00:00You may have heard your grandparents or great-grandparents talk about it, but what exactly was a fried bologna sandwich?
00:07It was a cheap, salty, filling substitute for real meat that became a depression-era staple.
00:13For those of us who weren't around back then, let me explain.
00:17First off, bologna, which is a type of salami, was relatively inexpensive in filling, a perfect combination during tough economic times.
00:26It was usually made with leftover bits of meat, so it wasn't considered a waste.
00:32Plus, it could be stretched to feed a lot of people.
00:35This is likely why school cafeterias served it during the Great Depression.
00:39It was also a convenient food item since it came in tins and did UNT need to be refrigerated.
00:45It lasted a long time and it could be sliced with a cheap, flimsy knife.
00:50Lastly, it tasted good, or at least it wasn't bad.
00:53It had a smooth texture and a mild flavor that didn't require any special seasonings or preparation.
01:00You could just slice it up and eat it as is.
01:03In fact, my grandma says that kids would often eat it straight out of the can with a knife.
01:09How do you think that tasted?
01:11Let me know down in the comments.
01:13During the Depression, people were often so desperate for food that they would purchase a whole tin of bologna just to get the bread that came with it.
01:22This might sound strange today, but back then, bologna and other canned meats were sold with a slice of bread on top and bottom to keep the slices together.
01:31The bread was often discarded, but during hard times, people would eat it, albeit very, very slowly.
01:38They would either toast it or fry it in the fat or grease from the can.
01:42And this is how we got fried bologna sandwiches, a dish made popular during the Great Depression.
01:48Now, I don't know who the first person was to put a fried bologna sandwich on a bun, but whoever did can only be considered a genius.
01:57Since then, it's become one of the most beloved processed meatball sandwiches of all time.
02:02Other Depression-era recipes called for frying bologna with onions, potatoes, and eggs.
02:08One such recipe comes from my grandmother.
02:11She says her mother used to make something similar to a hash, except instead of using expensive meat.
02:17She would fry up bologna with potatoes and onions, and then add eggs on top.
02:22This ensured that no part of the meal went to waste.
02:26Even the egg yolks were used to make the potatoes taste better.
02:29I haven't tried this, but it sounds delicious.
02:32If you have, please let me know how it turned out down in the comments.
02:36Also, if you enjoyed this video, please like it and share it with someone who might not know what a fried bologna sandwich is.
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