The reason for my post-dessert smile sitting in Bengaluru can be traced back to a man sitting in Italy. And the reason I silently mourn today is also for the demise of the man in Italy. Roberto Linguanotto believed to be the co-creator of Tiramisu, one of the most ubiquitous Italian desserts, breathed his last on July 28 at the age of 81. He has left behind a sweet legacy, where every bite is a doff of the hat to the ingenious pastry chef.
Roberto Linguanotto Created Tiramisu In Italy In The 1970’s
Roberto “Loli” Linguanotto died in Italy after a long-term battle with an unsuspecting illness. The pastry chef is widely credited with being the co-creator of Tiramisu in the early 1970s while working at Le Beccherie, an iconic restaurant in northern Italy’s Treviso. A popular anecdote goes that Chef Linguanotto and Alba di Pillo, the wife of the restaurant’s owner, Ado Campeol, collaborated to create a classic version of this coffee dessert, originally circular in shape.
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In a report by BBC, Chef Linguanotto had an interesting revelation about the making of this dish. He shared that tiramisu was actually created by accident. While preparing the vanilla ice cream, the Chef accidentally spilled mascarpone cheese into a bowl of sugar and eggs. Surprisingly, he found it had a “pleasant taste” and told Alba to try it too. The duo then decided to add coffee-soaked ladyfinger sponges to the mixture and sprinkled it with cocoa. Mamma Mia! That was the birth of the Tiramisu that we know today!
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Veneto Governor Writes Tribute For The Pastry Chef
Many would argue that Tiramisu actually finds its origins in Italian brothels in Treviso, where the dish was served as an aphrodisiac. Made with just six ingredients– eggs, sugar, savoiardi (ladyfinger biscuit), mascarpone, coffee and cocoa– it translates to ‘pick me up.’ But the stories that revolve around the bitter-sweet, luscious desert is exactly what makes it alluring and relevant to date.
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Luca Zaia, the governor of Veneto, Italy, took to Instagram to honour Roberto Linguanotto. He credited the late pastry chef for “rediscovering and relaunching Tiramisu.”
Le Beccheri, the birthplace of Tiramisu also posted a tribute to their pastry chef for his stellar contributions to inventing the dessert.
There’s no better way to celebrate this legend and his culinary invention than to tuck into a plate of Tiramisu, with gratitude.
Cover Image Courtesy: @zaiaufficiale/ Instagram and Canva Pro
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