Spumoni ice cream is a unique flavor of Italian-style gelato that is usually made with layers of cherry, pistachio, and chocolate ice cream. It is a popular flavor among Italian Americans and is enjoyed around the world. Unfortunately, not all ice cream shops carry spumoni ice cream. If you are looking for a place to buy spumoni ice cream, there are a few options available.
What is Spumoni?
Spumoni is an Italian dessert that is made from milk sherbet. Sherbet is a frozen dessert that is neither ice cream nor sorbet, and it has dairy in it, usually milk or buttermilk. This makes it a little creamier than sorbet and makes the color lighter and more pastel. By law, there can’t be more than 2% fat in sherbet.
It has three layers: a chocolate layer, a pistachio layer, and an almond layer. In Italy, it is often made in a terrine, put in the freezer to harden, and then cut into slices about an inch thick. Spumoni comes from Naples, and the word comes from the word spumone, which means “foam.” In the 1870s, it was brought to the United States.
Who Sells Spumoni Ice Cream?
If you’re looking for high-quality spumoni, you won’t find it in a large supermarket’s freezer. Local markets, restaurants, and specialty stores, similar to gelato or traditional ice cream, are the best places to buy spumoni.
For the most authentic experience, go to a nearby Italian market, restaurant, or ice cream parlor that specializes in spumoni. The following are some of the best-reviewed places in the United States [1] to buy spumoni:
- Angelo Brocato Ice Cream. Located in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- L&B Spumoni Gardens. Located in Brooklyn, New York.
- Sorrento Italian Market. Located in Los Angeles, California.
- Uncle Ray’s Dairyland. Located in Fenton, Michigan.
What Are the Ingredients of the Traditional Spumoni Ice Cream?
Today, most traditional spumoni are made with cherry, pistachio, and either chocolate or vanilla ice cream. People like these flavors not only because they have the traditional fruit and nut parts, but also because their red, green, and sometimes white colors look like the Italian flag. To keep them cold until you’re ready to serve, just put the bowl back in the freezer.
Which Ice Cream is the US Equivalent of Spumoni?
Spumoni is also commonly consumed as “Neapolitan” ice cream, which combines chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors. The three ice cream flavors are arranged so that each slice contains a small amount of each flavor. This cake-like ice cream loaf is incredibly easy to make.
Just soften a pint of strawberry ice cream, pour it into a 1 lb (8.5″x4.5″) loaf pan, and smooth it down to make an even layer. Then put the pan with the ice cream in it in the freezer until the ice cream is totally and utterly hard. Do the same thing with a pint of vanilla ice cream and a pint of chocolate ice cream.
To serve the Neapolitan, you can either dip the loaf pan in hot water to loosen the ice cream and flip the whole block onto a serving plate, or you can just cut pieces out of the pan.
Conclusion
Spumoni is a traditional Italian-style gelato made with layers of cherry, pistachio, and chocolate ice cream. Unfortunately, not all ice cream shops carry spumoni ice cream. The best places to buy spumoni are Italian markets, restaurants, and specialty stores.
In the United States, the best-reviewed places to buy spumoni are Angelo Brocato Ice Cream, L&B Spumoni Gardens, Sorrento Italian Market, and Uncle Ray’s Dairyland.