Zuppa inglese
 A slice of zuppa inglese | |
| Course | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Main ingredients | Sponge cake or savoiardi, alchermes, custard |
Zuppa inglese (/ˈzuːpə ɪŋˈɡleɪzeɪ, ˈsuː-/ ZOO-pə ing-GLAY-zay, SOO-, Italian: [ˈdzuppa iŋˈɡleːze, ˈtsu-, -eːse]; lit. 'English soup') is an Italian dessert with layers of custard and sponge cake dipped in liqueur, perhaps derived from trifle.
To make zuppa inglese, either sponge cake or ladyfingers are dipped in alchermes, a bright red, extremely aromatic Italian herbal liqueur. They are then alternated with layers of crema pasticcera, a thick egg custard cooked with a large piece of lemon zest (removed afterwards). Often, a layer of crema al cioccolato is created by dissolving dark chocolate in a plain crema pasticcera. In Italy, it is occasionally topped with cream, meringue or almonds.[1] Zuppa inglese is also a popular gelato flavor.[2]
Multiple theories exist for the name: it may reference the similarity to the English trifle, or it could be a corruption of the Italian verb inzuppare ('to dunk').[3]
Several accounts exist describing the dish's creation. One describes it as created when the Dukes of Este, the rulers of Ferrara, asked their chefs to recreate the "English trifle" the rulers had enjoyed in their frequent visits to the Elizabethan court.[1] A later account describes it as a dessert tribute to Lord Nelson after his 1798 victory over Napoleon, created by a Neopolitan chef. Depending on the telling, the chef was either grateful and fond of English trifles,[4] or harbouring a disdain for the English, producing a desert of "just some doused dried cake and pastry cream with preserves" that he felt an unsophisticated English palate would like.[5] In the Larousse Gastronomique, the creation is credited to a Neopolitan chef in 19th century Europe at a time when English trifles were popular.[6]
See also
[edit]
Media related to Zuppa inglese at Wikimedia Commons
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Zuppa Inglese (Traditional Italian Pudding)". Academia Barilla. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
Zuppa inglese was made for the first time in the 16th century for Dukes of Este, residing in Ferrara. Legend has it that the dessert was created by the court chefs when a diplomat from Ferrara asked for a trifle, a typical British dessert made with a sweet ring cake, cream and wine, after returning from a trip to England.
- ^ "Gelato Zuppa Inglese". Gelato in casa. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
- ^ Mariani, John (1998). Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink. New York: Broadway Books. pp. 286. ISBN 0-7679-0129-0.
- ^ American Heritage. The Horizon Cookbook and Illustrated History of Eating and Drinking through the Ages, New York: Doubleday, 1968 (p. 710).
- ^ Schwartz, Arthur (1998). Naples at Table: Cooking in Campania. New York: HarperCollins. pp. 378–379. ISBN 0-06-018261-X.
- ^ Larousse Gastronomique, Completely Updated and Revised. New York: Clarkson Potter, 2001 (p. 1310).