Happy birthday, Reuben!

As with any iconic food, the origins of the reuben sandwich are a bit fuzzy. Legend has it that the combination of Irish corned beef, Jewish rye, German sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing was created in 1914 at the long-shuttered Reuben’s Delicatessen in Manhattan. That makes the sandwich an even 100 years old.

“There’s lots of evidence that the sandwich was invented by Arnold Reuben,” says Francine Segan, a food historian and author who dismisses claims that the sandwich was invented in Omaha, Nebraska. Another contested topic is how to prepare the sandwich. Some opt for toasted bread, others argue that the sandwich must be griddled. And then there are the versions with pastrami and even turkey, although that sandwich is often called a Rachael. If you know this history of that name, let us know. The sandwich is so well-loved that it’s spawned reuben dips, spreads, meatloaf and even salad. We’ll skip those for now and go straight to these classic reuben recipes from the EYB Library: