National Calzone Day

The calzone, a type of folded and sealed pizza, is celebrated today with National Calzone Day. Calzones are made by wrapping pizza toppings in a dough infused with garlic, butter, and salt, and baking them in an oven. They are filled with Italian herbs and spices; cheese like mozzarella and ricotta, or sometimes provolone, parmesan, or pecorino; vegetables like onions, mushrooms, green peppers, and spinach; and meats such as Italian sausage, pepperoni or other salami, and prosciutto. They may also have tomato sauce, but often don't, instead having marinara sauce on the side for dipping. Shaped like a crescent moon or half-circle, their appearance is similar to a turnover or dumpling.

Known as calzoni in parts of Italy, they originated in Naples, just like pizza and not long after it, in the eighteenth century. Calzones were created as a street food to be eaten on the go by workers. Early versions were about the size of a sandwich, with calzones today often being much bigger and being able to feed more than one person. The name translates to "trousers" or "pants legs," a reference to their ability to be eaten while walking, in contrast to pizza, which was messier and had to be eaten with a fork while seated. Ingredients weren't as refined or thought out as they may be today, being cheap, local ingredients that were accessible and affordable to workers. Early ingredients included chicory nuts, currants, black olives, anchovies, capers, garlic, and egg yolk. Calzones likely made their way to America by Italian immigrants, just like pizza did. They showed up in Italian restaurants, where they were made bigger, no longer just a handheld street food.

National Calzone Day was founded in 2016 by Kansas City's Minsky's Pizza to celebrate their 40th anniversary and their passion for making homemade calzones. In the years since, they have marked the day with discounted calzones and a sweepstakes to win calzones for a year. Other restaurants that specialize in calzones, like PizzaRev and Sauce on the Side, have embraced the day with new calzones and giveaways.

How to Observe National Calzone Day

Have a calzone! Make your own or have one at a restaurant. You could have one at Minsky's Pizza in the Kansas City area, at PizzaRev or Sauce on the Side, at another chain restaurant that serves them, or at a local establishment. Check if the location you are going to has any special offers in honor of the day. Post a picture of your calzone and how you are celebrating on social media along with the hashtag #NationalCalzoneDay.

Exclusive Content

Enjoying Checkiday? It takes a lot of support from fans like you to run a free website. For exclusive content and other perks, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Thank you!

Sponsor

This event does not currently have a sponsor. If you'd like to increase visibility for this event while gaining exposure for yourself or your brand, you can learn more here.

Something Wrong or Missing?

We would love to hear from you! Please contact us using this form.

Observation Notifications

Would you like to be notified before the next observation? Add this event directly to your calendar with this link. You may also sign up here to be told when other notifications are available!