muffuletta — United States

A muffuletta is a large, round sandwich built on a loaf of sesame-crusted bread and layered with Italian cold cuts such as mortadella, salami, and ham, along with slices of provolone cheese. What sets it apart from a typical cold-cut sandwich is a generous layer of chopped olive salad spread on both cut sides of the bread. The sandwich is closely associated with New Orleans, where it was popularized after being brought over by Sicilian immigrants and is now sold whole or by the quarter in delis and grocery counters across the city, often as a shared meal cut into wedges. To prepare it, the round loaf is split horizontally, and both cut sides are brushed generously with the oil from the olive salad, which is made by chopping green and black olives with celery, garlic, capers, and herbs in olive oil. The cold cuts and cheese are layered on the bottom half, topped with a thick spoonful of the olive salad, and the loaf is closed, wrapped tightly, and pressed under a weight for at least an hour so the flavors and oil work into the bread before it is sliced into wedges. The mix of cold cuts and the proportion of olive salad vary somewhat between delis, and the length of the pressing and resting time also changes the result, with a longer rest giving a softer, more thoroughly soaked bread and a shorter one keeping more contrast between the crisp crust and the moist filling.