Is the liverwurst and marmalade sandwich from ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 2 as good as it sounds?

The following contains spoilers for the finale of Only Murders in the Building Season 2.

Now that Only Murders in the Building Season 2 has ended, it’s time to talk about the season’s most disturbing moment.

No, I’m not talking about the tragic murder of Bunny (Jayne Houdyshell). I’m talking about the moment when podcast assistant Poppy White (Adina Verson) orders a liverwurst and marmalade sandwich at the Pickle Diner.

Hapless podcasters/amateur sleuths, Charles (Steve Martin) and Oliver (Martin Short), are disgusted by the combination, prompting waiter Ivan (Ariel Shafir) to explain it is the owner’s sister’s favorite sandwich.

The late Bunny didn’t care about the sentimental connection. She called it “freak food.”

“Freak food” or not, this is no ordinary sandwich. It’s a sandwich that helps catch a killer!

Bunny’s last words were the clue that ultimately identifies her murderer. Mabel (Selena Gomez) thought she had said, “14 Savage,” but actually it turned out to be “14 sandwich.” Poppy’s go-to sandwich, that liverwurst and marmalade monstrosity, is sandwich number 14 on the Pickle Diner menu. Consider the dots connected and the only murderer in the building caught!

Since this sandwich proved to so pivotal in Only Murders in the Building, I figured I had to try it.

Maybe Poppy and the Pickle Diner owner’s sister were onto something. After all, wholesome king, Paddington Bear, loves marmalade sandwiches. How bad could the addition of liverwurst be? Is the combination of marmalade and liverwurst unfairly maligned by our Only Murders heroes? Or is it a sandwich only a killer could love?

Making the liverwurst and marmalade sandwich

Could this be a case of “don’t knock it ’til you try it”?
Credit: Screenshot: Hulu

First up in making the sandwich: Figuring out the ingredients. Obviously, liverwurst and marmalade are key. But what of the bread? And were there other fixings?

For this, I turned to the Pickle Diner menu, which we glimpse briefly in the finale. The #14 sandwich is simply described as:

“Liverwurst & Marmalade — A favorite in our family, but an acquired taste for sure! So… officially unofficially on the menu!”

While that description didn’t tell me anything new, the panel next to it, titled “Sandwiches,” gave a helpful hint. The Pickle Diner’s sandwiches come on white bread, whole wheat, or sourdough. I decided to go with sourdough and limit the filling solely to liverwurst and marmalade. It wouldn’t do to ruin the integrity of the sandwich with ingredients that weren’t specified in the show.

A culinary crime in the making.
Credit: Belen Edwards/Mashable

With the ingredients procured, I set about making the sandwich. I was apprehensive: When I’d ordered the liverwurst at a deli, the man behind me in line laughed and said, “I haven’t had that in a long time.” I replied, “Would you believe that this is for work?”

Inside, however, I was panicking. Had he not eaten liverwurst in a long time because he did not enjoy the taste? What was I, a liverwurst newbie, getting myself into?

Then I thought, if Charles, Oliver, and Mabel can solve multiple murders, you can face the #14 sandwich. So I squashed my doubts, slathered the sourdough with marmalade, heaped it high with liverwurst, and chowed down.

Eating Poppy’s liverwurst and marmalade sandwich

I may have gone overboard with the liverwurst.
Credit: Belen Edwards/Mashable

In the beginning, I didn’t mind the combination of liverwurst and marmalade. There was a brief moment when I thought my sandwich tastes would align with Poppy’s. The sweetness of the marmalade combined decently with the salty meatiness of the liverwurst.

That moment of “hmmm, not bad,” passed quickly.

The marmalade’s sweetness faded, and I was left only with liverwurst. That was when I discovered that I do not, in fact, enjoy liverwurst. It was far too salty, slightly slimy, and overall off-putting. It didn’t help that I’d piled a ton on the sandwich because I assumed that’s what any self-respecting diner cook would do. After that first bite (as well as a second to confirm my initial reaction), I had to step away from it.

Perhaps there is a secret to the Pickle Diner liverwurst and marmalade sandwich that makes it work. Maybe I used the wrong bread, or the wrong ratio of meat to spread, or maybe I’m just garbage at making sandwiches. For now, I must agree with the Pickle Diner in that this particular sandwich is an “acquired taste.” And I don’t think it’s one that I, or many others, will ever acquire.

All episodes of Only Murders in the Building Season 2 are now streaming on Hulu.