The Duke's Soup
By Anthony Pascucci (that's Guangzhou)
Updated: 2004-02-16 14:56

To most of the eating public tiramisu is just a fancy way to say cake. But for those with a discerning palate, tiramisu is not just a dessert, it's an experience of creamy richness that floats on the ongue and teases the taste buds.

Also know as 'Tuscan Trifle,' tiramisu hails from the Italian province of Tuscany. It became the favoured dessert among Venetian courtesans needing a quick 'pick me up', the literal translation of tiramisu. Apparently, these women used the dessert to refuel their energy in between amorous trysts.

It became known as 'The Duke's Soup' after the Grand Duke Cosimo De Medici III ventured into the Tuscan countryside and tiramisu territory. The dessert eventually made appearances in Florence and Venice before conquering England. Today no self-respecting Italian restaurant's dessert menu would be complete without it.

"Every restaurant in Italy serves tiramisu," says Davide Ruan, owner of Milano Ristorante and Caffee Italiana on Huangshi Dong Lu. "It's probably the most famous Western dessert in Asia."

Tiramisu's basic ingredients include mascarpone cheese, eggs, ladyfinger cakes, cream, espresso, brandy or rum, with a light siftingof cocoa or shaved chocolate on top. True mascarpone cheese is made from the milk of cows fed on grass containing a mixture of herbs and flowers. Unlike local tiramisu, Ruan claims, Milano's deluxe dessert is made from ingredients imported from Italy.

While eating can take mere seconds, the tiramisu construction process takes a whole day. Once the ingredients have been mixed, the dessert needs to set overnight in temperatyures of one to ten degrees Celsius. However, understanding is not necessarty for appeciation. Ruan says most people like it simple for the 'smooth taste'.

Some restaurants like Italian Restaurant on Huangshi Dong Lu offer two kinds of tiramisu: cream-base and cheese-filled layer cake. "Most locals prefer the cake because it's lighter and not as sweet," says Summer Xuan, a manager at Italian Restaurant.

Whether it comes in the form of cream or cheese, tiramisu connoisseurs agree that it's the texture of the dessert that keeps them coming back for more.

"I guess it's sort of a combination of texture and taste," said Tim McNamara, a Canandian chef now living in Guangzhou. "It's perversely rich and decadent."

"Drinking a cappuccino with the tiramisu really brings out the cheese taste," said Ruan. He also noted many Italian drink warm sambuca or Grappa with the dessert.

Most Italian restaurants and a growing number of cafes serve tiramisu including Milano Ristorante and Caffee Italiana, Italian Restaurant, La Casa, Miya Cafe and Antipasto. The going rate for a serving is between RMB 28-35.

This month, tiramisu lovers can get their fill of the Duke's Soup at Milano Ristorante and Caffee Italiana which is featuring a heart-shaped tiramisu topped with strawberries. The perfect pick-me-up for modern coutesans between Valentine trysts.