Ado Campeol, known as “the father of Tiramisu” by Italian media, died at the age of 93. Campeol was the owner of Alle Beccherie, a restaurant where the famous dessert was invented by his wife and him. The restaurant is located in northern Italy.
Tiramisu is a dessert that features coffee-soaked biscuits and mascarpone. It was added to the restaurant’s menu in 1972 but was never patented by the family, BBC reported.
Since its invention, the dessert has not only become a staple of Italian cuisine but also has been adapted by chefs worldwide.
Regarding the origin of tiramisu, there have been a long-running dispute. One of the claims suggests that the dessert was served as an aphrodisiac at a brothel in the north Italian city of Trevisio.
However, in a widely accepted claim, it is said that dessert was developed in Campeol’s restaurant in the city.
Luca Zaia, governor of the Veneto region, tweeted that the city had “[lost] another star in its food and wine history”.
The restaurant, Alle Beccherie, was kick-started by Campeol’s family in 1939. The chef took over the reins of the restaurant after the end of World War II.
BCC reports that Robert Linguanotto, the dessert’s co-inventor, the dessert was an accidental creation. They were aiming to make vanilla ice cream.
“Linguanotto dropped some mascarpone cheese into a bowl of eggs and sugar, and after he noticed the mixture’s pleasant taste,” the BCC reported.
The chef pair then created the dessert by adding ladyfinger sponges soaked in coffee, and sprinkling it with cocoa – calling it Tireme Sù. In English, it means “pick me up”.
The dish first appeared in print in a 1981 issue of Veneto, a local publication. Since then, it is Italy’s best-known dessert.
There are variants of tiramisu. Some feature alcohol like rum or marsala. However, the original recipe that was certified by the Italian Academy of Cuisine in 2010, was alcohol-free. It was intended to be child-friendly.