THE MYSTERY (AND HISTORY) OF TIRAMISU - Osteria Via Stato (2024)

The beloved Tiramisu is one of the most popular desserts in Italian-American culture. With it’s sponge-like texture and coffee-soaked flavor, Tiramisu, which translated to “pick me up”, is a favorite on many a Chicago Italian restaurant menu.

THE MYSTERY (AND HISTORY) OF TIRAMISU - Osteria Via Stato (1)

Canals Of Venice

Surprisingly, Tiramisu is not as ancient as Rome. This Dolce has an interesting history harking back to the 1960s. Even more surprising, Tiramisu didn’t become popular with Americans until the 1980s. So where did Tiramisu originate? It appears that there are several different thoughts on how the Italian “aphrodisiac” came to be. Let’s dive in.

According to some, Tiramisu was first invented in Veneto, at a tiny restaurant known as “Le Beccherie.” The owner, Robert Linguanotto, created a “simple” dessert that let the flavors speak for themselves. The traditional ingredients are egg yolks, sugar, mascarpone, cocoa powder, coffee, finger biscuits, and often times, coffee liquor. Although the core ingredients still remain the same, this dish is often tweaked from chef to chef.

THE MYSTERY (AND HISTORY) OF TIRAMISU - Osteria Via Stato (2)

Tiramisu is also known to have quite an interesting history in Italian brothels. It is believed that the dessert was created inside the brothels of Treviso, to act as a pleasure-seeking aid to clients. Since tiramisu is commonly known to be an aphrodisiac – and has incredibly high caffeine content, it was served to clients in hopes to profit off of the enhancements that came along with the energizing dessert. An additional tale says that a woman, after visiting a brothel with her husband-to-be, used the dessert to stay awake on sleepless nights with her first newborn. She shared the recipe with a chef at “Le Beccherie” and they perfected the dish, serving it to many delighted guests. The rest is history.

THE MYSTERY (AND HISTORY) OF TIRAMISU - Osteria Via Stato (3)

Although the true history of tiramisu is still unclear, one thing is for sure – it is a dish that will leave your senses enlightened, your heart happy, and your stomach wanting more. At Osteria Via Stato, we make our tiramisu with Vermont Mascarpone, espresso-soaked ladyfingers, and topped with Valrhona Cocoa, resulting in a delicious twist on the traditional Italian dessert.

THE MYSTERY (AND HISTORY) OF TIRAMISU - Osteria Via Stato (4)

Osteria Via Stato is an Italian restaurant in the River North neighborhood of Chicago. We pride ourselves on using seasonal ingredients, local producers and an all Italian wine list boasting over 300 labels. Join us for lunch or dinner for warm Italian hospitality and a sense of la dolce vida!

THE MYSTERY (AND HISTORY) OF TIRAMISU - Osteria Via Stato (2024)

FAQs

What is the summary of tiramisu? ›

Tiramisu (Italian: tiramisù) is an Italian dessert made of ladyfinger pastries (savoiardi) dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar and mascarpone and flavoured with cocoa. The recipe has been adapted into many varieties of cakes and other desserts.

What is the history and origin of tiramisu? ›

A Short History of Tiramisu

Tiramisu, also known as “Tuscan Trifle,” is a delicious Italian custard-like dessert originating in the region of Treviso, Italy. The origins of this dessert have long been disputed, but research suggests that it originated in the late 1960's or early 1970's.

What is the literal meaning of a tiramisu CodyCross? ›

The literal meaning of Tiramisù in Italian is “pick me up” or “cheer me up”.

What does the word tiramisu mean in Italian? ›

What is Tiramisu? The literal meaning of Tiramisu in Italian is “pick me up” or “cheer me up”.

What is special about tiramisu? ›

The delicate flavor of layers of mascarpone and Italian custard are contrasted with the darkly robust presence of espresso and sharpness of cocoa powder. The name itself, tiramisu, means “pick me up” in Italian most likely referring to the two caffeinated ingredients that are present in the dish, espresso and cocoa.

What does panna cotta mean in Italy? ›

Panna cotta means “cooked cream” in Italy, and that's essentially what the base is: heated heavy cream (often with a little half-and-half or whole milk) set with powdered gelatin and flavored with vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.

Who made tiramisu first? ›

Ado Campeol, who owned the Italian restaurant where tiramisu was invented, dies Although his restaurant has been credited as the birthplace of the popular Italian dessert, it was actually Campeol's wife and one of Le Beccherie's chefs that apparently invented it.

Does tiramisu have caffeine? ›

Tiramisu typically uses less than half a cup of coffee for the whole cake, so the caffeine intake will be minimal. On The Gas [3] explains that tiramisu traditionally includes coffee or espresso as one of its ingredients. The ladyfingers in tiramisu are soaked in coffee to soften them.

Which alcohol is in tiramisu? ›

Tiramisu can have a variety of different types of alcohol inside, however the most common alcohol in tiramisu is dark rum. Other common types of alcohol used in tiramisu is marsala wine, amaretto, or coffee liquor.

Why is tiramisu called pick me up? ›

Tiremi su in the local dialect literally translates to “pick me up”. One of the stories of its origin traces back to a crafty “pleasure house” owner whipping this coffee spiked dessert for the gentlemen to reinvigorate them and solve any problems in performing their conjugal duties upon return to their wives.

What was the original name of tiramisu? ›

Treviso places the source of tiramisu, initially called “Tiremesù”, at the end of the 1960s at the restaurant “Le Beccherie”, from an idea by pastry chef Loly Linguanotto to rework a typical Venetian dessert, the Sbatudin, a mixture of egg yolks whipped with sugar.

Why does tiramisu mean pick me up? ›

The word tiramisu means pick me up or lift me up, probably because of the invigorating effect of coffee. To me just thinking of tiramisu lifts me up. Traditionally tiramisu was made without egg whites and alcohol. Today there are many varieties, some containing egg whites, which makes the texture lighter.

What is the spiritual meaning of tiramisu? ›

Based on the Acts of the Apostles reading from the Octave Day of Easter, one could say that the holy Eucharist is like tiramisu (which literally means “lift me up”) in the worship and life of a Christian.

What does cannoli mean in English? ›

cannoli in American English

(kəˈnouli, Italian kɑːnˈnɔli) plural noun. Italian Cookery. tubular pastry shells stuffed with a sweetened filling of whipped ricotta and often containing nuts, citron, or bits of chocolate.

What is brownies in Italian? ›

brownie (dolcetto al cioccolato)

How would you describe tiramisu on a menu? ›

Tiramisù is a velvety mélange of savoiardi cookies dipped in an espresso, layered with delicately sweetened whipped eggs and mascarpone cheese, and topped with a dusting of cocoa powder.

What is a sentence with tiramisu? ›

We finished the meal with a large piece of tiramisu. I've been looking for a really good tiramisu recipe. If you want a dessert, try the homemade tiramisu. The tiramisu is pretty good, but a little too sweet.

How are you supposed to eat tiramisu? ›

This means that using a dessert fork only is not sufficient as the liquid texture could drip through the fork. Instead, we should use a spoon for both cutting and eating, with the possible assistance from a fork to minimize the mess this dessert can create on a plate.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Otha Schamberger

Last Updated:

Views: 5954

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (75 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Otha Schamberger

Birthday: 1999-08-15

Address: Suite 490 606 Hammes Ferry, Carterhaven, IL 62290

Phone: +8557035444877

Job: Forward IT Agent

Hobby: Fishing, Flying, Jewelry making, Digital arts, Sand art, Parkour, tabletop games

Introduction: My name is Otha Schamberger, I am a vast, good, healthy, cheerful, energetic, gorgeous, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.