When you close your eyes and think “sandwich,” what image pops to mind?

For those of us raised on American staples like peanut butter and jelly, egg salad, ham and cheese, or the basic BLT, the picture is that of thin-sliced meats, vegetables, and some sort of sauce or spread, all stacked between two slices of bread.

It’s a terrific template. Provided the bread you choose doesn’t buckle under the weight of whatever’s in the middle, the sandwich is a perfect compact, portable little meal that’s neat-to-eat and, quite often, nutritionally complete.

What’s more, the basic formula is one that can be liberally altered, doctored, modified, manipulated, ripped apart, and reassembled to produce marvelously inventive variations. This is why the sandwich has been reengineered to create wraps, submarines, calzones, pita pockets, empanadas, crêpes, panini, tortas, tacos, burritos, and other universally loved forms.

And though that list—and the dozens of other entries we could add—might make it seem as though there isn’t much left for a menu developer to do with the sandwich, nothing could be further from the truth. For proof, consider how a simple change of carrier can open up a world of possibilities.

Make More Dough

In years gone by, Americans’ starch options were more or less limited to white, wheat, rye, pumpernickel, or sourdough breads. These days, though, our palette is as varied as the world is round: flatbreads, phyllo, rice cakes, corn and flour tortillas, cornmeal arepas from South America, and steamed bao buns from China are among the most popular alternatives in widespread or growing use today.

But keep combing the global culinary landscape and you’ll find other, equally intriguing options. Dosas, for instance, are South Indian rice-and-lentil flour pancakes that rank among the tastiest carriers making waves on these shores here, according to a recent Culinary Trend Mapping report we at the Center for Culinary Development produced for Packaged Facts in 2007. Often dipped in various chutneys and filled with meats, vegetables, and sauces, dosas are novel enough to make waves, yet approachable enough to avoid alienating most consumers. In the same vein, we might one day see some enterprising chain deploying Ethiopian injera—a tangy, sponge-like bread made from the country’s native teff grain—as a wrap, given the way it soaks up the pleasing flavor of anything it contains.

And we shouldn’t stop there: If it’s a grain, it can probably be turned into flour with tasty and often healthy results. While wheat flour remains by far the most common staple of our starch arsenal, many bread mavens are equally adept at creating delicious carriers from cornmeal or potato flour to high-protein ancestral grains such as quinoa or amaranth. It’s worth noting that the rising incidence of wheat gluten allergies among U.S. consumers actually makes these sorts of flours preferable in many instances.

Buns to Cones to Crêpes

Armed with some new carriers, quick-serve chains could serve up equally novel sandwiches capable of generating serious buzz among hardcore users and new customers alike. Given the fast-growing appeal of the Indian dosa, for instance, it isn’t hard to imagine the likes of Quiznos offering up its own versions of these distinctive crêpes, perhaps wrapped around teriyaki chicken and Asian cole slaw or barbecued pork and American-style slaw.

The realm of steamed Chinese bao-style buns could also prove to be fertile ground for enterprising menu-development pros. Compared with their baked counterparts, steamed breads are moister and chewier, and the lack of caramelization from baking permits the flavors of the fillings that are folded into them to take center stage. So a bao stuffed with, say, curried chicken, sautéed beef and broccoli, or seasoned grilled vegetables is likely to offer a texture and flavor experience that’s unlike any sandwich available at a typical quick-serve.

Other new sandwich inspirations can be found much closer to home, in surprisingly familiar shapes and sizes. For example, chefs in San Francisco and other locales have been experimenting with different approaches to crispy cones similar to ice cream cones. Though the concept is still novel, the idea of loading up a crunchy, savory cone with meats, cheeses, and veggies isn’t too exotic, and the resulting products could well prove eye-catching, mouthwatering, and exceptionally portable.

When it comes to sandwich innovation, menu developers traditionally have focused more on the guts of the product than on the carrier that gives it its essential form, shape, and style. But now that Americans have grown more accustomed to fresh, flavorful, creative carriers that do far more than just keep the sandwich’s contents off their hands, quick-serves can spread their wings a bit and, as Taco Bell says, think outside the bun.

Talk Back!

As I begin my third year of writing about culinary trends with implications for the quick-serve industry, I’m curious to know: What about the column is working for you? Where do you see room for improvement? Are the topics addressed here relevant and interesting for your business, or are there areas I should cover more thoroughly or frequently? As always, I’m interested in your feedback.