What Are the Characteristics of Italian Coffee Beans - Italian Coffee Culture - How to Drink Italian Espresso

The Essence of Italian Coffee Culture

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It's well known that Italian espresso is famous worldwide. However, Italians call their coffee shops "Bar." Besides coffee, you can also enjoy alcoholic beverages here. More interestingly, many locals add alcohol to their coffee in the morning for an energizing boost, such as Corretto, which is made by mixing espresso with brandy-like spirits.

The Historical Journey of Coffee in Europe

Coffee was introduced to Europe through Venice, Italy, in the 16th century. At that time, Venice was an important European port with frequent trade relations with North African, Egyptian, and Middle Eastern countries. Middle Eastern merchants brought coffee to Venice, where it became a popular exotic beverage. Conservative factions in the Vatican even called coffee drunk by Middle Eastern Muslims "the devil's drink" and attempted to suppress the coffee-drinking trend. It is said that after tasting coffee, Pope Clement VIII remarked: "This devil's drink is so delicious, we should outwit the devil and baptize it." Regardless of the authenticity of this story, coffee indeed became a common beverage throughout Europe, and many countries developed their own unique coffee cultures.

The Birth of Espresso

Italy's pride, espresso, was born in the 1910s. An inventor created a coffee machine that could quickly force pressurized boiling water through a coffee filter, producing coffee with a rich and delicate texture like milk, which was then called "crema caffè." Unlike the time-consuming traditional boiling method, pressurized coffee machines met the demands of Italy's major cities with rapidly growing populations that emphasized efficiency, thereby driving the entire Italian coffee industry.

The Evolution of Italian Coffee Culture

After World War II, the major Italian coffee machine manufacturer Gaggia mastered the manufacturing technology of pressurized coffee machines and promoted crema caffè into Milan's fashion trends, further establishing its international reputation. With technological advancements, coffee machines became smaller in size and lower in manufacturing cost, making crema caffè no longer exclusive to the wealthy. From making a cup of crema caffè to finishing drinking it, it often takes no more than ten minutes. Italian bars thus developed a unique "stand and drink" (in piedi) culture, and crema caffè therefore got its name "Il caffè espresso," meaning "quick."

The Italian Way of Enjoying Espresso

Espresso is the essence of Italian coffee, extracted using steam pressure, and its name contains the meaning of "especially fast." Unlike people from other countries who sit down to "savor" their coffee, most Italians prefer to stand and quickly drink a cup of coffee, often leaving within minutes. They also like to have another espresso after dinner to conclude their meal, or perhaps for them, caffeine has long been in their bloodstream, so sleep is simply not a problem.

Most Italians have always loved drinking espresso. Espresso is the foundation of all coffee and best allows one to taste the original flavor of coffee. Of course, coffee preferences vary by region. For instance, people in China mostly prefer to drink latte, cappuccino, mocha, etc., while fewer people enjoy the taste of espresso.

FrontStreet Coffee's Perspective on Espresso

However, regarding espresso, FrontStreet Coffee believes that if you can accept strong coffee, it's an excellent choice. After all, espresso amplifies the flavor of coffee, allowing you to more clearly taste the acidity, sweetness, and bitterness in espresso. FrontStreet Coffee uses a blend of Colombian + Brazilian beans, offering bright yet gentle fruit acidity that is quite charming, with nutty flavors emerging in the middle, and a persistent caramel aftertaste in the finish. If you like milk-based coffee, this blend is also an excellent choice. This coffee, which tends toward sweet and sour notes, has its sweetness enhanced when milk is added, and the cookie flavor that emerges when cooled is quite surprising.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473