Commonly mistaken by people as a Japanese dish due to the sound of its name, tiramisu is, in fact, a popular Italian dessert.
It’s made of alternating layers of savoiardi (ladyfingers in the US) sponges dipped in coffee and a whipped mixture of mascarpone (Italian triple cream cheese) and egg yolks. Sifted on top or between the layers is cocoa powder that serves as a garnish and gives a bitter taste to balance the sweetness of the cheese mixture. This recipe has been modified for many types of cakes, puddings, and other desserts.
Its origin has been the subject of debate for numerous individuals. Some say it is a version of the English zuppa, a layered dessert that is the counterpart of the English trifle. Fernando and Tina Raris, however, said in 1998 that it had been created recently. For them, while the oldest recipes for other sweets were comparable to that of tiramisu, it was first presented in Giuseppe Di Clemente’s article in 1971. There were others who believed that Francesca first prepared it in Treviso in a restaurant called Le Becherie. Valori, Roberto Linguanotto’s goddaughter, to do. The girl’s maiden name was said to be Tiramisu, hence the dessert’s name. Other people, on the other hand, affirm that its origin was in Siena, Italy.
There is even a myth that it was created in an Italian brothel, with its initial purpose of being an energy booster for tired customers.