Foodies astounded to learn true origins of classic Italian dessert Tiramisu

27 August 2023 , 17:27

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The beloved dessert isn't anywhere near as old as you might think (Image: Getty Images/Westend61)

As far as decadent Italian desserts go, there are few more beloved dishes than Tiramisu - a delightfully boozy coffee-flavoured dessert that, when baked properly, perfectly balances the bitter notes with the sweet. Rich, luxuriously creamy, and pretty much impossible to say no to, many simply cannot imagine a time when Tiramisu wasn't listed temptingly on Italian restaurant menus the world over.

Recently however, a number of foodies have been left positively astonished to learn that the seemingly classic pud is actually a much newer recipe than you might expect, with the first one believed to have been served up as recently as the late 1960s.

As reported by Food Atlas, Tiramisu ranks among a number of iconic dishes that aren't anywhere near as old as you might think, up there with the likes of Sticky Toffee Pudding (early 1960s), Fajitas (1971), and Salmon Sushi (1980s). According to this publication, the Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia remain in dispute over who exactly was the first to whip up the pud, with some records suggesting an early version of the dish was first made in 1800, intended to be served as an aphrodisiac in a Treviso "house of pleasure".

As per general consensus however, the modern version of Tiramisu made its very first appearance in the late 1960s, although the exact wheres and whens remain a bit of a mystery to this day. The earliest documented recipe for Tiramisu was published in the 1981 spring edition of the quarterly wine and gastronomy magazine, Vin Veneto, while some believe it was first invented in Le Beccherie, a Treviso-based restaurant.

Over on Twitter, Italian food lovers have been left positively aghast to learn of the pudding's rather modern origins, with one person remarking: "It's funny to think that many traditional dishes from different countries are very recent". Expressing the feelings of many, another wrote: "I could kill for this dessert." A third simply gasped: "1960s?!"

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Although it may not be quite as ancient as fans assumed, Tiramisu has quickly become one of the most popular desserts on Earth and is today widely beloved both in Italy and overseas.

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Julia Banim