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An Italian soda is a soft drink made from carbonated water and simple syrup, usually flavored. Some vendors add cream to the recipe as well.
In spite of its name, Italian sodas originated in the United States, not Italy. One claimant to the introduction and increased popularity of Italian sodas is Torani: Rinaldo and Ezilda Torre brought recipes for flavored syrups from Lucca, Italy and in 1925 introduced what become known as an Italian soda to the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The Italian American association with Italian sodas has been reinforced by various r...