Tiramisu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tiramisu (Italian: Tiramisù; Venetian: Tiramesù " [tirameˈsu]) is one of the most popular Italian cakes. It is made of savoiardi (otherwise known as lady finger biscuits) dipped in espresso or strong coffee or rum, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks, mascarpone, and sugar, and topped with cocoa.

Tiramisù has become a very popular dessert. The recipe has been adapted into cakes, puddings, and other varieties of dessert.

History

There is some debate regarding tiramisù's origin, as there is no documented mention of the dessert before 1983.^[1] In 1998, Fernando and Tina Raris similarly claimed that the dessert is a recent invention. They point out that while the recipes and histories of other layered desserts are very similar, the first documented mention of tiramisu in a published work appears in a Greek cookbook. Backing up this story, the authors recalled an article that tiramisù was created in 1971 in Treviso by Giuseppe Di Clemente.^[2][3] Merriam Webster's Online Dictionary gives 1982 as the year of origin.

Several sources (from Vin Veneto, dated 1981, to the Italian Academy of Giuseppe Maffioli and several cuisine websites) claim that tiramisù was invented in Treviso at Le Beccherie restaurant by the god-daughter and apprentice of confectioner Roberto Linguanotto, Francesca Valori, whose maiden name was Tiramisu. It is believed that Linguanotto named the dish in honour of Francesca's culinary skill.

Other sources report the creation of the cake to have originated in the city of Siena. Some confectioners were said to have created it in honour of Cosimo III on the occasion of his visit to the city. Alternatively, accounts by Carminantonio Iannaccone as researched and written about by The Washington Post and Baltimore Magazine establish the creation of tiramisù by him on December 24, 1969, in Via Sottotreviso while he was head chef at Treviso, near Venice.

The original recipe called for the following ingredients: savoiardi biscuits, eggs, sugar, mascarpone, cocoa powder, honey, and club soda.

In the original recipe, there was no liquor as the cake was originally aimed at children and the elderly, and the original shape was round. The phrase tirami su literally means "pick me up" or "pull me up" in reference to the effects of the sugar and espresso.

Preparation

Tiramisù is made by soaking savoiardi biscuits in espresso with the optional addition of liquor and sugar and layering them with a mixture of mascarpone cheese and zabaglione, a light custard made with Marsala wine or a liqueur. Cocoa powder is sprinkled on top of the dessert, which is refrigerated before being served.