Italy doesn't seem to have many Starbucks around. Drip brewed coffee is even harder to find. If you ask for 'coffee' Italians shrug and then serve caffe. Caffe really means espresso and it comes in a tazzino the size of your thumb.
There are three kinds of caffe: "long" which is a double shot of espresso, "short" who is no more than the size of a tablespoon, and "stained" which comes with a dollop of milk foam. (In Italian, these are known as lungo, ristretto, and macchiato.) When you get an espresso, the best part is the creme or frothy espresso foam on top. It takes a knowledgable barista and a high quality espresso machine to perfect that art.
Cappuccino is another caffe delight Italians drink in the morning. It comes in a regular tea cup and has a shot of espresso with milk and foam on top. Past eleven o'clock in the morning, however, nobody drinks cappuccino. Italians also pass on a large breakfast, eating a croissant instead. You can also see men drinking caffe in the morning with a "top off," which is a splash of alcohol, known as caffe corretto. The alcohol can be anything, but usually is the licorice-tasting liqueur known as sambuca.
There's an art that comes along with drinking caffe in Italy. First, stir sugar into the tazzino. Then down the shot in three or four sips. The barista usually provides a cup of water on the side. You can choose either flat water (lisca/naturale) or carbonated water (frizzante). Sip the water both before and after drinking your espresso in order to clean the palette. If you drink espresso at a Caffe, then usually you'll have it as a brief sip-and-go along the counter rather than sitting down. It's fast. It's sweet.
Baristas often like to offer more than just espresso, although the tazzino is certainly the simplest and most popular of all dark brew beverages. The best twists similar to Starbucks innovations tend to be found at the cafe-bars of shopping malls, although a good specialty caffe can be found anywhere. Baristas announce their twists on billboards outside their establishment and name their drinks things like "Tiramisu" and "The Grandpa." Watch out, though. Baristas generally don't reveal their secrets and these delights are considered proprietary.
There are three kinds of caffe: "long" which is a double shot of espresso, "short" who is no more than the size of a tablespoon, and "stained" which comes with a dollop of milk foam. (In Italian, these are known as lungo, ristretto, and macchiato.) When you get an espresso, the best part is the creme or frothy espresso foam on top. It takes a knowledgable barista and a high quality espresso machine to perfect that art.
Cappuccino is another caffe delight Italians drink in the morning. It comes in a regular tea cup and has a shot of espresso with milk and foam on top. Past eleven o'clock in the morning, however, nobody drinks cappuccino. Italians also pass on a large breakfast, eating a croissant instead. You can also see men drinking caffe in the morning with a "top off," which is a splash of alcohol, known as caffe corretto. The alcohol can be anything, but usually is the licorice-tasting liqueur known as sambuca.
There's an art that comes along with drinking caffe in Italy. First, stir sugar into the tazzino. Then down the shot in three or four sips. The barista usually provides a cup of water on the side. You can choose either flat water (lisca/naturale) or carbonated water (frizzante). Sip the water both before and after drinking your espresso in order to clean the palette. If you drink espresso at a Caffe, then usually you'll have it as a brief sip-and-go along the counter rather than sitting down. It's fast. It's sweet.
Baristas often like to offer more than just espresso, although the tazzino is certainly the simplest and most popular of all dark brew beverages. The best twists similar to Starbucks innovations tend to be found at the cafe-bars of shopping malls, although a good specialty caffe can be found anywhere. Baristas announce their twists on billboards outside their establishment and name their drinks things like "Tiramisu" and "The Grandpa." Watch out, though. Baristas generally don't reveal their secrets and these delights are considered proprietary.
About the Author:
Learn more about Italian Coffee Drinking. Stop by Barbara Zaragoza's site or check out her ebook Handbook of Neapolitan Caffe.
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