The Christmas sandwich season is upon us, with supermarkets and high-street chains offering festive takes on the humble lunchtime staple. However, one ingredient has come under fire for its dominance in these seasonal offerings: cranberry sauce.
Critics argue that the sweet condiment has become an inescapable feature of Christmas sandwiches, from high-street chains like Boots, Greggs, and Pret to more upmarket options at Costa. The red sauce, described as a 'spectre haunting the chiller cabinet', is being applied liberally to turkey and trimmings sandwiches as well as vegetarian alternatives, often overpowering other flavours.
The complaint is not with cranberry sauce per se, as it can be appropriate with vodka or brie, but its use in sandwiches is seen as problematic. A thick, sweet layer of cranberry is said to overwhelm the savoury elements that should stand out, leading one writer to question, 'What would make this better? Jam.'
While acknowledging that festive sandwiches can often be dry, the call is for more imaginative moist-makers, such as gravy, mayonnaise, or even a gravy-mayonnaise combination. As the options for non-meat eaters continue to improve, the hope is that the 'grasp' of cranberry sauce will eventually be loosened, allowing other flavours to shine.
