Dream job for dessert obsessives just dropped: The Tiramisù World Cup is recruiting 130 everyday taste testers to help decide the early rounds of its 10th-anniversary competition in Treviso, Italy this October. The catch? You have to pass a 15-question online test first.
Organizers opened the call this week for amateur jurors who will spend October 9 and 10 sampling and scoring tiramisus made live by competitors in Piazza Borsa. It’s the biggest public jury the event has ever assembled, a direct response to the growing number of home cooks from around the world applying to compete.
“Tiramisù must taste like tiramisù,” founder Francesco Redi has said more than once, repeating the mantra he learned from the late Treviso chef Roberto Linguanotto. That simple standard sits at the heart of a contest that has grown from a local curiosity in 2017 into a genuine international phenomenon. This year the public panel expands to 130 seats so more voices can help shape which recipes advance.
Anyone 18 or older, from any country, can apply. The real test goes live for one day only — September 12, from 10 a.m. to midnight CEST — on the official site. Questions cover the competition rules, the history and culture of the dessert, and Treviso itself. Speed and accuracy both matter. Only the first three attempts count, and perfect or near-perfect scores combined with early completion times decide who gets the nod. A practice version is already online for anyone who wants to study.
Selected jurors will sit at tables of up to ten competitors, working alongside two other amateurs and a table president. Each round lasts about two hours. Contestants get 40 minutes to finish their tiramisu, then the judges taste it immediately — no refrigerators allowed. Beyond scoring, the public jury checks ingredients, equipment, and station setup to keep the competition clean and fair.
Two categories define the field. The Original Recipe sticks strictly to the classic six ingredients supplied by organizers: ladyfingers, mascarpone, pasteurized eggs, coffee, cocoa, and white sugar. The Creative Recipe allows limited substitutions and up to three extra ingredients, still within tight boundaries. No alcohol in either category. Scoring runs on five criteria: technical execution, aesthetic appearance, taste intensity, dish equilibrium, and flavour and harmony.
The role is unpaid and voluntary. Travel and lodging fall on the judges. Still, the first perfect scorers from the U.K. and Austria stand to receive a free familiarization trip covering Treviso and the surrounding area.
For a decade the Tiramisù World Cup has turned an everyday into a global stage where lawyers, students, office workers and fire-alarm installers have all taken home titles. This year’s expanded jury keeps that democratic spirit intact. If you’ve ever argued about the perfect coffee soak or the right dusting of cocoa, September 12 is your shot. Study the rules, set the alarm, and maybe pack a bag for Treviso.
