarmas are lamb and chicken, both of which are cooked on large rotisseries, then sliced. Served in a pitta, flatbread or wrap, shawarmas often come with red cabbage, onion, lettuce, tomato and chillies, plus a chilli or yogurt-based sauce.

The po'boy dates back to 1920s New Orleans, where it was developed by café owners to feed striking streetcar workers, or 'poor boys'. Back then, the baguette-style sub rolls were filled with beef scraps, potatoes and gravy, though the popularity of the sandwich saw more fillings being offered for paying customers. Fried oysters – back then not such a luxury ingredient – were used, along with soft shell crab, ham, cheese, catfish, scampi and shrimp. 'Dressing' a po'boy involves the addition of salad, pickles and condiments such as mayo. 

What's better than a sandwich? A triple-decker sandwich, of course. The club sandwich has its origins in the Big Apple, dating back to the late 19th century. Today it's still popular in bars, in restaurants and bistros, and on room service menus. The recipe is a global one, with layers of toasted white bread, sliced chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise – so it's something you can order anywhere, with generally uniform (and comfortingly familiar) results.

The Strammer Max originated in 1920s Berlin, and is now a staple in kitchens across Germany. An open sandwich consisting of a slice of bread fried in butter, then topped with ham and a fried egg, it's simple yet very effective. Cheese and tomato are also often added, while some like to pile on extras such as mushrooms, onions and pickles – but these are all deviations from the traditional recipe.

Another example of how sandwiches make for great street food (affordable, tasty and portable), the Vietnamese bánh mì looks similar to a traditional French baguette, but is made with rice flour for a light, airy texture. Pork seasoned with fish sauce is a very popular filling, while other options include sausage, sardines and mackerel. The distinctive flavour comes from the addition of sour pickled vegetables, fragrant, fresh herbs and spicy chillies.

A 20th-century North American invention, the origins of which are disputed, with rival claims from a hotel in Omaha, Nebraska and a New York City deli, the Reuben can be found in delis and diners all over the US. A hot offering, the Reuben combines salty, thinly sliced corned beef, melted Swiss cheese and piquant sauerkraut, served on toasted rye bread. There are two dressings that can be served with a Reuben: a Thousand Island dressing, or a spicier Russian dressing.

While there's a lot to be said about the traditional British bacon butty (at its purest, bacon between slices of white sliced bread served with ketchup or brown sauce), the addition of lettuce and tomato creates something simple yet extraordinary. BLTs are popular on both sides of the Atlantic, and were either invented in Victorian England, or evolved from classic US sandwiches, like the club, in the early 20th century. Salty bacon is essential, lettuce adds crisp texture, tomato gives a juicy, fresh note and, depending on your taste, mayonnaise or mustard bring it all together.

A sandwich that needs no formal introduction, the grilled cheese is a classic comfort food with universal appeal. Essentially a dish that sees gooey, melted cheese gluing two slices of bread together, it can be jazzed up with slices of ham, tomato and onion, and is heavenly when eaten alongside a bowl of rich tomato soup. A traditional American grilled cheese is cooked in a griddle-style pan, but in the UK and Australia it tends to be made with a toasted sandwich maker that seals the crusts, creating what's known, respectively, as a toastie or jaffle.

Now discover the most incredible sandwiches invented in each US state

Last updated by Jessica Morris.