What fits between two slices of bread? Depending on who you ask, the answer includes a lot of quirky fillers that could stun the stomachs of those who grew up eating plain-old ham and Swiss sandwiches on rye.

According to food historians, the first recorded sandwiches were supposedly crafted by rabbis in the Middle East, around 1 BC, when they would place chopped nuts, apples and spices between two matzos. The modern sandwich, however, didn’t emerge until 1762 in London, when John Montague, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, demanded that plates of bread, cheese and meat be brought to him while he gambled over card games. Yet in order to keep one hand free, he would clasp the ingredients with his bread and continue playing. Other players caught on; thus giving the “sandwich” its name and placing Montague in the annals of culinary history.

Today, the tastes and whims of world cultures dictate the numerous varieties of sandwiches that exist – from a simple baguette filled with brie, made popular by the French, to the now-famous Cuban gubano, filled with roasted pork, mustard and dill pickles. Yet since the invention of Wonder Bread in 1930, and the subsequent proliferation of artisan bakeries, the art of sandwich making in the United States has progressed down a winding path driven solely by our imaginations.

For David Yoder of Hillcrest, a realtor with Bankers Hill Properties who grew up in Dallas, a quick lunch used to involve mulching bologna through a food processor with onions and relish, and then slapping the mixture between two slices of white bread. “It was a sandwich my mother made when I was a kid,” he recalls somewhat fondly, adding that she made it for him during a recent visit back home. “It’s one of those sense memories for me because I never eat bologna anymore.”

Yoder’s palate over the years has taken to sandwiches that are easier to stomach, particularly when throwing housewarming parties for his clients. For a party last week, he imported a smoked brisket from New Braunfels Smoke House in Texas and served it with sliced bread. “Sandwiches are as good as finger food. They’re easy to make and easy to eat,” he adds.

In the case of domestic partners Brogan Duffy and Des Kelly, who live in University Heights, a simple sandwich clearly defines their dissimilar cultural backgrounds. Duffy, a certified public accountant who grew up in the New York City area, prefers rare roast beef, Russian salad dressing and coleslaw on thin rye bread. “But Des grew up in Scotland and isn’t a fan of rare meat,” says Duffy. “He prefers peanut butter and jelly with a glass of milk.”

But those ever-popular PB&Js, which originated in the meal-ration kits of World War II soldiers, have since taken some bizarre turns. Instead of jelly, people augment the peanut butter with everything from mayonnaise, bananas, chocolate and even pickles.

“I prefer dill pickles in my tuna salad,” says Kelly Terry of Hillcrest, who recalls with a shiver her family members using them on peanut butter sandwiches when growing up in El Cajon.

Scary childhood flashbacks aside, sandwiches have undergone something of a gustatory renaissance over the past decade, making them one of the most desirable meals that are no longer dictated by convenience and budgetary restraints. Below are a few of my favorite picks from today’s gourmet sandwich board.

Crusty buttered bread slices filled with avocado wedges and Swiss cheese.

Baguette filled with a thin layer each of imported herbed ham (from the Ralphs deli), havarti cheese, zesty dill pickles and light mayonnaise.

Combine one-quarter cup of peeled and sliced pears with dash of cinnamon and sugar. Place a slice of Swiss cheese on each side of two toasted bread slices and arrange pears over the cheese. Broil open faced for 5-8 minutes and then combine the slices into sandwich form.

Drizzle olive oil on two pieces of French bread and fill with slices of fresh tomato and onion, plus raw spinach and basil leaves, a half-teaspoon of roasted garlic and a wedge of fresh mozzarella cheese. Grill each side for 5 minutes on skillet over medium heat.