Roberto “Loli” Linguanotto, best known as the co-creator of tiramisu, has died. He died on July 28, 2024, at the age of 81. He worked at Le Beccherie, a restaurant in Treviso, northern Italy, which some consider the birthplace of this beloved Italian dessert. Although the exact origins of tiramisu are widely debated, several theories credit chef Linguanotto and Alba Di Pilo (the restaurant owner’s wife) with the invention of the classic version of tiramisu.
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Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto region, paid tribute to the chef on Instagram. He wrote, “I mourn the passing of pastry chef Roberto “Loli” Linguanotto, who marked the success of the Trevigiana and Veneta pastry shops by rediscovering and relaunching the tiramisu, a traditional product of culinary excellence recognized worldwide today. Such success is also thanks to his pastry mastery and his desire to make our Venetian cuisine unique and inimitable. To his family and friends, as well as to those who appreciated him, my closeness and sympathy are with them.” (Automatic translation)
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According to the BBC, chef Roberto Linguanotto revealed that this famous dessert was the result of an accident while making vanilla ice cream. After adding mascarpone cheese to a bowl of eggs and sugar, he told Alba about the “pleasant taste of the mixture.” The two then added ladyfingers sponges soaked in coffee and sprinkled cocoa on them, the BBC article reported.
According to Le Beccherie’s website, tiramisu was the result of a long period of experimentation by Alba and Chef Linguanotto in 1971 and 1972. Alba was first inspired to create a dessert after tasting the delicious combination of zabaglione and coffee prepared by her mother-in-law. She then sought the help of Chef Linguanotto to perfect the dish. The website also states that the original shape of tiramisu at this restaurant was circular. (Read the full recipe here).
According to reports, a 1981 issue of local food publication Veneto contained the first official mention of tiramisu as we know it today. According to renowned Italian journalist and food writer Gigi Padovani, it was the Venetians who made this dessert popular around the world.
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