FOOD NEWS
Po'boy Vs Muffuletta: What's The Difference Between Sandwiches?
BY AUSTIN HAVENS-BOWEN
New Orleans is home to both po’boy and muffuletta sandwiches, but aside from their hometown, the two iconic sandwiches don’t have much in common.
Most po'boys consist of fried shrimp on crusty, hoagie-style bread, while muffuletta sandwiches are made of Italian cold cuts and cheese on flat, sesame-crusted bread.
Po'boys originally consisted of leftover roast beef, potatoes, and gravy. They were created in the 1920s to feed striking workers; some speculate the name derives from "poor boys."
While roast beef versions exist, modern po'boys often include fried, breaded seafood like shrimp, crab, fish, or oysters, with tomato, lettuce, pickles, mayo, and hot sauce.
Muffulettas were created by a Sicilian immigrant in the early 1900s by combining many different Italian cold cuts like salami, ham, and mortadella with provolone and olive salad.
Olive salad is similar to giardiniera, but it’s made up of cauliflower, carrots, peppers, and Kalamata olives, all chopped up and mixed with olive oil and red wine vinegar.
The sandwich comes on sesame-crusted bread and often has little variation other than serving it cold or hot or swapping Swiss cheese instead of Provolone.