Muffuletta

The muffuletta is both a type of round Sicilian sesame bread[1] and a popular sandwich that originated among Italian immigrants in New Orleans, Louisiana, using the same bread.

This article is about the Sicilian bread and the sandwich made from it. For the Passover crepe, see mofletta.
Muffuletta
From top left, clockwise: muffuletta cross section, muffuletta in wrappers, muffuletta-style olive salad, circular muffuletta loaves
CourseMain course
Place of originItaly (bread)
United States (sandwich)
Region or stateSicily
New Orleans
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

History

The muffuletta bread has origins in Sicily,[2] most commonly eaten on All Souls' Day.[3]

The muffuletta sandwich is said to be created in 1906 at Central Grocery Co. on Decatur Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., by its delicatessen owner Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian immigrant.[4][5] 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.[6]

The traditional-style muffuletta sandwich consists of a muffuletta loaf[7] split horizontally and covered with layers of marinated muffuletta-style olive salad,[8] salami, ham, Swiss cheese, provolone, and mortadella.[9] Quarter, half, and full-sized muffulettas are sold.[10][11]

The signature olive salad consists of olives diced with the celery, cauliflower and carrot found in a jar of giardiniera, seasoned with oregano and garlic, covered in olive oil, and allowed to combine for at least 24 hours.[12]

A muffuletta is usually served cold, but many vendors will toast it.[10]

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,".[13][14] 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:

See also

References
  1. Lempert, Phil (September 17, 2007). "Is the best sandwich in America the muffaletta?". Today. MSNBC. Archived from the original on November 9, 2007. Retrieved 2010-05-10. The secret ingredient, besides the special recipe for the sesame bread, is Central Grocery’s homemade olive spread.
  2. "An Inman Square Gem Will Serve Gigantic Sandwiches at Fenway's New Food Hall". boston.eater.com. June 26, 2019.
  3. Barreca, Francesca (21 January 2010). "L'originale muffuletta". The Fooders (in Italian).
  4. Orchant, Rebecca (12 February 2013). "The Muffuletta: New Orleans' Original Italian Sandwich". Food & Drink. Huffington Post. Oath Inc.
  5. "1906: The muffuletta is created in New Orleans". Times-Picayune. NOLA Media Group. 10 October 2011. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011.
  6. "Our History". perroneandsons.com.
  7. "Leidenheimer Baking Company". www.leidenheimer.com.
  8. "Looking for a summer snack? Try these two spreads: pimento cheese and muffuletta-style olive salad". tampabay.com. July 8, 2019.
  9. "Best Muffulettas in the French Quarter and Nearby". FrenchQuarter.com.
  10. Squires, Kathleen (21 April 2016). "The 5 Best Muffuletta Sandwiches in New Orleans" – via www.wsj.com.
  11. "Muffuletta". Williams Sonoma.
  12. "Olive Salad". Williams Sonoma.
  13. Ayto, John (October 18, 2012). "The Diner's Dictionary: Word Origins of Food and Drink". OUP Oxford – via Google Books.
  14. Soukhanov, Anne H. (June 10, 2010). "The American Heritage Dictionary of the English language, 3rd Ed, Auto-Graphic, Inc,: Dictionary of English Language". Bukupedia – via Google Books.
  15. Avolio, Corrado (1882). Introduzione allo studio del dialetto siciliano: tentativo d'applicazione del metodo storico-comparativo (in Italian). Uff. Tip. di Fr. Zammit. p. 59 – via Google Books.
  16. Pfister, Max (1997). Lessico etimologico italiano (in Italian). 6.1. Reichert. p. 441. ISBN 978-3-89500-019-5 – via Google Books.
  17. Biblioteca del Centro di studi filologici e linguistici siciliani: Issues 1–4 (in Italian). 1977. p. 28 – via Google Books.
  18. Pitrè, Giuseppe (1889). Usi e costumi, credenze e pregiudizi del popolo siciliano (in Italian). 17. L. P. Lauriel di C. Clausen. p. 360 – via Google Books.
  19. Ciccarelli, Diego; Valenza, Marisa Dora, eds. (2006). La Sicilia e l'Immacolata: non solo 150 anni. Collana Franciscana (in Italian). 15. Officina di Studi Medievali. p. 39. ISBN 978-88-88615-96-7 – via Google Books.
  20. Dizionario tascabile familiare siciliano-italiano (in Italian). 1. Palermo: Stamperia Spampinato. 1840. p. 66 – via Google Books.
  21. Pasqualino, Michele (1790). Vocabolario siciliano etimologico, italiano e latino (in Italian). 4–5. Reale Stamperia. p. 26 – via Google Books.
  22. Mortillaro, Vincenzo, ed. (1844). Nuovo dizionario siciliano-italiano (in Italian). 2. Tip. del Giornale letterario. p. 75 – via Google Books.
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