Last week, I wrote a story of the Italian woman who took home the unloved trifle not from one but two parties, having been snubbed by her family and friends for more traditional Italian sweets.
What I did not realise at the time of writing that story was that it seems Italians do have their own trifle called Zuppa Inglese. While the strictest translation of this is “English Soup”, it is the closest think to Italian trifle you are likely to find. Maybe soup referred to the runny texture of the original dish?
You may recall that the history of English trifle dates back to the 1500s , well the story of the origins of Zuppa Inglese also dates back to the 1500s. It appears that a travelling ambassador for the Duke of Este must have been travelling through the UK and come across the Trifle craze and was instantly hooked. When he returned back to Italy, he did the unheard of and asked the chefs in the royal kitchen to prepare an English trifle.
The chefs must have been given a verbal description as to what the trifle consistent of and adopted local ingredients and Italian flare to create this Italian version of the trifle.
The traditional Zuppa Inglese was made with sponge cake, pastry cream and an Italian red liqueur called Alchermes. The red soaked sponge is what gives the vibrant red colour that replaces the red jelly in the traditional trifle.
Just like the traditional trifle, Zuppa Inglese has evolved and been added to by many , resulting in thousands of family and regional variations. It can be served in a glass bowel much like a trifle but there are many versions that resemble a free standing cake. A commonly found addition was chocolate , either crushed solid chocolate or chocolate sauce. One other ingredient that you often find is ricotta. This is interesting for me as my mother makes trifle with ricotta and cholocate flakes. Being that we are Maltese, our version may have been equally influenced from Zuppa Inglese and the English.
Much like the trifle, Zuppa Inglese, is a fun and festive dessert that is often rolled out in celebrations such as birthdays and Christmas. It is also used at times as a wedding cake.
I would love to hear about your Zuppa Inglese or your trifle stories so please send me your stories.
Cheers
A Little Trifle Crazy 