Guide to the Italian Coffee Culture
Italy is one of the countries with the strongest coffee culture, famous all over the World. Getting a cup of hot Espresso or enjoy a traditional Italian breakfast, are surely must does for most visitors of the country.
I do really hope you are not willing to come to Italy and head straight to Starbucks. The only allowed exception is for using their free Wi-Fi. I know the internet struggle!
But how to be sure to enjoy a great coffee experience?
If you are used to order and drink coffee around the World, you are probably familiar with words like:
LONG BLACK, also simply called coffee. A full cup of black filtered drink.
ESPRESSO. A more dense and aromatic shot, extracted thanks to high pressure hot water
CAPPUCCINO. Espresso shot in a bigger cup with a good amount of milk foam on top, among with a small quantity of hot steamed milk
FLAT WHITE. Coffee with hot (steamed) milk, without any foam
LATTE. Something half way between the two
I confess I’ve had pretty hard times when I firstly started to work in a coffee shop overseas. But once I’ve learned the main differences between the three milky coffees, I realized it is actually easier than in Italy. The hardest part is making a good foam, the key point for a good cappuccino or macchiato. But the flatter versions are luckily more requested around.
There are also variations with cold milk, iced (milk) coffee, Irish coffee and so on. But for now let’s focus on the more traditional, and possibly trickiest, ones.
I realised the benefit of a post like this when my Japanese friend Minako came to visit me in Genoa, my Italian home city.
Talking about her first Italian breakfast, she told me she was a bit disappointed because she got a coffee from the airport, but the barista seemed to forget to actually put the coffee inside her drink.
We later found out She asked for a LATTE! Which in Italian means MILK. So she just got a full glass of white (hot) milk. It has been easy and somehow funny to find out the misunderstanding. Even if I’m quite not sure she agreed with me.
So which coffee should you ask for in ITALY?
Let’s dive into the main kinds of available coffees and their relative names around the country. To avoid mistakes and ensure you the wished Italian coffee experience.
Coffee
Is the common definition for the Espresso shot, the favorite drink around the country. But you can use the word Espresso too, just to be sure. This term actually means “express” referring to the fact it is supposed to be make and expressly drunk, to taste it at its best.
There are slightly different kinds of espresso, actually hugely different listening to experts. Depending of factors like: coffee beans types and grind. The most used are indeed mixtures of different beans. But genereally speaking the thick drink is extracted by streaming hot and high pressurised water through the coffee blend, using the appropriate machine. The best ones descend slowly and are extracted from good coffee blends.
The home made espresso version is called Moka, from the name of the special coffee machine used. In italian Caffettiera.
Caffè Latte, or Latte Macchiato.
A tall glass of hot (or cold, upon request) steamed milk with a coffee shot inside.
Macchiato
Traditionally a little cup of espresso shot with hot milk foam on top. But you can also ask for variations with more or less milk or foam. Or with cold milk. In this case, ask for a “Macchiato Freddo” – literally cold Macchiato. And expect to get a plain espresso shotk, paired with a small can of cold white milk, to add at your will.
The price is the same as a normal espresso (commonly 1€), unless you ask for some special kind of milk, like soy or almond.
Cappuccino
The most common kind of coffee and milk mixture. It can be more or less foamy, basically depending on the milk quality and the barista’s ability. But a good Cappuccino should be mostly made by milk foam. With some steamed milk underneath. Add some cocoa or Cinnamon powder on top for a fancier version.
The best time for a Cappuccino
For Italians a coffee shot after lunch is often seen as a digestive. A restorative hot drink to finish your meal with. In this scenario it is mainly drunk black or at most lightly Macchiato. So don’t be upset from seeing the waiter’s surprise when you ask for one after a big lunch. Especially if in a place not really used to deal with tourists. Different story from big city centers and holiday spots.
My grandparents still talk about when my American cousin asked for a cappuccino after an huge wedding lunch. Pretty uncommon, as we usually have it for breakfast or morning snack. The tasty foam is always made with full-cream milk. Making a good cappuccino surely not the lightest drink out there.
Americano
Basically the Italian version of the long black. Made from a shot of espresso in a tall cup, and served paired a cup of hot water, and eventually also some milk. Simply pour as much water as you like on top of the espresso to make your best Americano.
We also have some tasty special variations to check out, if you can:
Shakerato Iced coffee
Defintely my summer favourite. A long espresso shot put in a cocktail shaker full of ice and turned into a refreshing coffee foam. Basically an espresso Martini without Vodka e Kalhua in it. If you don’t ask for variations, they usually also put some sugar syrup. But very tasty alternatives are with almond syrup or an hint of alcohol. Try it with Baileys, the almond-tasting Amaretto or the refreshing Sambuca
Affogato
Litterally translated as drowned. Is a glass of delicious gelato drowned by an hot coffee shot. You can try it in its most common flavour, with fior di Latte or Cream Icecream, or whichever taste you like the most.
Granita Siciliana
Not properly a coffee version, even because you can get it in several different flavours. But for me the most typical Sicilian breakfast surely worth the mention. Granita is basically a creamy blended iced coffee, usually served with some cream on top. Head to one of my posts about Sicily to discover more!
Coffee and Prices
Coffee, like ice cream, in Italy is cheap stuff. I still can’t believe how pricey they can be outside the country. With the obvious exception of tourist places and fancy restaurants, and some local differences, you should expect to pay about 1,00 € for an Espresso or Macchiato shot. 1,30 € for a cappuccino and 10 or 20 cents more for decaffeinated drinks and special milk. And between 0,80 € and 1,50 € for the companion pastries. Sometimes slightly more in the north of the country, and less in the south. In some places expect to pay something an addition for the service, if seated at the table.
And the list keeps going.
Other examples are Corretto, an espresso shot with some alcoholic drink inside. Traditionally Grappa or Sambuca.Marocchino or Mocaccino. A little Cappuccino version with cocoa and melted chocolateAnd the Special coffees with cream and other flavours, like nutella, coconut, eggnog, nuts.. and whatever the barista put on the menu!Sugar
The amount of sugar in your coffee is only dependent on its drinker’s taste. But we can say most people averagely put a teaspoon or sugar pocket into their drink. I personally like my coffee plain and bitter, especially if is a good quality one. To get a better taste of all its aromas.
Same story about the milk, in any possible form. For me a well foamed macchiato is a good way to soften the bitterness without blending the liquids too much. And making the
Caffeine
Caffeine is a strong substance belonging to coffee beans and other tropical plants, such as tea leaves, Guaranà and cocoa. It is well known for its energising properties, if extracted through infusion. A small amount of this substance is often suggested, especially around Italy, but for the many downsides we can definitely say less is better.
Luckily for coffee lovers a bit more concerned about health, we have found a solution. Ask your barista for an Espresso Decaffeinato, which means caffeine deprived. Usually for about 0,20 € more. Depending on many different factors, the result can be slightly different from the most classic one. But still more accurate than the Barley or Cicory alternatives.
Anyways, we still have to admit something on behalf of a good Espresso. Travelling around, I often hear from people asking how can we drink such a strong and caffeine dense drink. But several studies have shown how a single shot of strong espresso contains far less caffeine than a cup of long black, or a Moka coffee. Basically because of the longer infusion time of the coffee grind.
The typical Italian Breakfast
What does the typical barista Italian Breakfast looks like?
Coffee is defintely and unmissible element, in one of the forms listed above. Probably with Cappuccino as the most common. It is usually paired with something sweet: pastries, cookies, or warm croissant filled with Custrad, Nutella or jam. But every region has its local variations, from the roman Maritozzo, a fluffly raisins bun with freshly wiped cream inside. To the really uncommon Focaccia in Genova, a flat and salty bread sprinkled with olive oil before cooking. Just to name a few. Ask you barista or follow the locals to discover the real tradition.
Now you should be ready for a great Italian Coffee experience. And to avoid the risk of only getting plain milk. Let me know what is your favourite one, and enjoy your local breakfast!
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