The Complete History of the Zeppole: From Ancient Rome to Tampa, Florida Part 1

Few desserts carry as much history, heart, and heavenly flavor as the Italian zeppole. Whether filled with cream, dusted with sugar, or served hot at a festival, the zeppola (singular) is more than just fried dough — it’s a culinary symbol of faith, family, and joy that has traveled over two thousand years through time.

Let’s take an in-depth journey through the origins, evolution, and modern rebirth of this beloved Italian treat.

🇮🇹 1. Ancient Rome (200 BC – 200 AD): The Birth of Fried Celebration

The roots of the zeppole trace all the way back to Ancient Rome, where people celebrated the Festival of Liberalia each year on March 17. This festival honored the gods Liber and Libera, deities of wine and fertility, marking the arrival of spring.

Roman cooks prepared sweet fritters made from wheat flour and honey, fried in hot oil or animal fat, symbolizing prosperity and the renewal of life. These early confections were enjoyed with wine and shared among families in the streets — an early form of community celebration that would echo centuries later in Naples.

Some food historians suggest that these early Roman fritters were called frictilia, and they were sold by street vendors during this festival. The ritual of frying and feasting in mid-March would become deeply embedded in Italian culture, eventually merging with Christian tradition.

⛪ 2. The Middle Ages (1000 – 1500 AD): Monks, Nuns, and Sweet Devotion

As Christianity spread across Italy, monasteries became the heart of both faith and food. Monks and nuns were among the first to write down and refine recipes for pastries, using ingredients that were once luxury items: sugar, eggs, wheat flour, and olive oil.

During this era, fried sweets were often made for religious feasts, holy days, and community gatherings. Many convents in southern Italy began producing variations of sweet dough fritters, dipped in honey or sprinkled with cinnamon, which resembled early versions of zeppole.

This period laid the groundwork for what would become La Zeppola di San Giuseppe — a pastry tied forever to the story of Saint Joseph, the humble carpenter and protector of families.

👨🍳 3. 1500s–1600s: The Feast of Saint Joseph and the Neapolitan Invention

By the Renaissance, Naples had become a center of culinary innovation. It was here that zeppole took on their sacred role in Italian tradition.

According to legend, during a severe famine in the Middle Ages, Saint Joseph interceded on behalf of the people, providing food for those in need. In gratitude, Neapolitans began holding a yearly feast in his honor on March 19, the Feast of Saint Joseph.

Bakers and home cooks created the Zeppola di San Giuseppe — a golden ring or ball of fried dough, filled with custard or cream and topped with a cherry. These pastries were offered as thanks and served to the poor, symbolizing generosity and devotion.

Street vendors called zeppolari set up large frying pans on the sidewalks of Naples, frying and serving the pastries hot to families celebrating the feast. This open-air cooking tradition became a hallmark of southern Italian life.

Even the name zeppola has fascinating origins — possibly from the Latin zippulae (sweet little things), the Italian zeppa (wedge, linked to Saint Joseph’s carpentry trade), or the Arabic zalābiyya (a fried dough sweet), reflecting Italy’s centuries of Mediterranean cultural exchange.

📖 4. 1837 AD: The Zeppole Enters the Culinary Record

The first official written recipe for zeppole appeared in 1837, in Cucina Teorico-Pratica by the Neapolitan nobleman and chef Ippolito Cavalcanti.

Cavalcanti’s recipe detailed both fried and baked versions, filled with crema pasticcera (pastry cream) and topped with sour cherries in syrup. This version — the Zeppola di San Giuseppe Napoletana — remains the most recognized form today.

By the 19th century, baker Pasquale Pintauro, also from Naples, refined and popularized the zeppola in his pastry shop on Via Toledo. His name became synonymous with the delicacy, and his methods spread throughout southern Italy.

🚢 5. 1800s–1900s: From Naples to the New World

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, millions of Italians immigrated to the United States, bringing their beloved recipes across the ocean. Among them was the zeppola — a taste of home that soon became a staple of Italian-American celebrations.

In cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, zeppole became festival favorites. They were served at church feasts, San Gennaro festivals, and boardwalk fairs, fried fresh and dusted with powdered sugar.

In America, zeppole evolved into both filled and unfilled versions — small, airy balls of dough sold at carnivals, fairs, and Coney Island stands. While the form changed, the meaning remained: celebration, family, and joy.

🌍 6. Zeppole Around Italy: Regional Variations

Though Naples claims the original, nearly every region of Italy has its own twist:

• Sicily: Sfinge di San Giuseppe — lighter, cream-filled, and often ricotta-based.

• Calabria: Savory versions filled with anchovies or cheese.

• Sardinia: Zippulas — elongated, twisted fritters flavored with citrus zest.

• Veneto & Friuli: Frittelle — similar carnival pastries filled with raisins or cream.

Each region adapted the humble fried dough to its local ingredients and tastes, showing how deep the tradition runs through Italian identity.

🕊️ 7. Modern Revival — Camerieri Zeppole Mix

Today, the story continues with Camerieri Zeppole Mix — a new chapter in an ancient legacy.

Founder Joseph A. Camerieri, inspired by his family’s Italian roots and passion for authentic ingredients, created a mix that honors the centuries-old recipe while making it accessible and healthier for modern kitchens.

Crafted with:

• Imported Italian double-zero flour

• Non-GMO ingredients

• Organic coconut oil instead of lard

• No artificial additives

Camerieri Zeppole Mix preserves everything that makes the zeppola special — the texture, the aroma, the joy — while removing what doesn’t belong in today’s clean-label kitchens.

It’s more than food. It’s the rebirth of a tradition that began under Roman skies, thrived in Neapolitan streets, and now lives in American homes.