History of Tiramisu (Tuscan Trifle, Zuppa Inglese)
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Tiramisu (tih-ruh-mee-SOO) - The Italian translation for tiramisu is "carry me up." Also known as Tuscan Trifle and Zuppa Inglese. Tradition tiramisu is a pudding-like dessert that usually consists of sponge cake or ladyfingers dipped in a liqueur, then layered with grated chocolate and rich custard. Tiramisu was originally made as a loose custard, it is only in recent years that using mascarpone cheese has come into fashion.
1970s - The present day version of tiramisu was said to have been created in a restaurant in Treviso, located northwest of Venice on Italy's northern Adriatic coast, called Le Beccherie. Today, Today the town of Treviso is best know for its canals, frescoes, and tiramisu. The Timeless Art of Italian Cuisine - Centuries of Scrumptious Dining by Anna Maria Volpi, states the following from her research on the history of tiramisu:
But the final word on the origin of Tiramisu’ is from the book by Fernando e Tina Raris “La Marca Gastronomica” published in 1998, a book entirely dedicated to the cuisine from the town of Treviso. The authors remember what Giuseppe Maffioli wrote in an article in 1981: “Tiramisu’ was born recently, just 10 years ago in the town of Treviso. It was proposed for the first time in the restaurant Le Beccherie. The dessert and its name became immediately extremely popular, and this cake and the name where copied by many restaurants first in Treviso then all around Italy”. Still today the restaurant “Le Beccherie” makes the dessert with the classical recipe: ladyfingers soaked in bitter strong espresso coffee, mascarpone-zabaglione cream, and bitter cocoa powder. Alba and Ado Campeol, owners of the restaurant regret they didn’t patent the name and the recipe, especially to avoid all the speculation and guesses on the origin of this cake, and the diffusion of so many recipes that have nothing to do with the original Tiramisu." Stories or legends are told about Venice's courtesans who worked in the brothel above the restaurant. According to legend, the ladies needed a "pick me up" to fortify themselves between amorous encounters. 1990s - In America, its popularity began in San Francisco, and today,
Tiramisu can be found in restaurants throughout the United States.
Tiramisu Recipe
The tiramisu recipe and
photos are courtesy of Charlie Villareale of Ormond Beach, FL.
Love your site on
Tiramisu. I was doing some research on this delicious dessert so I can
make it at home and stumbled upon it today. Interested in its history as
a young man, I was told of its origin many years ago by my uncle, who
was born in Sicily in 1916. I am a first generation American and my
family immigrated from Sicily. My uncle traveled the
world, during his years in business, manufacturing ink ribbons for
typewriters and then computer printers. My uncle was the man who
invented the machine that put the carbon onto carbon paper and the
ribbons back in the 1950’s, and he patented it. He did quite well for
himself over the years and told me of his escapades in Italy where he
patronized those same bordellos. He told me a similar story regarding
brothels, or bordellos as he referred to them. He said it was the
patrons, not the courtesans, that were offered the Tiramisu. According to my
uncle, he was told that it started back in the late 19th
century when the competition between bordellos was fierce. As the story
goes, one bordello offered espresso coffee as a complimentary beverage
after a customer patronized it’s establishment. Once word got out, the
others followed suit to attract more customers. As the competition
increased so did the complimentary drinks, from just espresso, to
espresso and savoiardi cookies (like lady finger cookies, which were
commonly dunked in the espresso), and possibly a cordial or wine. One
Madam in particular took all of these ingredients, combined them. and
created this confection adding eggs and Mascarpone cheese to the
filling. The name Tiramisu or
Tira Mi Su means “Pick me up” in Italian, and it is translated to mean
"an energy booster." The patrons originally enjoyed the energy boost
that espresso gave them after sex so they could go about the rest of
their daily activity, instead of wanting to take a nap afterwards. After
the onslaught of desserts that were offered during that competitive era,
Tiramisu became popularized due to the protein, sugar, and caffeine (and
sometimes alcohol) it contained. Courtesans were not
treated good enough to be given this expensive treat. and it was
certainly the patrons who appreciated it enough to return to those that
offered it. I’m sure that due to the sensitive nature of how one might
have learned about this delicious dessert, the story was changed as to
not “incriminate” oneself. So my thinking is, as
the word got out to all the other bordellos, it eventually reached that
“brothel above the restaurant” and became famous. =) My 2 cents… Bon Appetito!
Tiramisu 1 pound Italian Savoiardi
(lady fingers) (see recipe below)* * You can either make your own savoiardi (lady fingers) or purchase them. Naturally, the best tasting ones are the homemade lady fingers.
Savoiardi (Lady
Fingers): Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. (185 degrees C.). Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray, dust with flour and discard any that doesn't stick. In a small bowl, combine the corn starch and sifted cake flour. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar. In a large bowl using your electric mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff. Slowly incorporate the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Fold the egg yolk mixture in the egg white mixture. Then fold in the flour/corn starch mixture. Pour or spoon the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe 5-inch long strips of the batter, about 1-inch apart, onto the prepared baking sheet. Let the batter strips sit for 1 to 2 minutes and then dust the strips with sifted powdered sugar. Bake for approximately 10 minutes. They should puff up, brown lightly, and still be soft. Remove from oven and leave on the baking sheet for approximately 5 minutes before placing them on a cooling rack. Ladyfingers keep 2 to 3 weeks in an airtight container. Makes approximately 20 to
25 lady fingers. Espresso Coffee Syrup: In a small saucepan over
low heat, combine espresso coffee and sugar; bring just to a simmer,
stirring occasionally, to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and let cool.
Once cooled, stir in the Amaretto Di Saronno liqueur. Place mixture in
a large mixing bowl and add 3 egg yolks. With with your electric mixer, beat
approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Mascarpone Filling: In a large bowl using your electric mixer, place the heavy whipping cream, sugar, Amaretto Di Saronno liqueur, and egg whites; beat until soft peaks form. Fold the softened mascarpone cheese into the whipped mixture and then gently mix until creamy.
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