A mitraillette | |
Alternative names | Américain[1][2] |
---|---|
Type | Sandwich |
Course | fast food |
Place of origin | Belgium[1] |
Region or state | Brussels |
Serving temperature | hot (filling) room temperature/ warmed (baguette) |
Main ingredients | Bread, meat, French fries, various sauces |
A mitraillette (French pronunciation: [mitʁajɛt], literally "submachine gun") is a type of sandwich in Belgium commonly served at friteries and cafés.[3][4][5][6][7] It is popular among students.[8]
It is thought to have originated in Brussels, but is also popular in Flanders, Wallonia, and the Nord region of France, where it is also known as an "Américain" (literally an "American").[1][9][10]
A typical mitraillette consists of:[2][3][4][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]
Crudités may be included (grated carrot, fresh lettuce, tomato slices), as well as cheese[22] and cabbage.[23][24]
Originally mitraillettes contained only a sausage or sliced meat. Alternatives quickly became available.
After the Brussels bombings in March 2016, images of the sandwich were shared across social media in Belgium and abroad as a sign of friendship and humour.[25]
In December 2020, former Top Chef (France) contestant Jean-Philippe Watteyne opened a pop-up mitraillette restaurant in Mons.[26]
In November 2021, DH Les Sports + reported that a friterie in Etterbeek sells Belgium's longest mitraillette, measuring 130 centimetres (51 in).[27]