zuppa inglese

A dessert which, notwithstanding its name, is neither English nor a soup. There is no consensus on the exact origin of the name. Some say the English trifle acted as inspiration, while others advocate an Italian birth for the dessert, with English residents in the country playing the role of enthusiastic fans. Zuppa inglese is made by spreading crema (pastry cream) over a base, usually layers of pan di Spagna moistened with alchermes, an Italian liqueur flavored with vanilla, several spices and rose water, whose deep scarlet color provides a nice contrast to the yellow crema and pan di Spagna (which owe their sunny color to egg yolks). The combination is charming to the eyes and the palate. The predominant texture is creaminess, because the feathery pan di Spagna – moistened not only by the alchermes but also by the liquid component of the crema - partially dissolves into the latter retaining enough body, though, to provide strategic support.

I love the classic zuppa inglese, but at home, when I was granted some (limited) freedom in my mother's kitchen, I would usually make a variation, using as base slices of either panettone, the traditional tall Christmas cake with raisins and diced candied fruit, or colomba, the dove-shaped Easter cake with candied orange peel. In substituting pan di Spagna with the other cakes I traded some delicacy of texture for the additional flavor contributed by raisins and candied fruit.

An important detail for this dessert is temperature: in my opinion, zuppa inglese should be savored at the temperature of a fresh spring breeze. It is a sensuous dessert and tasting it refrigerator-cold would be like falling into a chilling embrace. The exception is the gelato flavor that bears the same name: it is one of my favorite and it should be tasted at its own gelato-specific temperature.

Hear me pronounce the words on the zuppa inglese audio file [mp3] or go to the zuppa inglese audio page for more listening options.

Comments

[Paz]

Mmmm... I like the idea of having this at the "temperature of a fresh spring breeze." I like that idea a lot!

Paz

[jann]

oh my, this sounds like a heavenly dessert~you have done a wonderful job describing it~i can taste it now!

[Simona]

Paz, I am glad you liked my description.
Jann, zuppa inglese is rather common in restaurants in Italy, especially central Italy. One of my plans is to develop a recipe for pan di Spagna so that then I can publish my version of zuppa inglese. It will happen, hopefully soon.

[Lisa]

I would love to make zuppa inglese. I've never heard of the liqueur you mention, though. I wonder if we can get it in this country?

[Simona]

Thanks Lisa for your question. If you have access to Gastronomica, there is a very interesting article on alchermes (or alkermes) in the winter 2007 issue. I disagree with the author, however, when she mentions zuppa inglese, because she gives the impression that is is a baked dessert, which is not: it is assembled from the different ingredients "a freddo" (meaning without cooking). The article mentions two possible US sources for alchermes and I have contacted both to verify that they still carry the product. Mark Gasbarro (in Rhode Island) confirmed to me that they carry alchermes, though they are currently out of stock: http://www.gasbarros.com/
Polcari's Coffee in Boston carries alchermes extract that can be used to make the liqueur: http://www.northendboston.com/polcaricoffee/ I have to say I have never seen the extract, so I am not sure how it works.

[Lisa]

Thanks, Simona, for the info and the links. I'll have to check that out. The extract sounds rather strange, doesn't it?

[Simona]

As I said, I have never seen it in Italy, so I don't know what to say. According to the person I corresponded with 'it is an extract that you can make a liquor out of or a flavoring for baking.'

[the chocolate lady (eve)]

Yummy! I have been thinking that zuppa Inglese would be an ideal dessert for a menu of misleadingly named foods, like Welsh rabbit and Jerusalem artichokes.

[Simona]

What a great idea! Now you got me wondering if there are other examples on the same line among Italian dishes. I'll have to look into this.