Kummelweck

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Beef on Weck sandwich from Charlie the Butcher's in Buffalo, New York, USA
Beef on Weck sandwich from Charlie the Butcher's in Buffalo, New York, USA

A kummelweck, or sometimes kimmelweck or even kümmelweck, is a salty roll that is popular in Western New York. It is similar to a Kaiser roll, but topped with pretzel salt and caraway seeds. Kummelweck is commonly shortened to “weck," and often served in the Buffalo metropolitan area with roast beef and horseradish to form a sandwich known colloquially as "beef on weck." Along with buffalo wings and the so-called garbage plate, beef on weck is one of the three most distinct dishes of the region.

A typical style of beef on weck sandwich is made from slow-roasted rare roast beef hand carved to provide about 1/2 inch (2 cm) of meat on the bottom half of the roll. The cut face of the top half of the roll may be dipped in the juices from the roast. Prepared horseradish is usually provided for the diner to spread on the top half of the roll to taste. In the Buffalo area, it is common to see jars of horseradish on eatery tables that serve the sandwich, much as you might see ketchup bottles available in other restaurants.

The American restaurant franchise Buffalo Wild Wings is formerly known as BW3, and this fact raises the question as to the meaning of the third 'W' in the former name. The abbreviation came from the original full name of the restaurant, Buffalo Wild Wings and Weck. The chain no longer serves beef on weck outside of Western New York and no longer uses the original name but does still use the extra "W" in its abbreviation.

The sandwich was featured on the PBS special Sandwiches That You Will Like.

[edit] History

It is believed[who?] William Wahr, a German baker, brought the kummelweck to Buffalo from the Black Forest[citation needed]. German immigrants had already made the city a center of brewing.

[edit] External links