National Spumoni Day is celebrated on August 21 every year to honor the Italian ice cream treat that incorporates cream, fruit, and nuts. On National Spumoni Day (and in general), scooping spumoni is considered bad taste, and it’s vital to slice it. Its origins in Naples have taken it on a lengthy cultural and geographical journey, and it is today more commonly consumed and enjoyed in the United States and Argentina than in Naples. Flavored gelato used to be layered into three layers and then molded into a dessert. The confection is frequently coated with a chocolate coating in addition to candied fruits and nuts.
History of National Spumoni Day
There isn’t much information about who started National Spumoni Day or when it was created. As a result, we decided to concentrate our efforts on figuring out who invented spumoni ice cream and when they did it. That sent us out on a fantastic ice cream adventure that we would never forget.
Spumoni is thought to have originated in Naples, Italy, sometime in the 19th century, according to most food historians. According to a 1979 “Chicago Tribune” article, an “authentic spumoni” recipe was transported to the United States from Nola, Italy in 1905 and became known as Neapolitan ice cream. In Chicago, Salvatore Lezza and his wife Lucia founded a bakery. Three layers of semifreddo were asked for in the original recipe: almond, semisweet chocolate, and stracciatella. Stracciatella is a sort of gelato that contains irregular chunks of chocolate.
The three most well-known flavors of this ice cream are primary chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. This is the type of spumoni that has become increasingly popular in the United States. Throughout Europe, Italian spumoni remained popular, and a variety of flavor combinations grew popular. The pistachio, chocolate, and cherry ice cream is known as spumoni in the United States, whereas the vanilla, chocolate, and berry ice cream is known as Italian ice cream. In the United States, however, most spumoni contain a cherry layer with cherry bits, a pistachio ice cream layer, and a chocolate layer. Hazelnut, vanilla, strawberry, and pineapple are just a handful of the other flavors available.
The best spumoni may be found in Italian neighborhoods like Brooklyn’s Bensonhurst. The most popular spumoni in Brooklyn is served at L&B Spumoni Gardens, one of the stops on our Pizza Tour. Before opening the storefront in 1939, Ludovico Barbati, the L&B in the name, began selling spumoni door to door in Brooklyn in the 1930s from a horse-drawn wagon. Unlike the Italian version, L&B’s is served in Italian ice cups, making it easier to transport. It’s a mix of ice cream and Italian ice.
Serve the spumoni cut to highlight its exquisite layers. It is also regarded as the traditional method of serving the ice cream dish. The ice cream, on the other hand, lends itself to being scooped. When initially encountering spumoni, it appears to be Neapolitan. The two ice creams are nearly identical except for the addition of fruits and nuts. Spumoni had an influence on the Neapolitan in reality. Cakes, biscuits, and other foods were impacted by it as well.
National Spumoni Day timeline
Salvatore Lezza and his wife, Lucia, bring the first original spumoni recipe to the United States from Nola, Italy.
The term is first used to describe an ice cream with layers of diverse colors, flavors, and textures, frequently topped with candied fruits and nuts.
Ludovico Barbati, the L&B in the name, begins selling spumoni door to door around Brooklyn on a horse-drawn wagon.
National Spumoni Day FAQs
What does spumoni mean in Italian?
Spumone (from spuma or ‘foam’), plural spumoni, is a molded gelato (a low-fat Italian ice cream) prepared with layers of various colors and flavors, typically containing candied fruits and nuts.
Which three flavors are in spumoni?
The majority of traditional spumoni available today are created with a mix of cherry, pistachio, and either chocolate or vanilla ice cream.
Is spumoni for Christmas?
In many parts of the United States, spumoni is considered a Christmas time dessert and is usually paired with cookies of some kind.
National Spumoni Day Activities
Join in the festivities online
Follow the hashtag #NationalSpumoniDay to discover a plethora of recipes, histories, and discussions about this wonderful treat. You could even host a Zoom dessert party, with each guest munching on camera and chewing around a delighted smile. You can also include the hashtag in your post if it contains the spumoni you made or the spumoni you bought from the store.
Go to an ice cream parlor
Going to an ice cream parlor and eating a scrumptious spumoni may be one of the nicest things you can do on this day. You should go to the place that serves the best spumoni in town. Of course, you should bring your friends and family so that you may make your celebration truly memorable.
Make one for yourself
You can make your own spumoni if you don't have time to go outside and buy them from an ice cream shop, or if you want to be more creative in celebrating this holiday. It's not difficult to do so. Three kinds of ice cream, candied fruits, almonds, and cherries, and whipped cream are all you'll need. To produce three layers, sandwich whipped cream and other additions between two layers of ice cream. That's how easy they are to make. After that, you can impress your relatives and friends with your magnificent spumoni.
5 Amazing Facts About Spumoni That Will Blow Your Mind
Italian origins
Spumoni is the plural form of spumone, which means ‘foam’ — it was invented in Naples.
Christmas Dessert
Spumoni is a traditional Christmas dessert in many parts of the United States, and it's frequently served with cookies of some sort.
It’s never scooped
Spumoni, unlike ice cream, is always sliced rather than scooped.
The Italian flag is represented
The most popular spumoni flavor is one that depicts the Italian flag (red, white, and green).
It’s popular among Italian immigrants
Spumoni is popular in countries with sizable Italian immigrant communities, such as the United States and Argentina.
Why We Love National Spumoni Day
It Is loaded with vitamins and minerals
Spumoni comprises milk, eggs, fruits, and other ingredients, so when you eat ice cream, your body gets the benefits of vitamin D, vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus, and riboflavin. Aside from that, the various flavors up the nutrient quotient.
It helps boost immunity
No, it's not weird because spumoni can be harmful to your health. Spumoni is a fermented food, and it is believed that fermented foods are good for our respiratory and gastrointestinal health. Immunity will gradually improve if you have a better respiratory system and intestinal health.
It makes you happier
Do you feel depressed or in a poor mood? Grab a spoon and dig into your favorite spumoni flavor, since eating spumoni can make you feel a whole lot better! There's also a physiological explanation: when you eat spumoni, your body produces serotonin, a hormone. Serotonin, also known as the ‘feel-good’ hormone, is responsible for your happiness.
National Spumoni Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | August 21 | Wednesday |
| 2025 | August 21 | Thursday |
| 2026 | August 21 | Friday |
| 2027 | August 21 | Saturday |
| 2028 | August 21 | Monday |
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