Tiramisu is a very popular Italian desert that has a very rich and distinctive taste. It has recently been adapted into a number of different desert styles, and is becoming a recognisable taste in a number of desert and pudding products. Tiramisu is traditionally made from savoiardi biscuits that have been dipped in coffee, along with a mixture of egg yolks, mascarpone, sugar, honey, club soda, and cocoa. As well as being made partly from coffee, it is also often eaten together with coffee and alcoholic drinks in an after dinner setting. Tiramisu is one of the most popular and widely eaten Italian cakes of all time, and enjoys popularity all over the world in countries far away from its traditional homeland.
Coffee pod products are sometimes used to make tirimasu, as are individual ground coffee blend mixtures from coffee grinders and coffee machines. As is often the case with popular recipes that enjoy international popularity, the exact origins of tirimasu are debatable. There is no official documented reference of the desert prior to 1983, making it difficult for people to successfully pinpoint its exact origin. Several independent authorities claim that tirimasu was invented at Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso, although other authorities claim that it comes from the city of Siena. The first account of its invention in Treviso is likely, as the maiden name of the god-daughter and apprentice chef of confectioner Roberto Linguanotto – Francesca Valori, was Tiramisu. It is said that the master confectioner named the desert in honour of his god-daughter, and the number and quality of independent claims make this story highly likely.
The phrase ‘tirama su’ literally means ‘pick me up’, giving some clue as to the importance of coffee in the original recipe. The choice of which coffee to use is one of the key factors when making tiramisu, and different chefs prefer different coffee beans and coffee products to use while they are cooking. The fairly recent invention of coffee pod products has provided people with another alternative coffee product to use, as pods are a great way to get access to high grade coffee in an easy way. Tiramisu is a very popular recipe that shows no sign of losing its appeal around the world. Its distinctive taste and rich flavour make tiramisu stand out from other contemporary baking cake and desert recipes, and it truly stands alone in terms of taste, texture, and appeal.