The Muffuletta sandwich is a New Orleans classic made with round-seeded Sicilian bread, olive salad, salami, ham, and provolone cheese. It originated in the Central Grocery deli in 1906 and is still popular today in New Orleans.
The Muffuletta sandwich is one of the quintessential New Orleans foods, even though people outside the region may not be familiar with it. It reflects the immensely diverse culture of New Orleans and is rarely found anywhere else except in communities with large groups of former Louisiana residents. In New Orleans itself, many sandwich shops offer Muffulette or “Muff,” and for people who don’t have access to the sandwich, it can even be made in-house.
Several things distinguish a Muffuletta sandwich. The first is bread. Sandwiches are always made with Muffuletta bread, a round-seeded Sicilian bread that is split in half horizontally to make the sandwich. Because the sandwiches are substantial, a single Muffuletta sandwich is often enough to feed several people, and some stores actually sell the sandwiches in halves or quarters for one person to consume.
The second important feature of a Muffuletta sandwich is the olive salad, which is believed to be one of the most crucial ingredients in the sandwich filling. Olive salad typically includes a mix of olives and herbs, finely chopped and marinated. Pimientos, celery, green olives, capers, garlic, cocktail onions, parsley, salt, pepper, oregano, oil and vinegar are commonly included in the olive salad, which is spread out in a thick layer in the sandwich.
In addition to the salad, a Muffuletta sandwich also includes salami, ham and provolone cheese. These cold cuts build layers of flavor in the finished sandwich and pack some serious punch. Genoese salami is often used, for a spicy and savory flavour. The sandwich can be served as is or further topped with mustard so it packs an extra punch. Coarse-ground hot mustard is the best choice for this, although more mild mustard can be used in a pinch.
The origins of the Muffuletta sandwich appear to lie in the Central Grocery deli, a store founded by Salvatore Lupa in 1906. Many Italian residents of New Orleans stopped by the grocery store for ingredients, and Lupa noted that many of them picked up the bread, meat and salad of olives for lunch. By 1910, he had combined the ingredients to create the Muffuletta sandwich, and it became an instant hit. The round sandwich continues to be made at Central Grocery today, as well as numerous other lunch counters and sandwich shops around New Orleans.
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