97. Tirami sù (Cont.)

Tirami sù is actually a contemporary revision of a traditional Italian dessert called zuppa inglese (English soup), named because English artists living in Florence were particularly fond of it. Zuppa inglese contains ingredients similar to tirami sù , substituting custard for the mascarpone. The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink credits the El Toulà restaurant in Treviso with originating the dessert in the 1960s. It took a while for its fame to spread, but in the 1980s it became a popular menu item in San Francisco's North Beach Italian restaurants and has now become a staple at Italian restaurants everywhere.

What does tirami sù taste like? Let me quote from Craig Miyamoto, who describes himself as a "self-styled, self-proclaimed, semi-professional tirami sù gourmet" on the aforementioned tirami sú web site he created and maintains:

"Imagine that you're dressed in gossamer. You have delicate white wings and are sitting on a fluffy cloud. You are experiencing the greatest dessert ecstasy of your life. You are in Heaven, and Heaven is in your mouth."