Muffuletta

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Muffuletta
Centralcollage.jpg
Clockwise from top left: muffuletta cross section; muffuletta in wrappers; muffuletta-style olive salad; and circular muffuletta loaves
Alternative namesMuffaletta
CourseMain course
Place of origin
  • Italy (bread)
  • United States (sandwich)
Region or state
Main ingredientsBread: wheat flour, water, eggs, olive oil, yeast, salt, sugar
Sandwich: marinated muffuletta-style olive salad, layers of mortadella, salami, Swiss cheese, ham, provolone

The muffuletta or muffaletta is a type of round Sicilian sesame bread, [1] as well as a popular sandwich, created by a Sicilian immigrant to the United States, that was popularized in the city of New Orleans.

Contents

Etymology, pronunciation, and orthography

The name is believed to be a diminutive form of muffe ('mold', 'mushroom'), perhaps due to the round sandwich bread being reminiscent of a mushroom cap; or from muffola, 'muff', 'mitten'. [2] [3] The forms muffoletta and its iterations are modern Italianisms of the original Sicilian. Like many of the foreign-influenced terms found in New Orleans, pronunciation has evolved from a phonetic forebear.

Depending on the specific Sicilian dialect, the item may be spelled:

The muffuletta is somewhat similar to the pan bagnat sandwich of Nice, France. [12]

History

The muffuletta bread has origins in Sicily, Italy. [13]

The muffuletta sandwich is said to have been created in 1906 at Central Grocery Co. on Decatur Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., by its delicatessen owner Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian immigrant. [14] [15] Sicilian immigrant Biaggio Montalbano, who was a delicatessen owner in New Orleans, is credited with invention of the Roma Sandwich, which may have been a forerunner of the muffuletta. [16] Another Italian-style New Orleans delicatessen, Progress Grocery Co., originally opened in 1924 by the Perrone family, claims the origin of the muffuletta is uncertain. [17]

The traditional-style muffuletta sandwich consists of a muffuletta loaf [18] split horizontally and covered with layers of marinated muffuletta-style olive salad, [19] salami, ham, Swiss cheese, provolone, and mortadella. [20] Quarter, half, and full-sized muffulettas are sold. [21] [22]

The signature olive salad is a chopped salad made from green olives, black olives, olive oil, celery, cauliflower, carrots, sweet peppers, onions, capers, parsley, peperoncini , oregano, garlic, vinegar, herbs and spices. It is a "piquant salad" used as a spread. [23] The celery, cauliflower and carrots are commonly found in the pickled form known as giardiniera . [24] Capers and lemon juice may also be included. [25] It is commercially produced for restaurants and for retail sale. [26]

A muffuletta is usually served cold, but many vendors will toast it. [21]

See also

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References

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  2. Ayto, John (October 18, 2012). The Diner's Dictionary: Word Origins of Food and Drink. OUP Oxford. ISBN   9780199640249 via Google Books.
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  13. "An Inman Square Gem Will Serve Gigantic Sandwiches at Fenway's New Food Hall". boston.eater.com. June 26, 2019.
  14. Orchant, Rebecca (12 February 2013). "The Muffuletta: New Orleans' Original Italian Sandwich". Food & Drink. Huffington Post.
  15. "1906: The muffuletta is created in New Orleans". Times-Picayune. NOLA Media Group. 10 October 2011. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011.
  16. "Biaggio Montalbano". myneworleans.com. New Orleans Magazine. March 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  17. "Our History". perroneandsons.com.
  18. "Leidenheimer Baking Company". www.leidenheimer.com.
  19. "Looking for a summer snack? Try these two spreads: pimento cheese and muffuletta-style olive salad". tampabay.com. July 8, 2019.
  20. "Best Muffulettas in the French Quarter and Nearby". FrenchQuarter.com.
  21. 1 2 Squires, Kathleen (21 April 2016). "The 5 Best Muffuletta Sandwiches in New Orleans" via www.wsj.com.
  22. "Muffuletta". Williams Sonoma.
  23. "Olive Salad". Williams-Sonoma . 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023. This piquant salad is an essential ingredient for the classic New Orleans sandwich known as muffuletta.
  24. Zeitz, Alexandra; Deutsch, Jonathan; Fulton, Benjamin (2018). We Eat What? A Cultural Encyclopedia of Unusual Foods in the United States. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN   9781440841125.
  25. Weeks, Kevin D. (December 6, 2022). "Muffaletta Sandwich". The Spruce Eats. New York City . Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  26. Lawrence, Amy; Fox Burks, Justin (May 30, 2020). "Muffuletta Salad". Washington Post . Retrieved October 24, 2023.