Is There Actually A Difference Between A Sub And A Hoagie?

No matter what you call them, hoagies and subs are delicious — but is there actually a difference between them? The accepted moniker largely depends on what part of the country you're in when you're ordering your sandwich. As a born-and-raised eastern Pennsylvanian, I call every long-ish sandwich a hoagie — but the rest of the state (and the rest of the country, for that matter) doesn't seem to agree with me. I took some time to scour the internet to learn whether there's actually a difference between a sub and a hoagie (it turns out, these aren't even the only two options — sub sandwiches are referred to by a ton of different names).

For some people, a sub and a hoagie are the same thing — a long sandwich filled with, well, whatever you're in the mood for. Others say, however, that there's a stark difference between the two. For those who don't believe the terms are one in the same, the difference lies in the bread. A hoagie, traditionally, is served on a tougher, Italian-style roll that's cut from end to end (almost all the way through, but not quite), while a sub is served on softer bread that's sliced horizontally (similar to the old-school Subway cut — it's still a smart ordering hack to fit way more toppings on your sub), creating a top and bottom piece of bread (they're both solid ways to build your sandwich so the fillings don't fall out). Still others say that the fillings also separate the two sandwiches — hoagies are typically served cold and loaded with cold cuts, fresh veggies, and a heavy helping of oil and vinegar. The term sub is a bit more versatile. Subs can be hot or cold, with a variety of fillings.

The term hoagie is heavily used in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, but not so much in the rest of the country. Like many long-standing culinary terms, there's some debate as to exactly how certain sandwiches came to be called hoagies. It seems highly likely that the term originated in Philadelphia. Some say that the sandwich gained its name after it grew in popularity among Italian-American workers at South Philly's Hog Island shipyard in the early years of the 20th century — it may have first been known as a hog island sandwich, which, over time, came to be known as a hoagie. Others say that musician-turned-sandwich-shop-owner Al DePalma coined the term in the '30s. He saw a friend eating a gigantic sandwich that he thought only a hog could finish, according to legend, and decided to call the sandwiches in his shop hoggies — the term supposedly evolved into hoagie over time. 

There's less debate on how the term sub came to be, with many agreeing that New Jersey grocery store owner Dominic Conti likely coined the term after noticing that the sandwiches he sold looked like the underwater vessels. While hoagies and subs may not be exactly the same thing, depending on who you ask, they're both delicious, filling, and offer similar tastes. If you're in a sandwich shop, you're likely going to get the exact same thing whether you ask for a hoagie or a sub.