Italy's Espresso Experience - Enjoy Like A Local
· 4 min read
Italy. The land of la dolce vita, historic sites, and Francesco Totti. And, of course, coffee - or caffè. There are not many countries in the world that do coffee quite like the Italians, and this is a real treat for visitors. You see, coffee is a way of life in Italy. Part of the cultural fabric of this great nation. An experience to be tasted, savored, consumed.
We’re going to look at some of the ways coffee consumption and the coffee experience differs in Italy from other parts of the world. You'll want to hit the cobbled streets of the strada with the confidence that you can walk into any coffee house, order your steaming beverage like a pro, and enjoy the process like any Italian would!
Find the Right Bar
Okay, step one in the process is to find the right coffee bar. Yes, in Italy coffee houses and cafes as such don’t exist; instead, they are known as coffee bars. Which, to be fair, does sound cooler! Anyway, choosing the right bar is largely subjective, but you may feel more comfortable looking for a less busy, independent bar rather than a massive and very busy establishment. And if you thought NYC’s ‘Starbucks on every corner’ was impressive, you’re going to be even more impressed by the volume of choice here. You will have no trouble finding a coffee bar to suit your needs, we’ve no doubt!
Buying Your Coffee
Now, the Italians may appear to the rest of us to live in a state of perpetual chaos, but we can assure you, there is some order when it comes to the coffee experience. Now, be aware, in most bars you order and pay upon receiving your caffeinated beverage. However, in some cases, you will pay first and be handed a receipt - don’t lose this, because you will exchange it for your coffee! Okay, so here is a tip that many tourists are not aware of: in some establishments, you will have to pay a surcharge to sit at the table and drink your coffee. Italians tend not to hang around; instead, they will generally drink their coffee in a few sips once they’re handed it, and be on their way. This tends to cost around €1, while sitting in can be 2x or 3x as expensive. You may want to sit in just to make the most of being there, but be prepared that you will almost certainly need to pay a surcharge.
Coffee Etiquette
So you know a little about the etiquette of actually buying and ordering a coffee, but what coffee should you be ordering in the first instance? Well, it’s a little different to the UK or the US where it’s pretty much a free-for-all, and you order whatever you want. In Italy it tends to be the case that ordering a cappuccino after midday is "not recommended!" Sorry guys, we don’t make the rules! Espresso is the weapon of choice for this army, and espresso is what you will encounter the most during your time here.
But why, you ask? Coffee with milk is regarded as being ‘heavy’ and thus tends not to be drunk before or after a meal. Indeed, in Rome, cappuccino is a breakfast beverage. Of course, there is no rule to say you can’t order what you like, but generally, if you’re getting a coffee PM it’s going to be some variant of espresso.
These are some of the coffee variants you need to be familiar with:
● Caffe - This is basically a regular espresso
● Caffe lungo - Espresso with double the amount of water
● Caffe Americano - A more dilute version of the lungo
● Cappuccino - Espresso prepared with milk and milk foam. The name comes from the cloaks worn by Capuchin friars; a story for another day!
● Caffe latte - Latte means milk in Italian, so don’t ask for a "latte" or you’ll be disappointed. Instead, a caffe macchiato or latte macchiato should do the trick
When is Best to Go?
Deciding when is best to go largely depends on what sort of experience you want to have. The rush hour in Italian coffee bars tends to be in the later morning, and if you can avoid this it will help you to have a more relaxed experience. Or, you might prefer diving in at the deep end and getting involved in the coffee rush hour experience!
In Italy, coffee is an experience, woven into the Italian culture; there are certain rules and etiquettes to follow if you want to experience coffee the way an Italian would. The most important one is to enjoy it. Happy sipping!
Categories: Culture, A Taste Of - Food Feature