ZESTY ZEBON TIRAMISU

STORY by Jane Rocca

Tiramisu — the iconic dessert with origins in the Northern Italian town of Treviso — gets a nostalgic reboot with local fanfare in Australia thanks to the family-owned business Zebon.

With paternal roots that lead to the region of Veneto, Zebon revives a generational recipe all in the name of bringing authenticity back to the family table. According to Zebon Tiramisu’s Cristian Launech, it made sense to manufacture the iconic dessert in Melbourne, given they had access to a recipe (which still remains secret) that has been passed down for generations.

“We’ve been lucky to grow up in a household where eating tiramisu was the norm,” says Cristian Launech, who runs the business with his brother, Alessandro, and their parents. “In our Italian household, there was always vino on the table and a dish of tiramisu served for dessert. As a kid, I remember sneaking in a few extra scoops because I loved the taste of coffee with a bit of sugar,” he says.

“The recipe we use for our Zebon Tiramisu has been passed down and shared for generations. I always saw my mum and nonna making it, having learnt it from previous family members before them. It gave us this idea to replicate tiramisu here in Australia, and to bring a bit of the Italian way of life to your next celebration,” says Launech.

Made in Australia using locally sourced pasteurised eggs, the tiramisu comes to life thanks to savoiardi that are hand-dipped in quality coffee, while airy mascarpone keeps it all together. Nothing says “ciao” quite like a final dusting of cocoa on top.

The strong sense of Italian pride felt all the more pertinent after the Aussie-Italians went to Treviso to celebrate their paternal grandfather’s 90th birthday recently. “Being in Treviso with Nonno was a dream come true,” says Launech. “It was his wish for all of us to be together, sharing beautiful dinners in Treviso — his hometown is something we’ll never forget. To know we’re honouring that heritage and connection by keeping this town’s iconic dessert alive in Australia matters to us.”

While Zebon Tiramisu is a signature flavour, there’s a Strawberry Matcha on the menu — in part inspired by Alessandro’s Japanese sake bar segue. A new flavour is incoming; it riffs on the Italian gelato, the Tartufo, where Zebon soaks biscuits in a cherry syrup for nostalgia’s sake.

The family-run business is all about elevating celebrations the Italian way. After all, thousands of Italians made Melbourne and Australia home after the world wars. “We’re all very passionate about running this business. Italians are very proud of their heritage — we’re a lot of big personalities, lots of opinions and love a get-together,” says Launech.

The Zebon Tiramisu is made fresh and then frozen a day later for optimal preservation. “We’ve done a lot of testing on the freezing and defrosting to get it right,” he says. “It’s a beautiful product and holds really well. It’s made fresh and frozen the next day, making it convenient for people to serve a piece of an Aussie dessert in their own homes.”