Who Really Invented Tiramisù?
The story of the unexpected origins of Tiramisù
This is a hot topic—at least for Italians!
Who really invented the world-famous Italian dessert, tiramisù?
Everyone agrees it comes from the north, and most will say the Veneto region.
And so did we … until we visited a restaurant in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and tried this dessert 👇 called Tirime Su, also known as Coppa Vetturino.
Did it taste like the tiramisù we all know?
NO. 😳
So we asked, “Why is it called that?”
The restaurant owners told us: “This is the original recipe of the first dessert ever named Tirime Su”.
And they even showed us a pamphlet about it.
Oh.
Now, considering we literally share the stories behind Italy’s dishes, recipes, and ingredients for a living with our food experiences company Local Aromas, we thought we knew it all.
But suddenly … we were confused.
And intrigued.
🕵️♀️ Detectives Benedetta and Valeria were officially on a mission. 🕵️♀️
And this is what we discovered.
As we searched, we came across the book Tiramisù by two Italian food journalists and writers, Clara and Gigi Padovani.
They spent years reconstructing the history of this dessert, analyzing historical records, and consulting numerous sources.
Their research is considered the definitive book on the origins of tiramisù.
And guess what?
According to their findings, tiramisù did NOT originate in Veneto.
It was actually born in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. 🫢
But there are two parts to the story …
How the Name Tiramisù Originated
We have Mario Cosolo to thank for the name tiramisù.
In the 1930s, Mario was a pastry chef in the Royal Navy’s kitchen brigade (yes, Italy was once a Kingdom!). During this time, he entered a pastry competition for King Vittorio Emanuele III, and his dessert won.
When he left the Navy in 1939, Mario returned to his family’s restaurant “Al Vetturino”, in Pieris (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), and introduced this dessert under the name Coppa Vetturino.
A decade later, in the post-war era filled with hope and reconstruction, Mario renamed it Tirime Su.
Why?
Because one of his regular customers, Bruno Cimadori, jokingly hinted at its supposed aphrodisiac qualities and told him, “Tirime su!” which means “Pick me up” in the local dialect.
And the name stuck.
Where the Recipe Originated
But who actually created the first version of tiramisù?
That credit goes to Mrs. Norma Pielli in the town of Tolmezzo, also in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Here’s how it happened:
Norma and her husband, Beppe Del Fabbro, had been running “Hotel Roma” in Tolmezzo since 1947. She was known for her desserts, especially a pastry recipe from Pellegrino Artusi’s famous cookbook (Recipe no. 649, Torta Torino), which was made with ladyfingers (savoiardi), butter, and alkermes liqueur.
One day, Norma lost the recipe.
So, she decided to recreate it from memory but made a few changes.
She replaced the butter with mascarpone and swapped the alkermes for coffee.
And just like that, a new dessert was born.
Skiers from the cities of Trieste and Udine would stop at the hotel on their way back from the Dolomites just to enjoy it. She called it trancio al mascarpone (slice with mascarpone).
But that name didn’t last long.
One day, a group of skiers was eating the dessert when one of them said, “Questo qui tira veramente su!” (This really picks you up!).
Beppe turned to his wife and said, “Norma, starting tomorrow, we’re calling this dessert Tirami Su!”
And just like that, Norma’s much-loved dessert got a new name.
Shocking but True
On our mission to uncover the truth, we traveled to Pieris—the very first place where the name tiramisù was ever used.
We searched for “Ristorante Al Vetturino”, but it no longer exists.
So, we drove to Tolmezzo, deep in the Dolomites, to find “Hotel Roma”, where the original recipe was born. It’s no longer owned by Mrs. Norma’s family.
And here’s the crazy part ...
Hotel Roma doesn’t even make her original tiramisù. In fact, they don’t serve tiramisù at all.
Like … REALLY?!
We went around town asking about her tiramisù, expecting to find at least a mention, a plaque, a statue—something! But there was nothing.
No reference, no recognition, no celebration of what is now the world’s most famous and beloved dessert.
Mind. Blown. 🤯
But wait—our investigation doesn’t end here. The book we found continues its research across other regions of Italy, so the story of tiramisù is far from over.
If you want to get your hands on the original recipes for Mario’s Coppa Vetturino and Norma’s Tiramisù, join our online community, Casa Local Aromas! It’s packed with authentic recipes and everything you love about Italy.
Stay tuned!
Benedetta & Valeria