March 9 marks National Meatball Day, a day dedicated to the ubiquitous handmade balls of minced meat, herbs, and spices, usually served in the United States on a bed of spaghetti slathered in gravy. They are a staple of Italian American cuisine, and arguably one of America’s most recognized and popular dishes. Contrary to popular belief, however, meatballs are not inherently Italian. Their history transcends time, and variations can be found scattered across the centuries in various countries and cultures.
The true origin of the meatball is unknown, but it is widely believed that the first iteration is kofta, a dish of minced beef, pork, chicken, or lamb mixed with rice or mashed lentils, according to The Atlantic. Typically rolled into shapes resembling cigars, kofta seems to have originated with the Persians. The Arabs adopted the food and modified the original recipe to create balls of ground lamb glazed with egg yolk and saffron. According to The Atlantic, these versions likely spread to other cultures along trade routes to Greece, North Africa, and Spain.
Polpette, meaning little meatball in Italian, can trace their origin back to the ancient Roman empire. Several varieties of meatballs made with any kind of meat, including chicken and cuttlefish, are outlined in the Apicius, a collection of recipes thought to have been put together sometime in the 4th and 5th century, according to The Atlantic. The common meatball that most Americans are familiar with today dates back to the waves of impoverished southern Italian immigrants who arrived in the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries. As meatballs were usually made with the cheapest cuts of meat and were flavored with simple herbs and spices, they became an easy and affordable option for poor Italian immigrants trying to feed large families.
According to The Atlantic, the dish was later paired with spaghetti and canned tomatoes and marinara sauce imported from Naples, which at the time were cheap pantry items easily found within the United States. Today, this is the version most are familiar with, and the poor dish, born out of a need to make substantial meals out of what little Italian immigrants had, is an American institution, synonymous with what it means to be Italian American.
Regardless of whether you prefer your meatballs made with minced beef or lamb, baked or fried, slathered in gravy or rolled in saffron, National Meatball Day is a time to celebrate the universal deliciousness of the dish. Happy National Meatball Day to all who celebrate!
Asia London Palomba
Asia London Palomba is a trilingual freelance journalist from Rome, Italy. In the past, her work on culture, travel, and history has been published in The Boston Globe, Atlas Obscura, The Christian Science Monitor, and Grub Street, New York Magazine's food section. In her free time, Asia enjoys traveling home to Italy to spend time with family and friends, drinking Hugo Spritzes, and making her nonna's homemade cavatelli.