No one can say for certain who invented tiramisu, but the trail leads to north-east Italy in the second half of the 20th century, which makes it far younger than most people assume. The best-known claim belongs to Le Beccherie, a restaurant in Treviso in the Veneto, where it was on the menu by the early 1970s. Towns in neighbouring Friuli Venezia Giulia insist they were serving something very like it back in the 1950s. The two regions have been quarrelling politely, and occasionally not so politely, ever since, and both have evidence on their side.
A dessert younger than your grandmother
Tiramisu tastes so classic that it is tempting to picture Renaissance cooks layering it by candlelight. The records say otherwise. You won't find it in Pellegrino Artusi's great 1891 cookbook, and it seems to be absent from Italian recipe books until well into the 20th century. The name means "pick me up" or "cheer me up", from the Venetian tireme su, which suggests where to start looking.
What it did have were ancestors. Italy has a long tradition of layered spoon desserts. The best known is zuppa inglese, sponge soaked in liqueur and layered with custard. In the Veneto there is also an old habit of beating a raw egg yolk with sugar and serving it as a restorative, known in dialect as sbatudin. Put those ideas together with coffee and mascarpone, and you are most of the way to tiramisu.
The Treviso claim: Le Beccherie
Le Beccherie was run by the Campeol family, and its version of events is the one most of the world knows. As the family tell it, Alba Campeol, wife of the owner Ado Campeol, was inspired by the egg, sugar and coffee pick-me-up she was given after the birth of her son. She developed the dessert in the restaurant's kitchen with the pastry chef Roberto Linguanotto, and it appeared on the menu in the late 1960s or early 1970s. The accounts differ on the exact year.
The strongest documentary support for Treviso comes from 1981. That year the Treviso gastronome Giuseppe Maffioli wrote about tiramesù in the magazine Vin Veneto, describing it as a recent creation from Le Beccherie. It is one of the earliest known printed descriptions of the dessert. The Beccherie version is said to have contained no alcohol at all. When Ado Campeol died in 2021, obituaries around the world called him the father of tiramisu.
The Friuli claim: Tolmezzo and beyond
Friuli tells a different story, and it begins earlier. In Tolmezzo, a town in the Carnic Alps, Norma Pielli is said to have served a tiramisù cake at the Albergo Roma, the hotel she ran with her husband, in the 1950s. Another claim comes from the village of Pieris, in the province of Gorizia. In 2016 the food writers Clara and Gigi Padovani published a history of the dessert. They argued that the Friulian evidence is real and predates Treviso's.
The quarrel went national in 2017, when tiramisù was added to Italy's official list of traditional food products (prodotti agroalimentari tradizionali) under Friuli Venezia Giulia. Politicians in the Veneto protested loudly. Friuli's defenders pointed to their dates, and Treviso's pointed to Maffioli's article and to the fact that their version, the layered coffee-and-mascarpone dessert, is the one the world fell in love with.
The fairest verdict is probably a split decision. Friuli may well have the earliest "tiramisù" by name, and the dessert served today owes a great deal to Treviso. It is also possible that similar ideas surfaced in more than one kitchen in the same corner of Italy.
Legends that don't hold up
Two further stories are often repeated, and neither has any evidence behind it.
- The duke's soup. This story says tiramisu began as a zuppa del duca made in 17th-century Siena for Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici. No historical source supports it, and the tale seems to have appeared only after tiramisu became famous.
- The restorative for gentlemen. A racier anecdote claims it was served in Treviso's brothels to revive flagging clients. It makes a good after-dinner story, but it is anecdote, not history.
What goes into it
The dessert is a meeting of northern Italian staples. Savoiardi, crisp sponge fingers, take their name from the House of Savoy. Mascarpone is a soft, rich fresh cheese from Lombardy. The rest is strong espresso, eggs, sugar and a dusting of cocoa. Marsala, rum, brandy or coffee liqueur are common additions, but they are optional rather than traditional.
Making tiramisu today
- Make the coffee strong, and cool it completely. Warm coffee dissolves the biscuits on contact.
- Dip, don't soak. A second or two per side is enough. The sponge fingers keep absorbing moisture from the cream as the tiramisu rests.
- Fold the mascarpone gently. Use it at cool room temperature and fold rather than beat. Overworked mascarpone can turn grainy or split.
- Think about the eggs. Classic recipes use raw yolks and often raw whites. If you are cooking for anyone pregnant, very young, elderly or with a weakened immune system, use pasteurised eggs, or cook the yolks and sugar into a zabaglione over a pan of simmering water.
- Be patient. Give it at least six hours in the fridge, and ideally a whole night, for the layers to set and the flavours to settle.
- Add the cocoa at the last minute. Sift it over just before serving, so it stays dark and dry rather than turning damp.
From our books
The Tiramisu with Mascarpone Cream in The Vegetarian Kitchen takes the careful route. The yolks and sugar are whisked into a warm zabaglione before the mascarpone goes in, whipped cream replaces the raw whites, and the whole thing rests overnight. If you like a dessert you can make the day before, the same chapter has a Vanilla Panna Cotta Set with Agar and a Silky Dark Chocolate Mousse. The recipe finder will show you tiramisu in our other books too, including a vegan Tiramisu, a Keto Tiramisu and a Light Protein Tiramisu. You can also browse all twelve volumes.
Questions people ask
Where does tiramisu come from?
It comes from north-east Italy. Treviso in the Veneto, and in particular the restaurant Le Beccherie, has the best-known claim, dating from the late 1960s or early 1970s. Towns in Friuli Venezia Giulia claim earlier versions from the 1950s.
What does tiramisu mean?
It means "pick me up" or "cheer me up", from the Venetian dialect tireme su. The name probably refers to the energising mix of coffee, sugar and eggs.
Does tiramisu contain alcohol?
Not necessarily. The Treviso original is said to have had none. Many cooks add Marsala, rum, brandy or coffee liqueur, and all are a matter of taste.
Does tiramisu contain raw eggs?
Traditional recipes use raw eggs. You can use pasteurised eggs instead, or cook the yolks with sugar into a zabaglione first, which makes the cream safer and more stable.