Have You Actually Heard the History Behind New York’s Iconic Spiedie?

My first experience with tasting a Spiedie sandwich was shortly after I came ashore to the land of Binghamton. Okay, actually, I arrived in a car from my home on the western side of the Southern Tier of New York State to the Parlor City.

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When my new friend and co-worker handed me that first Spiedie, I didn't know what to make of it. There were no sauces, or anything other than cubes of meat and a slice of Italian bread. How good could it possibly be? Well, you know how that turned out.

I was hooked on this simple sandwich. But, I do have to admit, I enjoy the Endwell Spiedie that contains mushrooms and cheese along with the chicken spiedies on a soft roll. Darn, now I'm hungry for that sandwich.

We all know the history of that delectable delicacy known as a Spiedie, right? Well, the website What's Cooking America, published an article describing our famous Spiedie, along with a bit of history on that marinated chunk of meat.

First, the name. According to the article, the name Spiedie comes from the Italian spiedo meaning kitchen cooking spit.

The article goes on to explain that "Originally made from lamb, they are now made with virtually any meat. It is chunks of lamb, pork, chicken, beef, or venison that has been marinated for days in a tart sauce and then grilled on a metal skewer, usually over charcoal or gas." They certainly got that correct.

Now for where it started. What's Cooking America says this:

They originated with Binghamtons Italian immigrant population in the 1920s.  Augustine Iacovelli from Endicott, New York is believed to have popularized the Spiedie by introducing them in his restaurant, called Augies, in 1939.  The original sauce, which he called Zuzu, was wine vinegar, water, lemon juice, garlic and mint. His spiedies caught on so well among the local railroad workers and shoemakers that for years every little corner grocery had a spiedie stand on the street in front of it.

Okay, Spiedie historians and experts - is that true? It sounds right, but I'm not a true native of the Greater Binghamton area with all the facts, so I'd like your opinion. Did the article get it right, or is there more to the Spiedie origination story?

What's Cooking America includes a great Spiedie recipe and the comments are interesting to read, Check out the article HERE.