Apparently, August 21st is a busy day.
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And while I could probably come up with something to say about all three of those things, there’s another celebration happening today that caught my attention:
National Spumoni Day.
My first thought was...
What in the world is spumoni?
Seriously. I had no idea.
I’d heard the word before. I vaguely knew it had something to do with ice cream. But if you’d handed me a menu and asked me to explain the difference between spumoni and Neapolitan ice cream, I would have smiled confidently and then immediately changed the subject.
So, naturally, I had to investigate.
So, What Exactly Is Spumoni?
Spumoni is a traditional Italian frozen dessert that originated in southern Italy—most often associated with Naples.
And it turns out it’s a little more interesting than simply putting three flavors of ice cream next to each other.
Traditional spumoni is made with layers of different flavored gelato or ice cream, usually in three colors, with pistachio, cherry, and chocolate being a classic combination. Depending on the recipe, it may also contain chopped nuts, candied fruit, or bits of chocolate.
It's colorful. It's pretty. And, frankly, it sounds delicious.
Which brings us to the obvious question...
Isn't That Just Neapolitan Ice Cream?
Nope!
Although the two are definitely related.
When Italian immigrants brought their frozen-dessert traditions to the United States, spumoni eventually helped inspire the ice cream we know as Neapolitan.
Neapolitan ice cream kept the idea of three flavors side by side but changed them to the now-familiar chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.
It also left out the nuts and fruit typically found in spumoni.
So, in a way, that carton of Neapolitan ice cream we've all seen in the grocery store is spumoni's simpler American cousin.
And now I feel as though I've been eating the descendant of spumoni my entire life without giving its ancestor proper credit.
A Dessert Made for Celebrating
Traditionally, spumoni isn't always scooped into a bowl like regular ice cream. It can be layered into a mold, frozen, and then sliced for serving.
That means when you cut into it, you see those beautiful layers of color.
Which makes it seem especially appropriate for a celebration.
Of course, now that I know what spumoni actually is, I have another problem.
I want some.
And I'm pretty sure I've never seen a carton of spumoni sitting beside the chocolate and vanilla at my local grocery store.
Then again, maybe I've simply never been looking for it.
You can probably guess what I'll be checking the next time I'm wandering through the frozen-food aisle.
Happy National Spumoni Day!
So there you have it.
I started National Spumoni Day having absolutely no idea what spumoni was, and I'm ending it thinking pistachio, cherry, chocolate, nuts, and fruit layered into a frozen dessert sounds like something I really ought to try.
I'd call that educational progress.
And since today is also National Senior Citizens Day, National Brazilian Blowout Day, and National Fantasy Football Day, I suppose you could celebrate all four at once.
Check your fantasy football lineup, admire your freshly blown-out hair, spend some time with a senior citizen you love...
…and eat spumoni.
Although perhaps not necessarily in that order.
Have you ever had spumoni? And if you have, is it as good as it sounds?
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