Chopped cheese

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chopped Cheese
Alternative namesChop Niko Cheese
TypeSandwich
CourseMain course
Place of originUnited States
Region or stateNew York City
Created byVarious claims
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredientsGround beef, cheese, bread
A chopped cheese on a hero
A Bronx Local variant of the chopped cheese, here pictured with halal turkey bacon and barbecue sauce. Crotona Park, the Bronx.

Chopped cheese, also known as a "chop cheese",[1] is a type of sandwich originating from New York City. Found in bodegas throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens,[2] it is made on a grill with ground beef, onions, and topped by melted cheese and served with lettuce, tomatoes, and condiments on a hero roll.[1] It is compared with the cheesesteak, and a cheese sloppy joe, often thought of as a mixture of both,[3] and is said to represent the culture of New York.

Origin[]

Though the chopped cheese sandwich has gained significant media attention around 2018, the actual origins of the sandwich are up for debate. There is speculation that the sandwich was an adaptation of an Arabic specialty, dagha yamneeya (دقة يمنية), which is essentially cooked chopped meat and vegetables served with Yemeni bread.[4] Some have argued that it is a century old recipe that has been "Columbused",[5] while some think it is a more recent creation.

In popular culture[]

The chopped cheese has also made its way into hip hop culture, being featured in or the subject of a multitude of songs. Harlem rapper Cam'ron filmed his music video "Child of the Ghetto" at Hajji's Deli, which is largely considered ground zero for chopped cheeses in NYC.[2] Rapper Dave East has also namedropped Hajji's several times in his music. Rapper Audubon released a song in November 2014 called "Chopped Cheese", which has over 10,000 views.[6]

The sandwich has also been the topic of a documentary from website First We Feast. The documentary, Hometown Hero: The Legend of New York's Chopped Cheese, discusses the origins of the sandwich and explores how it became an enigmatic icon of NYC. In the documentary, the sandwich is referred to as being legendary, and "Harlem's favorite".[7]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Rosenberg, Eli (2016-11-07). "The Chopped Cheese's Sharp Rise to Fame". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  2. ^ a b "The Cult of the Chopped-Cheese Sandwich, New York's Most Enigmatic Icon". First We Feast. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  3. ^ Rabine, Robert. "Recipe: The real deal, Chopped Cheese Sandwich". Shoreline Times. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  4. ^ "The Cult of the Chopped-Cheese Sandwich, New York's Most Enigmatic Icon". Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  5. ^ Bellafante, Ginia (2016-12-22). "Gentrification and Junk Food: Chopped-Cheese Edition". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  6. ^ "Audubon: Chopped Cheese". YouTube.
  7. ^ Breslouer, Lee (2016-11-17). "The Crazy & Controversial History Behind the Beloved Chopped Cheese Sandwich". thrillist. Retrieved 2017-04-18.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""