Zuppa Inglese facts for kids
A slice of zuppa inglese (Italy, 2019)
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| Course | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Toscana, Lazio, Northern Campania, Umbria |
| Serving temperature | Cold |
| Main ingredients | Sponge cake or savoiardi, Alchermes, custard |
| Variations | Tiramisu |
Zuppa Inglese (which means "English soup" in Italian) is a delicious Italian dessert. It's made by layering creamy custard with soft sponge cake. This sweet treat might have come from a similar English dessert called trifle.
Contents
What is Zuppa Inglese?
To make Zuppa Inglese, bakers dip either sponge cake or ladyfingers (a type of cookie) into a special red Italian liqueur. This liqueur is called Alchermes and it has a lovely smell.
Next, they layer the soaked cake with crema pasticciera. This is a thick, creamy egg custard. Sometimes, a layer of chocolate custard is added too. This is made by mixing dark chocolate into the plain custard. In Italy, people sometimes top Zuppa Inglese with whipped cream, meringue, or almonds.
Zuppa Inglese Gelato
Zuppa Inglese is also a very popular flavor of gelato. Gelato is a type of Italian ice cream.
Where Did Zuppa Inglese Come From?
The exact start of Zuppa Inglese is a bit of a mystery. One idea is that it began in the 1500s. This was in the kitchens of the House of Este, who were rulers in Ferrara, Italy.
The story says they asked their cooks to make a dessert like the fancy "English trifle" they had enjoyed in England. They often visited the English court during the Elizabethan era. However, we don't find recipes for Zuppa Inglese until the late 1800s. It then appeared in cookbooks from different parts of Italy. These areas include Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Marche, and Umbria.
Understanding the Name
The word zuppa means "soup" in Italian. In Italian cooking, "zuppa" can be used for both sweet and savory dishes. The word is related to inzuppare, which means "to dunk" or "to soak". Since the sponge cake or ladyfingers are soaked in liqueur, the dessert is called zuppa.
For example, thick stews with beans and vegetables are called zuppa di verdure. Fish or shellfish stews are called zuppa di pesce.
There are a few other ideas about how the dessert got its name:
- Some believe it's called "English soup" because it's similar to English trifle.
- Others think it's a local way of saying inzuppare, meaning "to sop".
- One story says it was created by bakers in Naples in the 1800s. They were inspired by English puddings that were popular then.
- Another tale suggests it was made for Lord Nelson by grateful people in Naples. This was after his victory over Napoleon in 1798. This "English Soup" was supposedly made by a baker who admired the admiral and English desserts.
See also
In Spanish: Zuppa inglese para niños
