Roberto 'Loli' Linguanotto, 'Father of Tiramisu,' dies at 81

Renowned pastry chef Roberto ‘Loli’ Linguanotto, celebrated as the 'father of Tiramisu,' passed away on Sunday at the age of 81. Linguanotto, who had been battling an unspecified illness, is credited with inventing the iconic tiramisu dessert.

The Italian chef reportedly created tiramisu in the early 1970s while working at Alle Beccherie, a well-known restaurant in Treviso, northern Italy. Locals say Linguanotto and Alba di Pillo-Campeol, the wife of the restaurant's owner Ado Campeol, perfected the coffee-flavored dessert by accident. The popular origin story suggests Linguanotto accidentally dropped mascarpone into a bowl of sugar and eggs, and Alba later added ladyfingers soaked in espresso to complete the recipe.

Originally named ‘Tirame Sù,’ meaning ‘pick me up’ in Italian, tiramisu was made with just six ingredients: eggs, savoiardi (ladyfingers), sugar, mascarpone, coffee, and cocoa. “In no time, that dessert became a staple at Le Beccherie. It was served on a round tray with ladyfingers soaked in coffee, and two layers of cream and mascarpone,” journalist Gigi Padovani, a close friend of Linguanotto, wrote in his book ‘Tiramisù,’ co-authored with his wife Clara.

The recipe was first published in a Treviso gastronomic magazine in 1983. According to Padovani, “Le Beccherie then took it to Venice and later spread it around the world. From the 1990s onwards, the dessert became famous everywhere.”

As news of Linguanotto's death spread, tributes poured in on social media. “I join in mourning the passing of Roberto Linguanotto, who made a significant impact in the world of pastry. Tiramisù today is a culinary excellence recognised throughout the world and the credit for such a success also goes to Linguanotto’s mastery as a pastry chef and his desire to make our Venetian delicacy unique and inimitable, making tiramisù stand out among national and international desserts,” said Luca Zaia, governor of the Veneto region.