It’s a sunny day in May, and the AP German Four class sets up outside for a sweet little treat, something they’ve been doing for years. Ice cream, but with a German twist.
Spaghetti ice cream, or spaghettieis, is a German delicacy invented in recent years. Created by filtering ice cream through a pasta machine and topped with homemade strawberry sauce and a sprinkling of white chocolate. Spaghettieis looks like a typical spaghetti marinara and parmesan delight, and as a special treat once a year, German teacher Rebecca Petrilli puts out all the stops on on the front lawn of South.
“The first time we did it at South was at a Deutsche Klub event,” Petrilli said. “It’s a South tradition.”
As a senior, Meryn Vick ’24 has been able to experience the spaghettieis tag tradition throughout the majority of her years at South.
“I think it’s super interesting that that’s a cultural thing, to make ice cream look sort of like actual spaghetti,” Vick said.
It’s hard work to make. The students bring in the majority of the supplies for the whole ordeal and often have a workout trying to squeeze out the ice cream into the bowls. Yet that’s just another one of the many aspects of spaghettieis tag that the students enjoy. German IV student Tristian Winigner ’26 personally enjoys playing catch with all the people in the class.
“It’s a fun day where you can just get to know the people in your class and you don’t have to worry about schoolwork,” Winigner said. “It’s only one hour, but it’s a good hour.”
The hour of Spaghettieis Tag is something that all German students look forward to each year, according to Petrilli.
“It’s a beautiful time of the year to go outside and to do something cultural,” Petrilli said. “Everybody enjoys it so much.”
