Zeppole facts for kids
Custard-filled zeppola
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| Alternative names | Saint Joseph's Day cake, sfinge, Bignè di San Giuseppe |
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| Type | Pastry |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Main ingredients | Dough, powdered sugar, fried dough |
A zeppola (say "ZEP-oh-lah") is a yummy Italian pastry. It is a ball of dough that has been deep-fried. Zeppole are usually about 4 inches (10 cm) wide. They are often covered with powdered sugar. Sometimes, they are filled with sweet things like custard, jelly, or a creamy pastry filling. Zeppole can be light and fluffy, or more like bread. People often eat them to celebrate Saint Joseph's Day.
You can make zeppole with ingredients like ricotta cheese, flour, eggs, and sugar. First, you mix the ingredients together. Then, you drop spoonfuls of the dough into hot vegetable oil. The dough fries until it turns golden brown. After they cool, zeppole are often shaken in a bag with powdered sugar to coat them. They are best served warm.
History of Zeppole
Zeppole are a classic Italian treat. They are especially popular in cities like Rome and Naples. The idea of frying dough and adding sugar started in Ancient Rome. However, the zeppole we know today became popular in the 1700s. These modern zeppole often have sugar, cinnamon, or chocolate.
You can find zeppole in Sicily, on the island of Malta, and in Italian communities in Canada and the United States. In Sardinia, there is a similar pastry called tzípulas. Even though they are often called zeppole, tzípulas are a bit different. People eat tzípulas in Sardinia during Carnival. They can have different ingredients and shapes. To make tzípulas, you use a funnel to pour the dough into the hot oil in a spiral shape.
Zeppole are also known by other names. These include Bignè di San Giuseppe (in Rome), St. Joseph's Day cake, and sfinge. People traditionally eat zeppole on March 19 for the Festa di San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph's Day). On this day, you can often buy zeppole on many streets. They are also given as gifts.
In Istria, Croatia, this pastry is called blenzi in Croatian-speaking areas. In Italian-speaking places there, they are still called zeppole. They are always topped with sugar.
A baker from Naples named Pasquale Pintauro helped make the custom of eating zeppole popular in the early 1800s.
Types of Zeppole
The words zeppole and sfinge can also mean cream puffs. These are baked pastries made from choux pastry.
Some zeppole are filled with ricotta cheese mixed with small pieces of chocolate, candied fruit, and honey. In some parts of the U.S., these are called crispellis.
Zeppole can also be savory, which means salty instead of sweet. These are made from fried bread dough and often filled with anchovy. In some parts of Calabria, people eat the anchovy or a sweet raisin version on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. In Malta, anchovy zeppoli are traditionally eaten during the Lent fasting period. This savory version of zeppole is known there as sfinge. Sweet zeppole are also sold in many bakeries.
In the Frosinone region of southern Lazio, the word sfinge means a mix of ricotta, sugar, and eggs with flour. This mix can be flavored with vanilla or almond. It is still fried in ball shapes and covered with powdered sugar.
Images for kids
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Freshly cooked zeppole
See also
In Spanish: Zeppole para niños
