The Italian-American sandwich from New Orleans made with a round sesame bread is the muffuletta.
The sandwich takes its name from the round Sicilian-style loaf used to make it. Its defining filling is a marinated olive salad layered with cured meats and cheeses, commonly including salami, ham, mortadella, Swiss, and provolone.
The New Orleans sandwich is traditionally credited to Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian immigrant and delicatessen owner at Central Grocery, around 1906. The shop stood near the French Market, where Sicilian immigrants and other workers wanted a portable meal that combined familiar ingredients.
Muffuletta is also spelled “muffaletta,” and the word can refer to either the bread or the completed sandwich. It is not a po’ boy: that New Orleans staple is usually served on long French bread and often contains roast beef or fried seafood. Muffulettas are commonly served cold, though some restaurants warm or toast them.