Muffuletta

Muffuletta or muffaletta is a type of round Sicilian sesame bread,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> as well as a popular sandwich, created by a Sicilian immigrant to the United States, that was popularized in the city of New Orleans.

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'.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Another theory suggests a possible French origin, considering that the word "mou" in French means "soft," referring to the tender and spongy texture of the bread. An alternative hypothesis points to a Saxon origin, due to the similarity with the English word "muffin," which refers to a small cake or bun, also known for its soft consistency. 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: Template:Div col

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• muffulettu<ref name="Usi e costumi, credenze e pregiudizi del popolo siciliano"/><ref name="Dizionario tascabile familiare siciliano-italiano"/><ref name="Vocabolario siciliano etimologico, italiano e latino, Volumes 4-5">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Nuovo dizionario siciliano-italiano, Volume 2">Template:Cite book</ref>
• muffuletu<ref name="Introduzione allo studio del dialetto siciliano"/>
• muffulitteḍḍu<ref name="Lessico etimologico italiano: LEI, Volume 6, Part 1"/>
• muffulittuni<ref name="Lessico etimologico italiano: LEI, Volume 6, Part 1"/>
• mufuletta<ref name="Lessico etimologico italiano: LEI, Volume 6, Part 1"/>

The muffuletta is somewhat similar to the pan bagnat sandwich of Nice, France.<ref name="Hertzberg Franรงois Gross 2013">Template:Cite book</ref>

History

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="Roma">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The traditional-style muffuletta sandwich consists of a muffuletta loaf<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> split horizontally and covered with layers of marinated muffuletta-style olive salad,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> salami, ham, Swiss cheese, provolone, and mortadella.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Quarter, half, and full-sized muffulettas are sold.<ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.Template:Citation needed Celery, cauliflower, and carrots are commonly found in the pickled form known as giardiniera.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Capers and lemon juice may also be included.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It is commercially produced for restaurants and for retail sale.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Muffuletta is usually served cold, but many vendors will toast it.<ref name="auto"/>

See also

• List of American sandwiches

External links

• Central Grocery Co. — Home of the American-style muffuletta sandwich.
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