October 14, 2026, 3:34 pm | Read time: 6 minutes
Founded in 2003 in Treviso, Italy, the Accademia del Tiramisù sees itself as the guardian and preserver of the country’s most beloved dessert. Invented in the Veneto region, this dessert has a storied past linked to the birth of the Italian state and, according to legend, a brothel. TRAVELBOOK tells the story of the dessert and its academy and reveals the ingredients needed for an authentic tiramisu.
It’s more than just a cliché that Italians are passionate people. This passion is especially evident when it comes to food. The Italian cuisine, simple and fresh, has long conquered the world. This is also true for the country’s most popular dessert, the wonderfully creamy tiramisu. A dessert so famous that since 2003, an organization has taken on its protection and preservation. This is the Accademia del Tiramisù, founded in Treviso in Veneto. It is now widely accepted that the legendary dessert originated there. Some even say it might have originally been created in a brothel in the city.
According to the official website of the Accademia del Tiramisù, its history begins around the second half of the 19th century. Its roots likely lie in another dessert, the so-called “Sbatutin.” A fairly simple cream made from egg yolk and sugar, enjoyed mainly by farming families in the countryside. People then enriched it with individual additional ingredients such as liqueur, cocoa, coffee, wine, biscuits, cream, ricotta, and/or butter. However, it would take some time before the development of the recipe now recognized as traditional tiramisu. A predecessor of the world-famous dessert first appeared in 1902 in the chronicle “La scienza in cucina e l’arte del mangiar bene” by Pellegrino Artusi.
Patriotic Dessert
Artusi describes the “Biscottini Puerperal,” a spoon dessert made from egg yolk, sugar, and unsweetened cocoa. Some of the same ingredients are found in tiramisu today. The “real” version consists of exactly six ingredients: sugar, egg yolk, mascarpone, unsweetened cocoa, mocha coffee, and Savoiardi, or ladyfingers. These were a decidedly patriotic contribution from supporters of the Italian state, which was still in formation in the mid-19th century. The name Savoiardi points to the local origin of the biscuits from the House of Savoy in Piedmont.
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Another essential ingredient, mascarpone, originally comes from Lombardy. By using these typical regional additions, people identified with the idea of Italy, where previously, especially in wealthier homes, ingredients were often used for tiramisu that harked back to the Viennese confectionery tradition of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Perhaps the name of the dessert, originally called “Tire-me-su” in the Venetian dialect, also dates from this time. This means something like “pick me up” or “give me strength.” However, the treat is also colloquially known as the “dessert of sin.” And that has a somewhat risqué background.
Origin in a Brothel?
According to one legend, tiramisu might have originally been born in the old town of Treviso, specifically in a well-known brothel at the time. The dessert was reportedly served to visiting gentlemen at the end of a long evening with the phrase “Adesso ve tiro su mi.” Translated, this means “Now I will pick you up again.” What exactly was meant to be picked up is not recorded. However, the dessert could also have been created in its current form at the local restaurant “Tre Scalini.” Chronicles securely mention the first appearance of the dessert at a confectionery level in 1947.
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In 1970, tiramisu was first offered on the menu of today’s restaurant “Le Beccherie” in Treviso. The Accademia Italiana della Cucina officially recognized the recipe, and thus a legend was born. The same recipe, which the establishment still uses today, was recorded in 1983 as the only true and universally valid one in the work “La cucina trevigiana” (The Cuisine of Treviso). On April 12, 2003, the Accademia del Tiramisù was founded in the city, which still oversees this standard. According to its official website, its mission is to “make known the true geographical origin and the authentic ingredients of the traditional recipe, following the principles of historical, cultural, and gastronomic transmission.”
Global Icon
Tiziano Taffarello, president of the sweet academy, says in response to a TRAVELBOOK inquiry: “The idea to found the Accademia del Tiramisù matured in me about 30 years ago. Over the years, we have involved high-profile personalities and experts in our structure to comprehensively research the ‘Tiramisu phenomenon’: historians, chefs and pastry chefs (including Olympic champions), ice cream world champions, university lecturers and professors, sociologists, chemists, tasters, food bloggers, photographers, and brand ambassadors. Our strength lies precisely in this multidisciplinarity.” The commitment is based on voluntary work and the passion of the staff.
“We continuously dedicate ourselves to historical research, cultural transmission, organizing events, responding to international press inquiries, and supporting scientific and academic work. In addition, we organize and accompany television features, masterclasses, showcookings, teambuilding events, tiramisu competitions, and provide jury members for corresponding competitions.” Anyone who shares the passion for tiramisu can apply for membership. However, full membership requires training, a knowledge test, and a probationary period. Tiramisu is a “global and identity-forming icon.”
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Sweet Thesis
The popular dessert received a special honor in 2012 in the form of the first thesis worldwide on the subject. At the University of Trento, a woman defended her study “Cultural Experiences in Italian Oenogastronomic Tourism: Treviso, the city of Tiramisù.” Historical evidence and a comprehensive bibliography proved once again that the world-famous dessert indeed originates from Treviso. A second comparable work on the subject comes from the University of Udine. In 2024, the tiramisu from Treviso will be honored with the “Prodotto Agroalimentare Tradizionale” seal, meaning “traditional food product.”
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Flagship of Gastronomy
Even today, in the city, both tiramisu and its original form, “Sbatutin,” are popular. Young mothers, children, and the elderly are still given Savoiardi as a sign of affection. The Accademia del Tiramisù currently has 16 members. In addition to internationally renowned pastry chefs and chefs, scientists are also on board. The self-proclaimed academy offers training and events on the dessert. Those who use the recipe guarded by the consortium can also have their restaurant or pastry shop certified accordingly. This recipe can, of course, also be found on the official website.
Regarding the reasons for such dedication to the dessert, Taffarello says: “Tiramisu is the world’s most famous Italian dessert and a flagship of our gastronomy–even more so now that Italian cuisine was recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO in 2026. It is inextricably linked with the city of Treviso: It connects the region’s history with its people and is an integral part of Venetian folk culture. For us, it is a true calling card in the world: Tiramisu is synonymous with Treviso.”
Moreover, it is a significant economic factor, generating annual revenues of more than 350 million euros in the Italian market alone. “Many tourists come to Treviso to taste the ‘real’ original tiramisu, visit the city’s historical sites, and walk in the footsteps of the personalities who shaped its history.”