Tiramisù – Between Legends and Reality
Tiramisù is one of the most distinctive desserts of Italian pastry tradition. We can undoubtedly say that this is the most famous Italian dessert in the world: a cold dessert with a creamy and soft consistency, to be eaten with a spoon.
The recipe for this dessert is very simple: eggs, mascarpone cheese, sugar, ladyfingers (savoiardi) dipped in coffee and bitter cocoa powder. What is not so simple is determining with certainty which Italian area should be accredited with the creation of tiramisù because there are many Italian regions that claim its invention.
Some scholars trace its origin to Siena, in Tuscany, where in the 17th century the Sienese pastry chefs prepared it to celebrate the greatness of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo de Medici, during his visit to the city. Therefore, the dessert was called zuppa del duca (literally, “the Duke’s soup”) in his honour. This story reports that the nobles of the Grand-Duchy attributed exciting properties to it and therefore began to call it tiramisù, which literally means “lift me up / cheer me up”.
Others believe that it was created in Turin, Piedmont, in the 19th century by a renowned pastry chef who decided to dedicate it to Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, to support him in the difficult job of the unification of Italy.
According to other sources, the Venetian origins of this dessert date back to the 20th century. In a restaurant in Treviso, called Alle Beccherie, a pastry chef who had worked in Germany is said to have created it, drawing inspiration from Bavarian desserts.
Actually, Treviso is known as the capital of tiramisu since it has been hosting the Tiramisù World Cup since 2017 and has a Museum of Tiramisù. According to the Tiramisù Academy, the word tiramisù comes from the Treviso dialect Tireme su, literally “pull me up”. It seems that the name has a very energetic connotation, but there are also those who argue that it hides a more suggestive allusion, because of its apparent aphrodisiac effects. This legend has it that it was invented by a “maitresse” from a brothel in the centre of Treviso. The “Siora” who used to run the place began to offer this sweet with aphrodisiac properties to customers at the end of the evening in order to reinvigorate them and to help them with their marital duties when returning to their wives. It thus seems that Tireme su was a natural viagra dating back to the 19th century, served to customers in a brothel.
According to this legend, tiramisù became a simple and delicious dessert prepared in all Treviso houses, and was also called sbatudin: a creamy dessert initially made only of beaten egg yolks and sugar, served with crumbly biscuits, commonly eaten by the Treviso farmers and used as an “invigorator” by newlyweds. Many grandmothers prepared this dessert for their grandchildren and for this reason the original recipe does not include the use of liqueur, which was later added together with coffee, mascarpone cheese and cocoa powder, and that’s where the recipe begins to take the shape it has today.
Actually, there is certainly no trace of the tiramisù recipes before the 1960s. This leads us to assume that tiramisù, as is known today, is a relatively recent invention. Between legend and reality, a large part of Italy feels that they have contributed to the spread of the Italian dessert par excellence. In any case, we are all grateful to the mastermind who gave us this delight to the palate.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Lady fingers 300 g
- 4 eggs (very fresh)
- Mascarpone cheese 500 g
- Sugar 100 g
- Coffee from a mocha expresso machine
(sweetened to taste) 300 g - Bitter cocoa powder
Preparation
To prepare the tiramisu, you must first make coffee, sweeten it, and let it cool.
Then proceed with the fresh eggs: separate egg whites from yolks.
Whip the yolks with half the sugar.
When the mixture is light and fluffy, add the mascarpone cheese to obtain a cream and set it aside.
Beat and whisk the egg whites, pouring the remaining sugar, then add them to the yolks.
Once the mixture is ready, dip the ladyfingers for a few moments in the cold coffee, drain, and distribute at the bottom of a baking tray.
Spread three spoonfuls of mascarpone cream evenly on the biscuits, to obtain a first layer. Make a second layer of biscuits soaked in coffee and complete with the cream. Level the surface and cover it with a sprinkle of bitter cocoa powder. Put it in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours.
Your tiramisù is ready to be served.
Enjoy!
Sources
Accademia del Tiramisù. 2020. The Origin of Tiramisù Fact and Legend. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.accademiadeltiramisu.com/en/the-origin-of-tiramisu-fact-and-legend/. [Accessed 22 September 2020].
Tiramisù, origini e storia della ricetta originale. 2020. Tiramisù.it. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.tiramisu.it/tiramisu-origini-e-storia/. [Accessed 22 September 2020].
La vera storia del tiramisù. 2015. La Cucina Italiana. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.lacucinaitaliana.it/news/in-primo-piano/tiramisu-storia-e-ricetta/. [Accessed 24 September 2020].
Tiramisù. 2008. Giallo Zafferano. [ONLINE] Available at: https://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Tiramisu.html. [Accessed 24 September 2020].
Written by Valeria Cicala, PhD student in “European Languages and Specialized Terminology” at the University of Naples “Parthenope”.