Hoagie History Built From Shipyards: Phun Philly Phacts

PHILADELPHIA, PA — It's the official sandwich of Philadelphia.

And with National Hoagie Day on Monday, we take a look back at how the hoagie came about and became the culinary sensation in the Philadelphia region, celebrated by Wawa's summer ode to the sandwich and a music group that dedicated a festival to it each year.

The hoagie is a cold-cut sandwich filled with toppings that is believed to have originated in the Philadelphia area during World War I, specifically around the Hog Island shipyard, according to several sources on the Internet.

Italian immigrants working at the shipyard reportedly started making sandwiches that would later become known as "hoagies."

These workers, often from South Philadelphia, are said to have brought their lunches, including sandwiches with meats, cheeses, and vegetables, to the shipyard.

The sandwiches, which were initially referred to as "Hog Island sandwiches" or "hoggies," became popular among the workers and other shipyard employees.

The name "hoggies" is thought to have eventually evolved into "hoagies," potentially due to a change in pronunciation or a reference to the large size of the sandwiches.

In 1992, the hoagie was officially declared the official sandwich of Philadelphia.

Click here to learn more about the hoagie's history and theories surrounding its creation.

While Philadelphia has the hoagie, similar sandwiches have different names along the East Coast.

For example, New England calls the sandwiches Grinders. In New York, they are Heros. And New Jersey calls them Subs because they look like submarines.

But the variations do differ in terms of bread type, fillings, and preparation methods.