This Romanian strawberry foam, or spuma de capsuni, is made with only three ingredients: strawberries, egg whites, and sugar, and it takes about five minutes to prepare.
This strawberry foam or mousse with egg whites was THE summer dessert for my sister and me when we were growing up.
My grandmother was not much into making sweets of any kind. She didn't really have much time to start with anyway; she always worked full-time. So in spring/summer when we would crave something sweet, she used to whip up this fresh strawberry mousse. It was fast, very cheap, and totally delicious!
And once a year (on my birthday), she would make this comforting and delicious Vanilla Pudding Tart. Or this luscious Smooth Creme Caramel.
She was not the only one making this dessert. Strawberry foam is a typical Romanian dessert; I think everybody who grew up in Romania has had it plenty of times.
This strawberry mousse with egg whites kind of catches the essence of Romanian cooking: economical, yet using the best ingredients and tasting delicious.
Ingredients
You will only need three ingredients: Strawberries, egg whites, and sugar.
The most important thing when making this recipe is to use the tastiest, sweetest strawberries you can find and the freshest eggs possible.
The egg whites will remain raw; if you are worried about Salmonella, it's recommended that you buy pasteurized eggs.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Try Biscuit Salami or Meringue Brownies, too; they are also typical Romanian desserts.
How to make strawberry foam?
- Step #1: Wash the strawberries and only remove the green top after washing them. If you cut it off before, the strawberries will become watery. Chop them finely and set a small amount aside to decorate the spuma dessert.
- Step #2: Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Slowly add the sugar while beating the egg whites until shiny and stiff again.
- Step #3: Add the chopped strawberries and continue beating until the berries are crushed and the foam has a nice color.
- Step #4: Place the strawberry mousse into serving cups (or wine glasses) and serve immediately.
Good to know!
It is better to use pasteurized eggs to reduce the risk of a Salmonella infection.
Ensure that the bowl and beaters you are using are super clean; any trace of fat on them will prevent the egg whites from stiffening properly.
How to serve?
- The strawberry foam should be served immediately or as soon as possible.
- You could make it before you start eating dinner, for instance, and keep it in the fridge until you are serving dessert, but only if absolutely necessary and definitely not longer than that.
Romanian Strawberry Foam (Spuma de capsuni)
Ingredients
- 1 lb strawberries
- 3 egg whites See note
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- fresh mint or balm leaves to decorate optional
Instructions
- Strawberries: Clean and chop the strawberries finely.1 lb strawberries/ 450 g
- Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Slowly add the sugar and continue beating until the egg whites are shiny and stiff again.3 egg whites + ¾ cup granulated sugar/ 150 g
- Combine: Add almost all the chopped strawberries, reserving a small handful for decorating, and continue whisking until the strawberries are incorporated and almost wholly crushed.
- Serve: Distribute the strawberry foam into dessert bowls or cups and top with the reserved strawberries. Decorate with mint or balm leaves, if desired. Serve immediately.fresh mint or balm leaves to decorate
Deanna says
My grandmother used to make strawberry foam to top angel food cake. I have made this myself but I didn't have the recipe written down so I appreciate the details. Looking forward to making this for Father's Day. (I had no idea it was a Romanian favorite, so thanks for that info too.)
Brie says
Such a simple and beautiful looking recipe! I bet your children are just loving the strawberry series each one has been absolutely mouthwatering 🙂 but this has to be my favorite so far!
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Oh! I have never heard about Romanian Strawberry foam but looking at ingredients and your gorgoeus pictures I so want to try them! I so need to rush to the grocery store to but some fresh Strawberries! Thanks for sharing your Grandmother's recipe with us! Love how easy and summer-y this is!
Adina says
Thank you, Anu, let me know if you liked it! 🙂
Evi @ greenevi says
My grandmother used to make this all the time and I loved this sooooo much! Always with fresh fruits from her garden, it was perfection. And I didn't even notice how much I missed this until I made one recently with aquafaba.
Your presentation is so pretty here, love those wine glasses 🙂
Adina says
Cool, you also had this in Hungary! I just had to google aquafaba, wow, does it really work? The wine glasses used to belong to my husband's grandmother, I like them too.
Chris Scheuer says
These are absolutely gorgeous and I love how simple they are. Food memories from growing up are so wonderful and yet often so bittersweet.
Adina says
That is true, Chris. It seems like yesterday I was about 10 and eating this and my grandmother barely in her 50's... So long ago though, the time flies...
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
Dear Adina, what a great simple dessert! Thank you for this recipe. Our strawberry season in NH is in full swing now. I am not hesitant to use raw eggs, we do it often for ice cream. But I know a lot of people are, and it's a good idea for people who have compromised immune systems not to use raw eggs. I love that pasteurized eggs are available now, so helpful! I hope you are completely recovered from your surgery and having a great summer!
Adina says
Thank you, Allie. My recovery is going well, I feel better every day, it was a bit weird the first 4-5 days after the surgery but now I could almost say that I feel better than before the surgery, I have more energy and my general mood improved a lot... 🙂
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Sweet quality local strawberry does makes all the difference, doesn't it? This is a great summer dessert, Adina.
Adina says
Totally, Angie. There is no comparison between the early, Spanish strawberries and the local German ones and then again no comparison between the field strawberries and those growing directly in the garden.
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
I just love fresh strawberries this time of year! This sounds very refreshing.
Adina says
It is like a sweet, aromatic cloud in the mouth. 🙂
Michaela Belanger says
Yes, you are right !! Sweet cloud in the mouth. We never heard of Salmonella growing up in Romania and nobody got sick 🙂
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
This sounds delightful and I'll bet the texture of this strawberry foam is terrific. And how I wish I had access to all those wonderful, flavorful Romanian vegetables!
Adina says
Me too, Kimberly, I especially miss the tomatoes, the sweetest, best tasting ever!
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food says
I LOVE farmer's markets and though it has not quite warmed up enough here yet for the local produce to be plentiful, I'm still looking forward to it! We have a few strawberry plants growing in our garden and they have only produced flavours so far this year, but when they do produce berries, they are so delicious and sweet. I've never heard of this dish before, but it sounds like something I would love! Perfect for trying soon, especially when I get my hands on some super ripe strawberries 🙂 !
Adina says
I hope you like it, Dawn. Garden strawberries are the best, they might not always look perfect, but they definitely taste amazing!
PW says
My friend's romanian grandmother always made this with raspberries. I think it sounds delicious either way.
Adina says
I've never had it with raspberries, but I can imagine the flavor. 🙂