Zuppa inglese facts for kids
A slice of zuppa inglese (Italy, 2019)
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| Course | Dessert |
|---|---|
| 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 (pronounced "zoo-pah een-GLAY-zay") is a yummy Italian dessert. Its name means "English soup" in Italian, but it's more like a layered cake! It's made with soft sponge cake or ladyfingers, creamy custard, and a special red herb liqueur. This dessert might have been inspired by an English dessert called trifle.
Contents
How is Zuppa Inglese Made?
To make zuppa inglese, bakers first dip pieces of sponge cake or ladyfingers into a bright red, sweet Italian herb liqueur called Alchermes. This makes the cake soft and flavorful.
Next, they layer the soaked cake with crema pasticciera. This is a thick, rich egg custard often cooked with a piece of lemon zest for extra flavor. Sometimes, a layer of chocolate custard is added by mixing dark chocolate into the plain custard.
After layering, the dessert is chilled. Sometimes, it's topped with whipped cream, meringue, or crunchy almonds. It's usually served cold.
A Popular Ice Cream Flavor
Zuppa inglese is so popular that it's also a common flavor of gelato, which is Italian ice cream. It tastes like the dessert, with bits of cake and custard mixed in.
The Story Behind Zuppa Inglese
The exact beginning of zuppa inglese is a bit of a mystery! One idea is that it started in the 1500s. This was in the kitchens of the Dukes of Este, who ruled a part of Italy called Ferrara.
The story says that the Dukes had visited England. They really enjoyed the fancy "English trifle" they ate at the court of Queen Elizabeth I. When they returned home, they asked their cooks to create something similar.
However, we don't find recipes for zuppa inglese in cookbooks until the late 1800s. At that time, recipes appeared in regions like Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Marche, and Umbria.
What Does the Name Mean?
The word zuppa in Italian can mean both a sweet or a savory "soup." It also comes from the Italian verb inzuppare, which means "to dunk" or "to soak." Since the sponge cake is soaked in liqueur, the dessert is called zuppa.
There are a few other ideas about why it's called "English soup":
- Some people think the name simply means it's similar to the English dessert, trifle.
- Others believe it's a local way of saying "to soak," referring to how the cake is soaked.
- Another story says it was created by bakers in Naples in the 1800s. They were inspired by English puddings that were popular back then.
- One tale suggests it was made to honor Lord Nelson after his victory in a battle in 1798. A pastry cook, who admired the English and their spirit-soaked trifles, created this "English Soup" as a tribute.
See also
