A hero sandwich “by any other name,” would taste as good, and it is certainly known by a lot of other names. It can be called a Po’Boy in New Orleans, a sub or submarine sandwich in Boston, or a hoagie. Hero sandwich tends to refer specifically to those large sandwiches on baguettes or wider french or Italian bread that have a distinct Italian flavor.

You actually may be getting any number of ingredients mixed in with a hero sandwich. The very basic one has two Italian meats, provolone cheese, and is usually topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickled pepperoncini. Condiments vary but the traditional topping is not mayonnaise or mustard. Instead, oil and vinegar can coat both sides of the bread. Hero sandwiches may be served cold, or a popular choice is to serve them heated with the bread nice and toasty and the cheese melted.

When choosing Italian meats, you’ll have a lot of choices. Mortadella is common, but so are Italian deli ham, salami, prosciutto, and pepperoni. Some delis and sub restaurants pile on tons of different meats to make what they call an “Italian sub.” This can sometimes be confused with the meatball sandwich, which usually features a couple of large meatballs, covered in mozzarella and topped with marinara. Though this sandwich is also Italian inspired it is not a hero sandwich by most definitions.

Still, depending upon the deli that makes the sandwich, you might find great variety in ingredients. Vegetarian hero sandwiches could feature a variety of cheeses or several slices of eggplant parmesan. Left over chicken or veal parmesan could make up a hero sandwich according to some. Most often, though, the hero sandwich makes specific use of Italian deli meats.

The origin of the hero sandwich is much disputed. Some say they were originally invented in Italy, and then Italian immigrants brought them to New York. Yet such sandwiches occur with frequency from the late 19th century onward in most of the Eastern US, spreading to the Western US, particularly California with Italian immigrants. Likely the possibility of combining any available Italian meats and cheeses and placing them on crusty bread occurred to a number of people. It’s hard to say who made the first hero sandwiches, but their popularity assures that no one will be making the last anytime soon.

There are now many chain submarine sandwich places that make their own versions of the Italian or hero sandwich. The main complaint from fans of this sandwich tends to derive from the quality of ingredients used and the relatively soft bread. It really does help to use a more crusty loaf for a hero, and to scoop out some of the inner part of the bread in order to accommodate more meats and cheeses. A really tall sandwich can be hard to bite into though, and some argue that softer bread is easier to bite through and squish down.

You can certainly make your own hero sandwiches. If you use whole loaves of bread these can be great for serving at parties. Look at the variety of Italian meats for inspiration, and feel free to load on lots of toppings. Since it is traditional to serve the sandwich topped with vinaigrette, you may want to include mayo and mustard on the side for those inclined to want more condiments. Alternately, make meat and cheese heroes and let people have access to all the toppings they want: sliced tomatoes, onions, pickles, lettuce, pepperoncini, and condiments.