Owen Hung knows a thing or two about sandwiches.
The Los Angeles-based TikTok creator, nicknamed the “Sandwich King,” has amassed millions of followers and is the author of a new cookbook titled Stacked: The Art of the Perfect Sandwich.
Speaking to FOX News Digital via Zoom from his New York City hotel room, Han revealed the secrets behind his wildly successful TikTok account and offered some interesting tips for making the best sandwich.
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Mr. Han wasn't looking for a career in sandwich making, he said.
“It just happened,” he said. “I've always loved sandwiches.”
In “Stacked: The Art of the Perfect Sandwich,” Owen Hung has recipes for every occasion and skill level, he told FOX News Digital. On the left is the “Frozen Fruity Sorbet Bar” and on the right is the “Not-So-Classic Cheesesteak.” (Ren Fuller)
Sandwiches are his “ultimate comfort food,” he says.
After some encouragement from her roommate, Han said she started posting sandwich content on TikTok. He quickly achieved success.
The first meal he photographed was the creation of a “Chicken Bacon Avocado Sandwich” which he had no intention of making. It was based on the materials he happened to have on hand.
“This was my first video to surpass 1 million views,” he said. “I think that’s why it resonated with people.”
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After experiencing viral success, Han decided to try again with another video. This time it's a steak sandwich.
The video “absolutely took off,” he said, with more than 10 million views.
“People immediately called me 'the sandwich guy,'” Han said.
Han told FOX News Digital that she quickly found success on TikTok by posting videos of her sandwiches. (Ren Fuller, Brendan North)
Eventually, people asked Han to write a sandwich cookbook, but Han said it wasn't what he had in mind when he first posted his chicken bacon avocado sandwich on TikTok.
“Stacked” includes sandwich recipes for every occasion and every skill level, from complete beginners to seasoned pros in the kitchen, he said.
There's also a section for dessert sandwiches, which “gave me a sweet tooth.''
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Although he's known as the “Sandwich King” on TikTok, Han said he's not a “sandwich purist.”
He told Fox News Digital that his definition of “sandwich” is “very vague.”
“If the ingredients are stackable and sandwiched between carbohydrate sources, which of course includes cookies, tortillas, wraps, and bread, but can be eaten with your hands and, in some cases, with a fork and knife. , literally, in my book, it's a sandwich,” he said.
Han's definition of “sandwich” may anger purists. He defines sandwiches as fillings that can be stacked between carbohydrates. This also includes cookies. (Ren Fuller)
This includes not only tacos and bao, but also hot dogs and burritos.
“I'm sure I'll get some comments here and there [from people who say]”It's not a sandwich,” he said.
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“By the way, what actually is a sandwich?”
His “frozen fruity sorbet bar” is also a sandwich by his standards.
Here are some things you need to know from sandwich makers.
3 delicious tips from the “King of Sandwiches”
1. Get delicious bread
“The most important thing for me is [ingredient] It has to be bread,” Han said, adding that she goes to “multiple bakeries” to find the perfect bread for the sandwich she is making.
“For me, the bread is what makes or breaks a sandwich,” he says. “It's a basic key ingredient.”
Han told Fox News Digital that she swapped ingredients in some of the recipes to suit her personal tastes, such as substituting kimchi for sauerkraut in a Reuben sandwich. (Ren Fuller)
According to Han, changing the type of bread can “up your sandwich game.”
2. Know that the order of ingredients is important
“How to assemble [the sandwich] It's pretty important,” Han said, adding that there's “an entire section in the book” on the subject.
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Paying attention to the order of ingredients “gives the sandwich structural integrity,” he says.
“When you eat a sandwich, you don't want the ingredients to fall out of the sandwich.”
Han told Fox News Digital that quality ingredients are the key to the perfect sandwich. The photo above is the “Frozen Fruity Sherbet Bar.” (Ren Fuller)
When making sandwiches, Han says, be careful not to put wet ingredients on top of the bread to prevent the sandwich from becoming soggy or “overly wet.”
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“Nobody wants that unless they're doing French dip or something,” he said.
3. Don't be afraid to break the rules
Han, who is of Chinese and Italian ancestry, says he likes to mix things up when it comes to sandwich traditions.
“I like to add my own twist. [sandwiches]”So my cookbook features a 'not-so-classic cheesesteak' inspired by my heritage.”
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Han's cheesesteak uses “Chinese-style Beijing beef” and tops the sandwich with mozzarella cheese and pickled Italian peppers.
Han's Korea Reuben features a non-traditional ingredient: kimchi. (Ren Fuller)
In his Korean Reuben sandwich, Han substitutes kimchi for the traditional sauerkraut.
The flavor combination of traditional Reuben and kimchi “goes really well together,” he says.
