The True History of Tiramisu, Italy’s Most Famous and Beloved Dessert

The one about the paternity and the true history of tiramisu (pronounced tee-ra-mee-sew) is one of the most heated diatribes in the Bel Paese's gastronomic panorama: there are many regions and cities that claim the birthplace of the quintessential Italian dessert (but very famous throughout the world, so much so as to be the fifth word best known across Italy's borders), making use of more or less truthful legends capable of legitimizing this primacy.

Siena, Emilia Romagna, Turin, passing through Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia: what will be the place where tiramisu took shape for the first time, enchanting everyone with its delicious simplicity? You just have to find out by reading this article, in honor of Tiramisu Day!

The Stories Behind Tiramisu

Before outlining the traces that led to this ingenious invention, it must be said that tiramisu is a rather recent dessert: the recipe, as we know it today, does not appear in any cookbook before the 1970s, just as there is no official identification in encyclopedias and dictionaries until 1980, the year in which the Sabatini Coletti dictionary of the Italian language mentioned it for the first time. In any case, there are more or less accredited theories about its birth: here are the most famous ones.

1. Duca's Soup in Siena

Despite its young origins, according to one of the theories that revolves around the true history of tiramisu it all began in Siena during a visit by Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici: it was then that the so-called "duke's soup" was created, a dessert similar to current tiramisu but with substantial discrepancies. If this version is in fact compatible with the introduction of coffee into Italy – i.e. one of the main ingredients of tiramisu – it is not equally compatible with the use of mascarpone cheese and ladyfingers, both elements little used in Sienese pastry making between the 17th and 18th centuries.

2. Dolce Torino for Artusi

Even Dolce Torino, typical of Emilia Romagna and described by Pellegrino Artusi in the book "Science in the kitchen and the art of eating well" in 1891, could be a distant ancestor of tiramisu. However, as with the Duke's soup, something is not convincing, especially due to the butter which, in the filling made with egg yolks, sugar, milk and dark chocolate, took the place of mascarpone, making it a very different dessert.

3. The Dessert in Honor of Camillo Benso Count of Cavour

A further thesis tells how tiramisu was born in Turin thanks to a pastry chef who created it to "cheer up" (literally what Tiramisu means in Italian) Camilo Benso Count of Cavour, who in those years was busy carrying out his political activity of unifying the country of Italy. But this is an unlikely hypothesis given that, at that time, the methods of food production and preservation certainly could not guarantee the freshness and edibility of delicate ingredients such as those at the base of tiramisu.

The Battle Between Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia

What we have seen, so far, are just some of the stories that link Tiramisu to this or that Italian region, often halfway between truth and legend; in reality the bitterest battle involves the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia with the provinces of Udine and Treviso respectively.

In 1981, the food and wine expert Giuseppe Maffioli historicized – in his magazine Vin Veneto – the preparation of tiramisu between the end of the 60s and the beginning of the 70s, locating it at the Alle Beccherie restaurant in Treviso and attributing it to the pastry chef Roberto "Loly" Linguanotto. In fact, Maffioli defined Tiramesù (as it was called in Venetian dialect) as a variant of trifle and sbatutin, a simple dessert made with egg yolk whipped with sugar, as Linguanotto himself later confirmed in an interview.

All's well that ends well, you might think. But no. After the hypothesis of declaring tiramisu a territorial specialty was supported in Veneto, voices of protest were raised in Friuli: on the one hand there is the Il Vetturino restaurant in the municipality of Pieris di San Canzian d'Isonzo, where since the 1940s the Coppa Vetturino with chocolate and eggnog was made, later renamed "tirimisu"; on the other there is the Roma hotel in Tolmezzo, in the province of Udine. Here, in fact, in the 1950s a new version of Dolce Torino was served, modified with mascarpone and coffee instead of butter and alchermes: a bill from 1959 and a menu of two dinners held in 1963 and 1965 demonstrate what has been said, in which the wording "tiramisu" clearly appears.

The Final Verdict on the Origins of Tiramisu

Friuli Venezia Giulia proved to have the upper hand in this last Savoyard conflict, also thanks to the publication of the book by Clara and Gigi Padovani, "History, curiosities, interpretations of the most loved Italian dessert". After years of more or less valid controversies, tiramisu today officially falls into the list of traditional Friuli Venezia Giulia's agri-food products: but Veneto warns and promises to fight once again.

Why is Tiramisu so Important to Italy?

Tiramisu, beyond its delightful layers of espresso-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese, and cocoa, holds a cherished spot in Italy's rich culinary tapestry. Its significance stems not just from its deliciousness but from its embodiment of Italian culinary tradition, blending local ingredients and innovative techniques. Tiramisu captures the essence of Italian dessert-making, balancing flavors and textures with elegance and simplicity. It's a testament to the Italian ethos of using high-quality, regional ingredients to create dishes that tell a story of their heritage. Tiramisu has transcended its humble beginnings to become a global ambassador for Italian desserts, celebrated for its comforting, yet sophisticated profile, and its ability to bring a touch of Italian luxury to tables around the world. Its importance to Italy lies not only in its popularity but in its representation of the creativity and passion that Italian cuisine is renowned for.