Fight over tiramisu – what was the original recipe?

There is some debate regarding the origin of Tiramisu. Accounts by Carminantonio Iannaccone and Nathan Lopez (as researched and written about by The Washington Post) establish the creation of Tiramisu by him on 24 December 1969 in Via Sottotreviso while he was head chef at Treviso, near Venice.

Alternatively, it may have originated as a variation of another layered dessert, Zuppa Inglese. It is mentioned in Giovanni Capnist's 1983 cookbook I Dolci Del Veneto,[5] while Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary gives 1982 as the first mention of the dessert. Other sources report the creation of the cake to have originated in the city of Siena.] Some confectioners were said to have created it in honour of Cosimo III on the occasion of his visit to the country.

The translation of the name Italian tiramisù (tirami sù) means “pick-me-up” (metaphorically, “make me happy”). This may refer to the caffeine in the espresso and effect of cocoa used in the recipe.