Chopped cheese

The actual origins of the sandwich are up for debate, although generally most agree it was first created in a Spanish Harlem bodega called Hajji's Deli, also known as Blue Sky Deli.{{Cite web |last=Bolois |first=Justin |date=Jan 19, 2016 |title=The Cult of the Chopped-Cheese Sandwich, New York's Most Enigmatic Icon |url=https://firstwefeast.com/eat/2016/01/chopped-cheese-iconic-nyc-sandwich |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518155116/https://firstwefeast.com/eat/2016/01/chopped-cheese-iconic-nyc-sandwich |archive-date=May 18, 2023 |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=First We Feast |language=en}} There is speculation that the sandwich was an adaptation of an Arab specialty, {{Transliteration|ar|dagha yamneeya}} ({{lang|ar|دقة يمنية}}), which is essentially cooked chopped meat and vegetables served with Yemeni bread.{{Cite web |last=Nash |first=Elias |date=2022-08-25 |title=The Origin Of New York's Chopped Cheese Sandwich |url=https://www.tastingtable.com/981495/the-origin-of-new-yorks-chopped-cheese-sandwich/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518153604/https://www.tastingtable.com/981495/the-origin-of-new-yorks-chopped-cheese-sandwich/ |archive-date=May 18, 2023 |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=Tasting Table |language=en-US}} Hajji's Deli claims a former worker invented the sandwich for himself sometime in the 1990s, after which the concept spread to other bodegas.

The sandwich gained significant media attention in the 2010s, starting with a 2014 episode of Parts Unknown in which Anthony Bourdain, a lifelong New Yorker, told a group of students in the Bronx that he'd never heard of a chopped cheese sandwich. In 2016 a reporter for Insider described the sandwich as "something most New Yorkers had never heard of", despite it being well-known in multiple parts of the city. Those who grew up eating the sandwich at their local bodegas made accusations the sandwich was being "Columbused"—that is, "discovered" by the majority culture; in this case, lower Manhattanites.{{Cite news |last=Bellafante |first=Ginia |date=2016-12-22 |title=Gentrification and Junk Food: Chopped-Cheese Edition |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/22/nyregion/chopped-cheese-ginia-bellafante.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328071633/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/22/nyregion/chopped-cheese-ginia-bellafante.html |archive-date=March 28, 2017 |access-date=2017-04-18 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}} Multiple upscale restaurants and groceries began serving the sandwich, sparking accusations of cultural appropriation.{{Cite web |last=Dai |first=Serena |date=2016-12-20 |title=Whole Foods Slammed For $8 Chopped Cheese Sold From Columbus Cart |url=https://ny.eater.com/2016/12/20/14024422/whole-foods-chopped-cheese-nyc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518152815/https://ny.eater.com/2016/12/20/14024422/whole-foods-chopped-cheese-nyc |archive-date=May 18, 2023 |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=Eater NY |language=en}} Critics noted that the sandwich, as served in bodegas prior to the interest generated in the media, was generally priced at $4 or $5, while the versions offered by upscale purveyors were often two to three times that.

The chopped cheese has made its way into hip hop culture, being featured in or the subject of many songs. Harlem rapper Cam'ron filmed his music video "Child of the Ghetto" at Hajji's Deli.

The sandwich has also been the topic of a documentary on the website First We Feast. The documentary Hometown Hero: The Legend of New York's Chopped Cheese discusses the origins of the sandwich and its cultural history. In the documentary, the sandwich is referred to as "Harlem's favorite".{{Cite news |last=Breslouer |first=Lee |date=2016-11-17 |title=The Crazy & Controversial History Behind the Beloved Chopped Cheese Sandwich |url=https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/chopped-cheese-sandwich-nyc-harlem |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418164357/https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/chopped-cheese-sandwich-nyc-harlem |archive-date=April 18, 2017 |access-date=2017-04-18 |work=thrillist}}

• Cheesesteak
• List of American sandwiches
• List of sandwiches
• Roti john
• Sloppy joe

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cugl5mmfcxY First We Feast documentary]

{{Sandwiches}}

Category:American sandwiches

Category:Cheese sandwiches

Category:Cuisine of New York City

Category:Beef sandwiches