Invented in Treviso in the 1960s, tiramisù is now reproduced everywhere with varying results. The coffee must be strong enough to stain but not dissolve the ladyfinger.
About Tiramisù
Italy's greatest dessert export and its most argued-over origin: Savoiardi (ladyfinger biscuits) dipped in strong espresso and Marsala, layered with a mascarpone cream of egg yolks and sugar, dusted with cocoa; invented at the Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso in the 1960s; now reproduced in every country on earth with varying results; the coffee must be strong enough to stain.
The Origin
Tiramisu is a relatively modern Italian dessert, generally traced to the Veneto region around Treviso in the second half of the twentieth century, though several places claim its invention. The name means pick me up, a nod to the coffee and sugar at its heart. It is built from ladyfingers, espresso, mascarpone, egg, sugar and cocoa, and it must rest before serving.
“Tiramisu is a relatively modern Italian dessert, generally traced to the Veneto region around Treviso in the second half of the twentieth century, though several places claim its invention.”
Tiramisù, Italy
The Coffee
The espresso is central, and the dipping of the ladyfingers is the technical crux. They must be soaked just long enough to take up the coffee and stain through without dissolving into mush. Too brief and the dessert is dry; too long and the biscuits collapse. A little Marsala or liqueur is often added, present but not dominant.
The Mascarpone Cream
The cream is made by beating egg yolks with sugar, then folding in rich mascarpone, sometimes lightened with whipped whites. It should be thick, smooth and pale, neither runny nor stiff. Layered with the coffee-soaked biscuits and dusted with bitter cocoa, it gives the dessert its luxurious body.
The Original and Its Copies
Tiramisu is among the most imitated of all Italian desserts, reproduced worldwide with wildly varying results. Tasting a properly made one, rested overnight so the layers settle and the flavours marry, shows what is so often lost in translation. The balance of bitter coffee, sweet cream and cocoa is the whole point.
“Tiramisu is among the most imitated of all Italian desserts, reproduced worldwide with wildly varying results.”
