Tiramisu

Lore & Background

Tiramisu seems to have been invented in the late 1960s or early 1970s, but where and when exactly is unclear. Some believe the recipe was derived from sbatudin, a simpler dessert made of egg yolks and sugar. Others argue it originated from another dish, dolce Torino. The tiramisu recipe is not found in cookbooks before the 1960s. It is mentioned in a Sydney Morning Herald restaurant column published in 1978. It is not mentioned in encyclopaedias and dictionaries of the 1970s, first appearing in an Italian dictionary in 1980, and in English in 1982. It is mentioned in a 1983 cookbook devoted to cooking of the Veneto region.

Obituaries for the restaurateur Ado Campeol (1928–2021) reported that tiramisu was invented at his restaurant Le Beccherie in Treviso on 24 December 1969 by his wife Alba di Pillo (1929–2021) and the pastry chef Roberto Linguanotto (1943–2024). The dish was added to its menu in 1972. At the time of Campeol's death in October 2021, the Le Beccherie restaurant credited Linguanotto as the creator of the tiramisu. It has been claimed that tiramisu has aphrodisiac effects and was concocted by a 19th-century Treviso brothel madam, as the Accademia Del Tiramisù explains, to 'solve the problems they may have had with their conjugal duties on their return to their wives'.

Reader's Guide

Tiramisu's significance lies in its rapid rise from a regional Italian dessert to an internationally recognised culinary icon. Its origins are disputed, with competing claims from Treviso, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Siena, and possible precursors such as sbatudin, dolce Torino, zuppa inglese, and a 1938 tiremesù from Pieris. The most widely reported origin story credits Ado Campeol, Alba di Pillo, and Roberto Linguanotto at Le Beccherie in Treviso on 24 December 1969. The dessert's name, meaning 'pick me up', reflects its coffee and sugar content. Its legacy includes numerous variations—using alcohol, different fruits, or alternative biscuits—and ongoing debates over authenticity. In 2013, the President of Veneto sought EU protected status for the original 1970 ingredients. In 2017, tiramisu was listed as a traditional Friulian and Giulian agri-food product. The dessert's adaptability and cultural resonance have made it a staple in both home and professional cooking worldwide.

Did You Know?

• The name tiramisu comes from the Italian 'tirami su', meaning 'pick me up' or 'cheer me up'.
• The earliest known mention of tiramisu in print is a 1978 Sydney Morning Herald restaurant column.
• Obituaries for Ado Campeol reported that tiramisu was invented at his restaurant Le Beccherie in Treviso on 24 December 1969.
• Tiramisu was added to the list of traditional agri-food products of the Veneto region in 2019.