Zuppa toscana

On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the zuppa toscana across from the article title. This article is about the dessert. For the building in Rome colloquially named after the dessert, see Victor Emmanuel II Monument. Italian dessert layering custard and sponge cake, perhaps derived from trifle.

To make Zuppa Inglese, either sponge cake or ladyfingers are dipped in Alchermes, a bright red, extremely aromatic Italian herb liqueur. Zuppa Inglese is also a popular gelato flavor. The origins of Zuppa Inglese are uncertain. One theory states that it originated in the sixteenth-century kitchens of the Dukes of Este, the rulers of Ferrara. Italian cuisine refers to both sweet and savory dishes. Similarly, thick bean with vegetable stews, and fish or shellfish stews are properly described as zuppa di verdure and zuppa di pesce, respectively. The name translates literally in Italian as English soup and may in fact connote its similarity to English trifle.

Others believe it is a dialectical corruption of the verb inzuppare, meaning to sop. A dessert invented by Neapolitan pastrycooks of Europe during the 19th century. Inspired by English puddings that were fashionable at the time, . This rich dessert was among the many tributes bestowed on Lord Nelson by the grateful Neapolitans after his victory over Napoleon in the Nile in 1798. 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. Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink.