 A slice of zuppa inglese | |
| Course | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Main ingredients | Sponge cake orsavoiardi,alchermes,custard |
Zuppa inglese (/ˈzuːpəɪŋˈɡleɪzeɪ,ˈsuː-/ZOO-pə ing-GLAY-zay,SOO-,Italian:[ˈdzuppaiŋˈɡleːze,ˈtsu-,-eːse];lit. 'English soup') is anItalian dessert with layers ofcustard andsponge cake dipped in liqueur, perhaps derived fromtrifle.
To make zuppa inglese, eithersponge cake orladyfingers are dipped inalchermes, a bright red, extremely aromatic Italian herballiqueur. They are then alternated with layers ofcrema pasticcera, a thick egg custard cooked with a large piece oflemon zest (removed afterwards). Often, a layer ofcrema al cioccolato is created by dissolving dark chocolate in a plaincrema pasticcera. In Italy, it is occasionally topped with cream,meringue or almonds.[1] Zuppa inglese is also a populargelato 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 verbinzuppare ('to dunk').[3]
Several accounts exist describing the dish's creation. One describes it as created when theDukes of Este, the rulers ofFerrara, asked their chefs to recreate the "English trifle" the rulers had enjoyed in their frequent visits to theElizabethan court.[1] A later account describes it as a dessert tribute toLord Nelson afterhis 1798 victory overNapoleon, created by aNeopolitan 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 theLarousse Gastronomique, the creation is credited to a Neopolitan chef in 19th century Europe at a time when English trifles were popular.[6]
Media related toZuppa inglese at Wikimedia Commons
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.
