What to eat: the sweetest pick-me-up
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Tiramisu from Dolce Vita Italian. Photos: Shen Sijia |
Tiramisu has long been a staple of Western dessert menus - too long, in the eyes of many gourmands who regard this creamy confection as an outdated cliché. Yet its popularity in Shanghai is a relatively recent phenomenon, with the result that authentic tiramisu is hard to come by unless you are prepared to pay a premium for it.
According to Jack Huang of Pizza Marzano, the use of high-quality imported ingredients inevitably pushes the cost up, meaning many Shanghai restaurants use locally adapted recipes to keep their tiramisu (which in Italian means "pick me up" ) at under 20 yuan ($2.97).
"Many Shanghai people have no idea what genuine tiramisu tastes like," Huang told the Global Times. "What they are buying in pastry chains here is nothing like how it should be made, or how it should taste."
Huang, a dessert chef of 10 years standing, points out that the authentic marscapone cheese his kitchen uses costs more than 100 yuan a bottle, while the Marsala wine is nearer 200 yuan a bottle.
Another essential tiramisu ingredient, savoiardi biscuits - commonly known as "ladyfingers" in the United States - cost 50 yuan a packet in Shanghai. Many shops and restaurants use regular sponge in place of the savoiardi biscuits, while the alcohol is often omitted altogether.
The Global Times scoured the city's restaurants, five-star hotels and pizza parlours to seek out the very best tiramisu dishes.
Like Mama used to make
It's a pleasant surprise to find a perfectly creamy and sweet tiramisu at casual dining restaurant Pizza Marzano, better known for its authentic Italian-style pizza.
The ingredients used are mostly imported from Italy. Huang, who is now the head chef, told the Global Times that after trying several brands, he opted for the Vicenzi brand of ladyfingers, and the Calbani brand of mascarpone cheese and Marsala wine.
Huang has been working at the Marzano chain in England and Shanghai for nearly a decade and he shared with the Global Times his secrets of creating the ultimate tiramisu.
"We quickly mix white sugar, egg and mascarpone at high speed," he said. "The whipping cream, which is added in later, should be lightly whipped for at least three to five minutes, or until the cream actually sticks to the side of the bowl. This way, the cream will have a fluffy consistency and not be too heavy," he added.
The savoiardi biscuit in Pizza Marzano's tiramisu manages to maintain the texture of the biscuit while wholly absorbing the strong and aromatic flavours of the espresso and Marsala wine. It is sufficiently moist without becoming over soggy. The light sprinkling of cocoa powder on the top takes away any bitterness.
Five-star feast
The Prego restaurant in the Westin Hotel boasts not just the city's greatest pasta dishes, but also a scrumptious traditional tiramisu that has been a mainstay of the menu since day one.
The distinct smell of alcoholic chocolate and dark cocoa powder are the diners' first impression of this dessert. The cocoa powder is sifted on top as both a garnish, and as a counterpoint to the sweetened cheese mixture.
The mascarpone cheese layers at Prego are denser and thicker than many others, while the sweetness and creaminess don't overwhelm the palate because of the strong flavors of the liquor and espresso.
The tiramisu has an intriguing blend of both sweet and bitter flavors. The kitchen also uses rum on occasions as a substitute for the sweet Marsala wine.
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