Tiramisu: history, original recipe and secrets of the most famous Italian dessert

Tiramisu: the true story between Veneto and Friuli

The origins of  tiramisu remain the most delicious dispute of Italian gastronomy, between Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia:

• the oldest trace links tiramisù to  sbatudin, a Venetian peasant cream from Treviso made of egg yolk and sugar, used as a restorative and cited by Pellegrino Artusi in the sixth edition of the manual Science in the kitchen and the art of eating well (1902) together with the 'Biscottini puerperali' of Conegliano;

• the gastronomic writers Clara and Gigi Padovani, on the other hand, after two years of archival research, identified four original recipes, pinpointing prototypes dating back to 1930s-1950s both in Pieris of San Canzian d’Isonzo in Venezia Giulia, and in Tolmezzo in Friuli (Padovani & Padovani, 2016);

• the current recipe was codified between 1971 and 1972 in  Treviso, at the restaurant ‘Le Beccherie’ in Piazzetta Ancillotto, where the pastry chef Roberto ‘Loly’ Linguanotto and the owner Alba Campeol included it on the menu under the name  tiramisu (Maffioli & Toffolo, 1981; Italian Academy of Cuisine, 2010).

• in 1981 Giuseppe Maffioli, on the wine-gastronomic magazine  Vin Veneto, historicized the preparation localizing it at Le Beccherie and defined tiramisu as a dessert of Austro-Hungarian style, a refined variant of English trifle (Maffioli, 1983). Already at that time the writer Giovanni Comisso remembered his Treviso grandmother Giuseppina Tiretta who ate the  tirame-sospiro-sù as a winter dinner, testimony of an oral circulation of the dessert well before its written codification;

• on October 15, 2010 three delegates of theItalian Academy of Cuisine notarized (n. 7947, notary Lorenzo Ferretto, Treviso) the recipe of Le Beccherie as official gastronomic heritage;

• The  Friuli-Venezia Giulia obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture the registration of tiramisu among the regional Traditional Agri-food Products (PAT) in 2017, while Veneto obtained PAT recognition in 2024.

Authentic ingredients for the true Tiramisu recipe

For an authentic tiramisu, the choice of ingredients Made in Italy is crucial:

• the velvety mascarpone from Lombardy;

• i ladyfingers authentic, sufficiently porous to absorb coffee without falling apart;

• The  100% arabica coffee of Italian blend, left to cool;

• the  organic eggs fresh;

• the  granulated sugar fine;

• The  unsweetened cocoa of quality, powdered.

The traditional recipe for 6–8 people, according to the dictates of the Italian Academy of Cuisine, recipe ‘Le Beccherie‘ (notarized 2010):

• 300 g Lombard mascarpone;

• 3 egg yolks (or 60 g pasteurized);

• 90 g granulated sugar;

• savoiardi, as needed;

• strong unsweetened coffee, cold, as needed;

• unsweetened cocoa powder as needed

Beat the yolks with the sugar until you get a clear and frothy cream. Gently fold in the mascarpone until you have a soft and homogeneous consistency. Quickly dip the savoiardi in cold coffee — without soaking them too much — and arrange them in an even layer in a baking dish. Cover with half the cream, repeat the savoiardi layer, and finish with the remaining cream. Refrigerate for at least 10 hours. Generously dust with sifted unsweetened cocoa only at the time of serving.The original shape of Beccherie wascircular, served in slices on a silver tray.

Nutritional profile: conscious pleasure

For 100 g of classic tiramisu, about 300–354 kcal are estimated, with 19–23 g of fats (of which 12–14 g saturated from mascarpone), 25–30 g of carbohydrates (16–19 g sugars), 5 g of proteins and 0.3–0.4 g of fiber. Caffeine and theobromine from cocoa contribute to the well-known tonic effect — the true ‘pick-me-up’ of the name — while the high lipid profile requires moderation within a balanced Mediterranean diet.

Regional variants: Italy reinterprets itself without overturning

Tuscany and Umbria propose the  tiramisu with cantucci, also soaked in Vin Santo DOC: the almond biscuits replace the ladyfingers, giving a crunchier texture and wine notes. In Sicily, the variant with  pistachio from Bronte o from Raffadali DOP: green cream, toasted granules, no coffee. Summer versions with berries or raspberries keep the base structure but lighten the aromatic intensity. In all cases, the mascarpone–egg–sugar triad remains unchanged, guaranteeing global recognizability.

Food safety and innovation in industrial Tiramisu

In artisanal and industrial production of tiramisu it is essential to guarantee microbiological stability of the product, considering a high water activity (a_w) and the possible use of raw animal-origin ingredients (eggs).

Food safety is ensured through compliance with good hygienic practices and two essential requirements:

• egg pasteurization. The use of pasteurized egg yolk is the indispensable standard to prevent the risk of Salmonella contamination. The ‘pâte à bombe’ technique (pouring sugar cooked at 121°C onto yolks while whipping) can also be used for microbiological stability, maintaining the frothy texture;

• cold chain. It is essential to continuously keep the product at a temperature between 0°C and +4°C, or at a temperature equal to or below -18°C for frozen or deep-frozen tiramisus.

Ready-to-Eat Tiramisu: technologies and stability of Made in Italy

The extreme popularity of tiramisu, combined with the growing demand for practical consumption services and solutions, has favored the large-scale spread of ‘ready-to-eat’ versions, segmenting the market among fresh, frozen, and ‘shelf-stable’ (long shelf life) products.

This market evolution has stimulated the Italian food industry to develop recipes and technologies suitable to ensure that creaminess and flavor balance remain unchanged ‘from factory to fork’, from packaging to the table of the global consumer.

To achieve these standards, research has focused on two fronts:

• the use of functional ingredients and natural origin additives able to preserve the characteristic organoleptic properties of tiramisù without unnecessarily extending the ingredient list, following a ‘Clean Label’ logic;

• the addition of ingredients such as cream, skimmed milk powder, water, coffee extract, maltodextrins, to optimize the cream’s stability as well as reduce sugar and fat contents, aiming to optimize nutritional profiles.

Technical comparison and basic ingredients

Natural thickeners

The Italian food industry selects plant-derived hydrocolloids to manage free water (a_w) and prevent loss of cream consistency:

• native starches (rice, corn, tapioca): used to bind moisture released by coffee-soaked ladyfingers, preventing the base from becoming overly soft;

• agar-agar (E406): extracted from red algae, it is a remarkable thermoreversible gelling agent. It allows a compact but melting-in-the-mouth structure, ideal for portioned tiramisù that must maintain perfect shape even outside the refrigerator during service;

• carob seed flour (E410): Extracted from carob seeds, it is excellent for preventing syneresis (whey separation) in mascarpone, ensuring a velvety texture over time.

Buying guide for foodies and international buyers

For conscious consumers the ideal choice is oriented towards Ready-to-Enjoy ingredients and products strictly Made in Italy. The favored choice concerns the organic, with particular attention to mascarpone, eggs and Coffee – preferably ‘fair trade‘.

The team of  GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade) supports international buyers in selecting Italian suppliers of excellent ingredients and tiramisu, focusing on authenticity, sustainability, production capacity and logistics, compliance with regulations for export in different countries.

Conclusions

Tiramisu is a perfect case study in Italian agri-food branding: it arises from ingredients not strictly regional (the mascarpone is Lombard, the savoiardi Piedmontese, the imported coffee roasted in Italy), yet it becomes an unmistakable symbol of a territory and a lifestyle. Its execution simplicity, versatility, and the balance between sweet, bitter, and creamy explain its global pervasiveness. Investing in authentic Made in Italy ingredients is the most effective choice to ensure full fidelity to the recipeoriginal and a flawless success of the final result.

Dario Dongo

References

• Italian Academy of Cuisine, Treviso Delegation. (2010).  Notarial deed no. 7947: research on the preparation of ‘Tirame Su’ [Document filed with notary Lorenzo Ferretto, Treviso]

• Artusi, P. (1902).  Science in the kitchen and the art of eating well (6th ed.). Landi. [First ed. 1891]

• Maffioli, G. (1983).  Treviso cuisine: history and recipes. Franco Muzzio Publisher. ISBN 88-7021-212-2

• Maffioli, G., & Toffolo, A. (1981). Tiramesù.  Vin Veneto: quarterly magazine of wine, grappa, gastronomy and various humanity of Veneto, (1), year VII

• Padovani, C. V., & Padovani, G. (2016).  Tiramisù: history, curiosities, interpretations of the most loved Italian dessert. Giunti Publisher. ISBN 978-88-09-82448-5

• Taffarello, T. (2024).  Tiramisù: original recipe — the true recipe of Treviso tiramisù. Academy of Tiramisù. https://www.accademiadeltiramisu.com/tiramisu-ricetta-tradizionale-e-originaria-di-treviso/