This Once-Popular Sandwich Meat Didn't Stand The Test Of Time

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Head to the deli counter, and tasty tubed meats entice in many forms. Most often, customers grab reliable options like mortadella, salami, or smoked turkey (one of the least-processed options) for sandwich construction, without a second thought. Yet, the offerings in this fridge come and go, with some becoming completely phased out over time.

Take the pimento loaf, for example. A now seldom-seen processed meat, this unique sandwich filling is colored with pepper and often pickle specks inside a soft, cured pork-beef base — not too dissimilar to what bologna is made of. The flavor's salty, sweet, and tangy, oftentimes with a dose of spices like paprika, onion, and mustard powder. Subsequently, the cured cut's a great candidate for a sandwich filling, oftentimes paired with cheese and served with pickles on the side.

The foodstuff undoubtedly harkens back to the previous century, but precisely when this variety left the spotlight is unknown. Most likely, the foodstuff started to fall alongside bologna in the 1980s, when the fat and sodium content troubled consumers — though some on Reddit posit that COVID was the final nail in the coffin. Today, a few manufacturers still craft the meat — you can even purchase the Field Brand online — but it's no longer a deli counter staple. So next time you're shopping for sandwiches, look out for the meat to try a bite from the past.

Among contemporary essential cured meats, the inclusion of pickles and peppers certainly stands out. However, such a uniquely flavored loaf composition belongs to a broader array of cured loaf recipes, which delighted diners decades past. There's the olive loaf, which trades the pickles and dots the meat with green olives instead. Extra salty and briney, this cured cut bears more semblance to Italian bologna – although the meat composition is still typically a baloney-like pork-beef medley.

Other options in the category lean more on aromatics rather than fillings for their flavor. The Dutch loaf employs a trusty combo of spices and onions, and then is smoked for added dimension. For a sweeter alternative, preparations like the honey loaf add a gentler edge. And on the even more obscure side, you can also get a loaf studded with macaroni and cheese. Bell peppers are still present here — they're the common thread of many loaf recipes — but you won't often see cheddar and noodles for sale inside the deli counter.