Taylor Swift Ham, Egg, And Cheese Has Officially Been Named NJ's State Sandwich
Without a doubt, every Taylor Swift fan wants to be noticed by the singer. Businesses are no different — last year, Shake Shack paired Taylor Swift albums with its menu items. However, the state of New Jersey has taken things to a whole new level by declaring the Taylor Swift ham, egg, and cheese its state sandwich.
On May 25, Governor Phil Murphy announced the sandwich on Twitter, along with a photo of the official proclamation. According to the document, the new sandwich was declared in anticipation of Swift's upcoming concerts at MetLife Stadium over Memorial Day weekend.
Murphy also noted in his announcement that New Jersey typically refers to the sandwich in question as a pork roll, prompting backlash from dozens of pork roll-loving internet users. To be fair, no one likes change, and renaming the sandwich -– even for Taylor Swift -– might have taken things a step too far. Regardless of what you call it (and the proclamation does note that the state "has a Reputation for great debates on whether it is Taylor ham or Pork Roll"), both the sandwich and the meat it's made with remains the same.
What exactly is New Jersey's Taylor Swift sandwich?
New Jersey's state sandwich has many names -– the Taylor Swift ham, egg, and cheese; the Taylor ham (named for a brand, not our beloved singer); the pork roll. Sure, New Jersey's governor may have decided to officially rename the sandwich after Taylor Swift, but it still contains the same core ingredients.
Welcome to New Jersey. We've been waiting for you, @taylorswift13.
In honor of Taylor Swift bringing The Eras Tour to @MetLifeStadium, I am declaring the Taylor Swift Ham, Egg, and Cheese the official state sandwich. pic.twitter.com/ilOSvUVGl6
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) May 25, 2023
As you might guess from the various names, the sandwich contains some sort of processed piggy product, though in an interview with Serious Eats, new Jersey native and "Miss Pork Roll" winner Maggie Kowalski confesses that she's uncertain exactly what part of the pig is used. Either way, the meat of the sandwich has been compared to both Spam and pepperoni.
Once the meat has been grilled, it's slapped on a roll, bagel, croissant, or English muffin with a fried egg and a slice of cheese. All in all, this breakfast sandwich is one of the most iconic New Jersey foods you need to try, and waiting in line to see Taylor Swift seems like a perfect time to do so.