A German Original

• Pumpernickel originated in the inland German province of Westphalia and originally took many hours of boiling, baking and steaming to produce. Today's American version combines rye and wheat flours to give the bread more structure and adds molasses for sweetness and coffee granules or cocoa powder for brown color.

The Classic Reuben

• While its recipe may have been modernized, pumpernickel has retained its affinity for traditional European-style sandwiches. A delicatessen classic, the Reuben sandwich, often is built with pumpernickel bread stuffed with corned beef, sauerkraut, Russian dressing and Swiss cheese. Although many Reubens are served broiled and open-faced, this technique can dry out the meat. A moister, tastier option is to grill a Reuben under a weight, similar to a Panini, only until the bread toasts and the meat and cheese warm together.

Pork and Pumpernickel

• Pumpernickel also pairs well with pork. One version begins with roasting a 2-pound pork loin crusted with 1 tablespoon each of cumin seeds, mustard seeds and coriander seeds, all coarsely ground. To serve four people, eight slices of pumpernickel are dressed on one side with apple butter and on the other with coarse-ground mustard before adding thinly cut pork slices.

Smoked Salmon or Chicken Salad

• The dark brown rye has even made its way into cuisines from the lands of the Vikings. Various fish from northern waters, such as salmon, tuna and sardines, work well on pumpernickel. A popular Scandinavian sandwich pairs pumpernickel with smoked salmon and creative toppings including hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, lettuce and even capers. If fish isn't your dish, pumpernickel also makes a tasty, eye-appealing base for a chicken salad sandwich. A classic chicken salad combines shredded white meat with finely chopped onion and celery, seasoned with salt and pepper and mixed with only enough mayonnaise to hold the salad together.

Peppery Pastrami

• No guide to pumpernickel sandwiches would be complete without a perennial favorite, pastrami. Like corned beef from Germany, peppery pastrami was developed by Hungarians as a way to preserve meat. Classic recipes dress pastrami with mustard and kosher dill pickle, but there's really no limit except the cook's creativity to making a pumpernickel sandwich.