What were the sandwiches called before they sandwiches?

There wasn't really a specific name for sandwiches before they were called sandwiches. The concept of putting food between two pieces of bread has existed for centuries, but different cultures had their own ways of preparing and calling them.

Here are some examples:

* Ancient Rome: Romans ate "off-the-bread" meals, which were similar to sandwiches.

* Medieval Europe: People ate "tartines" which were slices of bread topped with various ingredients.

* 18th Century England: The "hot buttered toast with anchovies" was a popular snack and could be considered a precursor to the sandwich.

The term "sandwich" itself emerged in the 18th century, named after John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, who was said to prefer eating meat between two slices of bread so he didn't have to leave the card table.

So, while there wasn't a single universal name before "sandwich", people consumed similar food items under various names depending on the region and time period.