Italian pastry chef Roberto "Loli" Linguanotto, considered to be the inventor of the iconic tiramisu dessert, died this week at the age of 81. Linguanotto worked at the Le Beccherie restaurant in the city of Treviso, Italy, and the creation of the popular dessert is attributed to him and Alba Campeol, the wife of the restaurant's owner, Ado Campeol.
There are several possible known sources of the famous Italian dessert, and its origin is disputed. It may date back to the 19th century or even the 17th century, but it became famous mainly in the 20th century.
The most widely accepted origin is that of Linguanotto, who was said to have accidentally mixed mascarpone cheese with egg yolks and sugar while preparing vanilla ice cream. Linguanotto and Campeol recognized the potential of the resulting creamy texture and added coffee-soaked ladyfingers.
The mixture was then finished with a touch of cocoa powder, and thus tiramisu was born. The dessert first appeared on Le Beccherie's menu in 1972 and became an instant hit.
Gigi Padovani, a journalist and close friend of Linguanotto, wrote a book titled "Tiramisu" with his wife, Clara. "In no time, that dessert became a staple at Le Beccherie," he told the British Sun.
"It was served on a round tray with ladyfingers soaked in coffee, and two layers of cream and mascarpone. A few years later, in 1983, the tiramisu recipe was published in a Treviso gastronomic magazine for the first time. Le Beccherie then took it to Venice and later spread it around the world. From the 1990s onward, the dessert became famous everywhere,” he added.
Linguanotto worked in many restaurants around the world until he retired and returned to his birthplace, Veneto. The region’s president paid tribute to him this week: " Today, tiramisu is a globally recognized culinary excellence. Much of its success is due to his skill as a pastry chef and his dedication to making our Venetian delicacy unique and inimitable. He elevated tiramisu to the forefront of both national and international desserts.”