Italian restaurateur Ado Campeol, dubbed the “father of tiramisu” by his country’s media, has died at the age of 93.
Campeol was the owner of Le Beccherie in the city of Treviso, northern Italy, where tiramisu, featuring coffee-soaked biscuits and mascarpone cheese, is said to have been invented in 1969.
The creation of the dessert is reported to have occurred by chance during the making of vanilla ice cream by the restaurant’s chef, co-inventor Roberto Linguanotto, when he dropped some mascarpone in the egg and sugar mix.
He noticed the mixture’s pleasant taste and told Campeol’s wife Alba.
They perfected it after tasting the concoction on coffee-soaked savoiardi biscuits (also known as ladyfingers).
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The dish was added to the restaurant’s menu formally in 1972 but never patented by the family.
It did not appear in print until it featured in a 1981 issue of Veneto, a magazine dedicated to food and wine.
The president of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, tweeted on Sunday: “With Aldo Campeol, who passed away today at the age of 93, Treviso loses another star in its food and wine history, which will also shine up there.
“Aldo, his very long activity as a restaurateur, and his Beccherie, have gone through decades of the best Treviso tradition.”
Journalist Josh Barrie tweeted a photo of a tiramisu from the restaurant and wrote: “Sad to see the ‘father of tiramisu’ Ado Campeol has died aged 93.
“I was lucky enough to visit his restaurant, Alle Beccherie, in Treviso, a few years ago, to try the original. Here it is.”
Campeol’s family took over Le Beccherie, in Piazza Ancillotto, in 1939 when he was a young boy.
Later he ran the restaurant and then sold it in 2014.
He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Tiramisu is a rich layered dessert made with ladyfinger biscuits, strong coffee, mascarpone, eggs, sugar, Marsala wine, rum and cocoa powder.
Tiramisu means “pick me up” in Italian – most likely referring to the two caffeinated ingredients that are present in the dish, coffee and cocoa.