Phoundations of Philly: The Hoagie
Though some Philadelphians will swear that hoagies are fundamentally different [...]
Phoundations of Philly: The Hoagie
Though some Philadelphians will swear that hoagies are fundamentally different [...]
Though some Philadelphians will swear that hoagies are fundamentally different from subs, heroes, grinders, etc., the fact remains that these are all long-roll sandwiches stuffed with a variety of cold cuts, cheeses and vegetables, and that despite minor regional differences, they’re essentially the same thing. Instead of focusing on obscure, secondary details, then, a more compelling argument for why Philly makes the best hoagies is that widespread local passion for these sandwiches encourages vendors to focus on key details: the best bread; fresh, well-made ingredients; perfectly balanced flavors and textures; proper construction methods; sheer volume; etc. The variety and quality of hoagies found in the Philadelphia area is simply unparalleled elsewhere.
But why do we call them “hoagies” anyway? That fact is trickier to pin down with certainty. It is impossible, of course, to discuss the derivation of the word without mentioning Hog Island, a famous Philly-area shipyard that operated during World War I. That the word “hoagie”—once “hoggie”—is directly related to this once mighty shipyard is the most widespread of the etymological theories and thus has the most public backing. In other words, it’s the story any given Philly dude or dudette is most likely to insist their grandfather told them from first-person accounts.
That said, Hog Island operated during World War I, and the first written account of the word “hoggie” – our accent later morphed it to “hoagie” – didn’t appear until 1940. Two entire decades without a reference, then, suggests it’s unlikely the two are materially connected. (Is the connection impossible? No. But this gap certainly makes it less likely.) Many other hypotheses to the word’s origin abound of course, but documentation is sparse. In the end, perhaps boringly, it seems most likely that the claim of prominent mid-20th Century sandwich shop owner Al DePalma, the self-styled “King of the Hoggies,” is the truth: he made the word up.
Special thanks to Mike Madaio, author of A History of Philadelphia Sandwiches, available now online or at most local bookstores.
Though some Philadelphians will swear that hoagies are fundamentally different from subs, heroes, grinders, etc., the fact remains that these are all long-roll sandwiches stuffed with a variety of cold cuts, cheeses and vegetables, and that despite minor regional differences, they’re essentially the same thing. Instead of focusing on obscure, secondary details, then, a more compelling argument for why Philly makes the best hoagies is that widespread local passion for these sandwiches encourages vendors to focus on key details: the best bread; fresh, well-made ingredients; perfectly balanced flavors and textures; proper construction methods; sheer volume; etc. The variety and quality of hoagies found in the Philadelphia area is simply unparalleled elsewhere.
But why do we call them “hoagies” anyway? That fact is trickier to pin down with certainty. It is impossible, of course, to discuss the derivation of the word without mentioning Hog Island, a famous Philly-area shipyard that operated during World War I. That the word “hoagie”—once “hoggie”—is directly related to this once mighty shipyard is the most widespread of the etymological theories and thus has the most public backing. In other words, it’s the story any given Philly dude or dudette is most likely to insist their grandfather told them from first-person accounts.
That said, Hog Island operated during World War I, and the first written account of the word “hoggie” – our accent later morphed it to “hoagie” – didn’t appear until 1940. Two entire decades without a reference, then, suggests it’s unlikely the two are materially connected. (Is the connection impossible? No. But this gap certainly makes it less likely.) Many other hypotheses to the word’s origin abound of course, but documentation is sparse. In the end, perhaps boringly, it seems most likely that the claim of prominent mid-20th Century sandwich shop owner Al DePalma, the self-styled “King of the Hoggies,” is the truth: he made the word up.
Special thanks to Mike Madaio, author of A History of Philadelphia Sandwiches, available now online or at most local bookstores.
