The History of Spumoni

Spumoni was created in Casamassima, Italy. The semi-frozen dessert traditionally called for three layers: almond, semi-sweet chocolate, and stracciatella. Notably, Casamassima is famous for its almond trees, so the dessert may have been created as a way to utilize the local crop while also incorporating semi-frozen dairy to help beat the heat. It was first introduced to the U.S. in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It became especially popular in Chicago after Salvatore Lezza left his hometown of Nola, Italy (located just outside of Naples) in 1905 and moved to the Windy City, taking with him his family’s traditional spumoni recipe. He then married Lucia Ferrara of the famed Ferrara Pan candy company and the two opened Ferrara-Lezza & Co. in Chicago’s West Side Little Italy. There, they served Italian treats like cakes, cannoli, and — you guessed it — spumoni. Their sons later began selling the family’s spumoni to local restaurants, where it became a massive hit. Spumoni was also featured in the Italian Pavilion during the 1933 World’s Fair. Notably, the dessert also became popular in other Italian American neighborhoods in America, including those in New York City and Boston. Today, spumoni is still often served at Italian American restaurants and is a popular offering at gatherings like weddings, graduations, and birthday parties. It is typically served sliced to show off its beautiful layering. While the traditional flavor profile remains extremely popular today, chefs all across the U.S. have also been known to create their own twists on the classic spumoni recipe. Interestingly, the famous Neapolitan ice cream was directly inspired by Italian spumoni!