I remember taking a trip to Italy in the early 90’s and learning a new dessert recipe from my young aunt; a creamy and decadent cake that required no baking. That confection was tiramisù (whose name means “pick me up” or “cheer me up”), a trifle of sorts made by layering Savoiardi (Italian ladyfingers biscuits named for the Savoy family) dipped in coffee with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa. The version my aunt made also contained panna (whipped cream) and a shot of alcohol (I don’t recall if it was Marsala or rum which she typically had on hand for other desserts).
This was my introduction to a relatively unknown dessert that would soon explode onto the North America culinary scene thanks to a movie called “Sleepless in Seattle”.
Reportedly, the dessert catapulted to fame on this continent after the release of the film in 1993 which referenced it in a scene between Tom Hanks and Rob Reiner. It was a joke between their characters Sam and Jay:
“Tiramisù,” Jay says, randomly.
“What is tiramisù?” Sam asks.
“You’ll find out.”
“Well, what is it?”
“You’ll see!”
“Some woman is gonna want me to do it to her and I’m not gonna know what it is!”
Apparently, TriStar pictures received numerous phone calls from moviegoers asking for the meaning of this joke because tiramisù was still so relatively unknown. From there a marketing campaign was born which included the release of the recipe by director and screenwriter Nora Ephron.
The dessert has remained a popular one and is one of Italy’s most beloved, evidenced by the fact that it is one of the most searched recipes online and can be found on countless restaurant menus. It was also the protagonist of an Italian film by the same name in 2016, directed by Fabio De Luigi.
Further testament to the adoration of this treat came in 2017 with the declaration of World Tiramisù Day; a holiday commemorated on March 21st, the first day of spring which recharges everyone for a new season and lifts their spirits, much like the dessert after enjoying it. The sweet celebration was the idea of Italian food writers Clara e Gigi Padovani who happen to be the authors of book dedicated to the beloved treat entitled Tiramisù – Storia, curiosità, interpretazioni del dolce italiano più amato (Tiramisù – history, curiosities and recipe interpretations of Italy’s most loved dessert).
There appear to be several different accounts on the origins of tiramisù. One version claims that the confection dates back to seventeenth century Siena, where it was prepared by pastry chefs in anticipation of the arrival of Cosimo de Medici. The Zuppa del Duca (the soup of the Duke) as it was named, was intended to be a cake celebrating the greatness of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. So impressed was the Duke with the recipe that he brought it back to Florence and it was diffused throughout Italy. This recipe however is likely the Florentine confection known as Zuppa Inglese which is very similar to an English trifle layering custard or pastry cream and sponge cake dipped in Alchermes (a scarlet red Italian liqueur).
A second tale suggests that tiramisù was the recipe of a pastry chef in Turin that was intended to support Camillo Benso di Cavour in his endeavors to unify Italy.
The third account is the one with the most supporting evidence and traces the origins of the dessert to the Veneto region, specifically Treviso. Records indicate that tiramisù has a sultry past that dates back to the 1800s. Why sultry you may ask? I always thought that it was because of the harmony of flavors that trigger ecstasy in the mouth. It turns out however, that this sweet treat was an underground enjoyment that was invented by the clever mistress of a house of pleasure. She developed the aphrodisiacal dessert to offer to her patrons at the end of the night in order to reinvigorate them, a sweet Viagra if you will (so I guess that joke from Sleepless in Seattle wasn’t that far off).
According to the Accademia del Tiramisù (the Tiramisù Academy that was founded in 2011 with the aim to disseminate the true geographic origins and authentic ingredients for the traditional recipe) the recipe was inspired by the sbatudin (which translates to give me a shake),a mix of egg yolk beaten together with sugar that was commonly used as an energy booster (does anyone remember their nonni whipping up this concoction for a little extra liveliness when they were a child)?
It wasn’t until later in the 20th century, once the brothel culture was shut down, that a local confectioner named Robert Linguanotto recreated the Tireme su (from the Treviso dialect that was later Italianized to Tiramisù) and featured it on the menu of his trattoria “Le Beccherie” for mainstream enjoyment.
The irresistible dessert has since gone on to be an emblematic one, spanning across the globe, and recognized perhaps as the most famous Italian dessert worldwide. Buon Appetito!
