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Italy bids farewell to pastry chef who invented Tiramisù

By: Wanted in Rome

Date:

29 Jul, 2024

Tiramisù origins can be traced to restaurant in Treviso.

Roberto 'Loli' Linguanotto, the Italian pastry chef credited with inventing the popular dessert Tiramisù, died on Sunday at the age of 81.

Regarded as the "father of tiramisù", Linguanotto created the culinary classic in the early 1970s while working at Alle Beccherie, a restaurant in Treviso in northern Italy.

The story goes that Linguanotto perfected the recipe together with Alba Di Pillo, who along with her husband Ado Campeol ran the Beccherie, after several years of experimentation.

Made with six ingredients - eggs, savoiardi, sugar, mascarpone, coffee and cocoa - the dessert was originally christened "Tirame Sù'' (later Tiramisù), a name that translates as "pick me up".

Earlier variations of the dessert can be traced back to the early 19th century - according to the Accademia del Tiramisù - to “sbatudin”, a mix of egg yolk beaten together with sugar which was renowned for its aphrodisiac qualities.

How to make the perfect tiramisù

Linguanotto's modern-day version of the dish was added to the restaurant's menu formally in 1972 but the recipe did not appear in print until it featured in a 1983 issue of a local food magazine.

Paying tribute to Linguanotto, the governor of the Veneto region Luca Zaia said: "Tiramisù today is a culinary excellence recognised throughout the world and the credit for such a success also goes to [Linguanotto's] mastery as a pastry chef and his desire to make our Venetian delicacy unique and inimitable, making tiramisù stand out among national and international desserts''.

In addition to its worldwide fame, a recent survey found that tiramisù is the favourite dessert of eight out of 10 Italians.