The birth of the sandwichón: A Yucatan party tradition
It’s not really a sandwich, not really a cake. Few stories capture the spirit of culinary innovation quite like that of the sandwichón, a beloved party staple that emerged from the creative mind of a baker-turned-troubadour in the Yucatán Peninsula.
The tale begins with Petronilo Vázquez Madera (1900-1970), a visionary baker born in the small pueblo of Cansahcab. Like many great culinary stories, his journey started with a bold decision: as a young boy, he left behind his family’s henequen fields, setting out on a two-day trek that would ultimately make history.
Exhausted and hungry, young Petronilo arrived in the town of Motul, where he humbly sought work at a local bakery. His worried mother, after an extensive search, found him there and guided him toward greater opportunities in Mérida. Little did she know that this maternal intervention would lead to a flourishing chain of bakeries and the creation of two iconic Mexican party foods: the sandwichón and arrolladitos.
Petronilo’s entrepreneurial journey began with La Argentina on Calle 60 before he established La Flor de la 59 in the then-prosperous Mejorada neighborhood. But it was in the 1940s, when he acquired the historic Mercedes bakery in the San Cristóbal district—later renamed La Reina—that culinary magic truly happened.
His first stroke of genius was deceptively simple: selling trimmed sliced of bread, which captured the hearts of Yucatecán crust-haters. However, his true masterpiece emerged in 1956, when inspiration struck. Using a cold cuts slicer, Petronilo began cutting bread loaves lengthwise rather than in traditional squares. He spread these long strips with mayonnaise and ground meat, rolled them up, chilled them, and sliced them into delicate rounds. This innovation gave birth to the arrolladitos, delightful spiral sandwiches — resembling roll-ups in the U.S. — that would become inseparable from Mexican celebrations.
By the 1970s, after his death, the sandwichón caught on with anyone serving a crowd.
Today, the sandwichón and arrolladitos remain essential features at any Yucatecan gathering, a testament to how one baker’s creativity transformed simple ingredients into beloved cultural icons. While various versions of these dishes exist today, they all trace their roots back to that small bakery where a young dreamer dared to reimagine the humble sandwich.
Petronilo’s legacy lives on not just in the countless party platters across Mexico, but in the enduring spirit of culinary innovation he embodied — proving that sometimes the most beloved traditions begin with a simple slice of bread and an abundance of imagination.
Some supermarkets sell sandwichónes out in the open, where shoppers can slice off what they want and pay by the gram. If that doesn’t appeal to you, here’s how to make your own.
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The Ultimate Yucatecan Sandwichón
A layered party sandwich cake that serves 12-15
For the layers:
- 16 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, crusts removed
- 8 oz turkey breast, finely diced
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, minced
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- ½ cup pimento-stuffed olives, chopped
- 8 oz cooked chicken breast, shredded
- ½ cup roasted red peppers, patted dry and diced
For the binding mixture:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and fresh ground pepper
For the frosting:
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- Salt and white pepper to taste
For garnish:
- Fresh herbs (parsley, dill, or chives)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Sliced olives
- Additional cheese for decorative elements
INSTRUCTIONS
- PREPARE FILLINGS (30 mins)
- Make four distinct fillings by combining:
- Layer 1: Turkey + cheese with ¼ of binding mixture
- Layer 2: Celery + eggs + olives + green onions with ¼ of binding mixture
- Layer 3: Chicken + green peppers with ¼ of binding mixture
- Layer 4: Roasted red peppers with remaining binding mixture
- ASSEMBLE (15 mins)
- Arrange 4 bread slices in a square on serving platter
- Spread each filling layer evenly, topping with bread between layers
- Press gently after each layer
- Chill for 30 minutes before frosting
- FROST & DECORATE (15 mins)
- Whip cream cheese and sour cream until smooth
- Cover entire sandwich cake with frosting
- Decorate with herbs, vegetables, and cheese cutouts
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving
TIPS:
- All ingredients should be finely chopped for easy spreading
- Pat wet ingredients dry to prevent sogginess
- Keep refrigerated until serving
- Can be made one day ahead
- Slice with a sharp knife dipped in hot water

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