The Story Behind Your Favourite Dessert: Tiramisu

by Alexandra Mansilla

The Story Behind Your Favourite Dessert: Tiramisu

31 Jul 2024

Photo: Karolina Grabowska

On July 29, Roberto Linguanotto, the celebrated Italian chef renowned for creating tiramisu and for his iconic Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso, passed away at the age of 81. So, today, let’s dive into how the classic dessert made with mascarpone, espresso, cocoa, and ladyfingers came to be.

Of course, there is also a legend that the first version of tiramisu dates back to the 17th century in Siena (Tuscany) and was created specifically for Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici of Tuscany — though there is no concrete evidence to support this. So, Roberto Linguanotto from Treviso is widely recognised as the true creator of the dessert.

Photo: Olga Petnyunene

As often happens, there are several versions of how tiramisu was created. The first story is that Roberto was working at the local restaurant Le Beccherie, owned by Ado Campeol. Campeol’s wife, Alba, was trying to create a dessert using coffee and zabaglione (a cream made from egg yolks, sugar, and wine). Linguanotto replaced the zabaglione with mascarpone cheese, leading to the creation of tiramisu.

But also, there is another version: Linguanotto created tiramisu accidentally. He was actually trying to make a different dessert, but suddenly spilled mascarpone into a bowl of eggs and sugar. He liked the taste and shared it with the restaurant owner’s wife. They then refined the dessert by adding coffee-soaked ladyfingers and a dusting of cocoa.

It wasn’t until 1981 that the culinary magazine Veneto published a recipe for the treat, and from there, tiramisu gained worldwide recognition. By the way, the name of the dessert reflects its ingredients: tira means "pull" in Italian, mi means "me," and su means "up." Adding the context, the name can be translated as "pick me up," which clearly refers to the coffee, as well as the large amount of sugar and carbohydrates in the recipe.

by Alexandra Mansilla