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Tiramisù is one of the favourite desserts of the Italians. It is a cool, refreshing dessert that once tasted leaves an indelible impression on you.

Tiramisù has a very fascinating history and two Italian regions Tuscany and Veneto, contend for its paternity.
The most reliable legend says that the dessert was initially created in Siena, in the northwestern Italian province of Tuscany at the end of the 17th century. The occasion was a visit by Grand Duke Cosimo de' Medici III, who was also known for having “a sweet tooth” and in whose honor the dessert was created and named after: “zuppa del duca” (the "duke's soup").
The duke was enthousiast about the dessert and so brought its recipe back with him to Florence. In the 19th Century, zuppa del duca became popular among the English intellectuals and artists who lived there. Consequently, it is also known as “Zuppa Inglese”. They took the dessert to England, where its popularity grew. Zuppa del duca eventually made its way to Treviso, just northwest of Venice, in the northeastern province of Veneto. Treviso is best know for its canals, frescoes and of course...Tiramisù.

Stories are told about how Tiramisù was the favorite of Venice's courtesans, who attributed to the dessert aphrodisiacs properties and for this reason used to eat it before any of their amorous encounters to “fortify” themselves. That’s how the “zuppa del Duca” became “Tiramisù” which literally means "pick me up"! Probably the type of the ingredients used for its preparation let it gain “aphrodisiacs and exciting” properties.
True?! Who knows... Anyway it makes for a colorful history.

The original recipe called for custard and only recently has mascarpone cheese (which is a fresh cream cheese) been substituted. The basic ingredients are eggs, mascarpone cheese, ladyfingers, cream, espresso coffee, liquor (brandy, marsala, rum are some of the spirits used) a little bit of sugar and cocoa or shaved chocolate.