Italian Coffee Culture | Characteristics of Italian Coffee | How to Drink Espresso?

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Espresso: The Devilish Charm of Italian Coffee

Espresso, the Italian coffee, has become widely known among coffee enthusiasts in China in recent years. This pure black coffee, both strong and aromatic, with a layer of golden foam floating on top, is as thick and hot as a devil escaped from hell. Every sip immerses you in an indescribable charm that's hard to forget. The characteristic of Italian coffee is reflected in its English name - speed; it's made quickly in less than ten seconds, and drunk quickly too, as it only takes two or three sips. Generally, Italians' first thing upon waking is to brew a cup of coffee. Regardless of gender, they drink almost from morning until night. Streets are filled with coffee shops called BARs, selling coffee for about four hundred lira (equivalent to over ten yuan), for people to drink standing up in one go.

Italians drink an average of twenty cups of coffee per day. The coffee beans used for Italian coffee are the darkest roasted beans in the world, designed to match the special function of Italian coffee makers that extract coffee instantly. Since a cup of Italian coffee contains only 50cc, requiring only 6-8 grams of coffee beans, this seemingly strong coffee is actually not harsh on the stomach and may even help digestion! Italian coffee also has a milk-added version called Cappuccino, which uses steam from Italian coffee makers at over 130 degrees Celsius to first whip milk into foam, then float it on the thick black coffee. The sweet fresh milk, pure and white; the charming Espresso devil, with its embellishment, instantly transforms into a wonderful angel!

What Types of Coffee Exist in Italy?

Classic Basic Varieties

Espresso: The most commonly consumed coffee type among Italians, who often simply use "Caffè" to refer to it. A cup of espresso in Italy costs between 0.85-1 euros.

Caffè Lungo: A semi-concentrated Italian coffee with slightly more water than a standard espresso. The opposite is called "corto."

Caffè Corretto: An alcoholic concentrated Italian coffee with a few drops of liquor added (usually according to personal taste, commonly using Liquore d'Anice, Grappa, Baileys, Amaretto Disaronno, Cognac).

Caffè Macchiato: An espresso with a few drops of milk on top ("macchiato" means "marked" - referring to the coffee being marked by milk).

Cappuccino: 1/3 espresso + 1/3 hot milk + 1/3 milk foam makes a cappuccino.

Caffè Americano: Be aware - you cannot order this in Italian Bars, as you'll receive disapproving looks.

Caffè del nonno: A coffee ice mousse originating from Naples. Made with whipped fresh cream + coffee + rum, creating an iced coffee with a texture between ice cream and mousse, very popular in summer.

Caffè Marocchino: A coffee type from Northern Italy. Prepared in the opposite way of Cappuccino - evenly sprinkle a layer of cocoa powder in a glass cup, pour in milk foam, and finally add an espresso.

How to Order Coffee in a Bar?

Italians most commonly order espresso in small cups, usually finished within half a minute, so many Italian Bars don't provide seating - customers drink standing up. After ordering and paying at the cash register, go to the coffee bar counter to tell the server what type of coffee you want. It's made fresh to order, and you can leave after drinking it standing up. Being polite, you can say "Grazie" or "Arrivederci."

What to Pay Attention to When Drinking Coffee in Italy?

Italy has a tipping culture. Even when drinking coffee standing in a Bar, tips are usually given to the server along with the order or left on the counter. The tip amount depends on personal ability and mood - no one should force you to leave a tip.

Except during breakfast and before bedtime, you're unlikely to see Italians ordering cappuccino containing large amounts of milk. Especially after dining in a restaurant, ordering a cappuccino would be very strange.

Regarding espresso, FrontStreet Coffee believes it's an excellent choice if you can accept strong coffee flavors. After all, espresso amplifies the coffee's flavors, allowing you to more clearly taste the coffee's acidity, sweetness, and bitterness. FrontStreet Coffee uses a blend of [Colombia] + [Brazil], with bright but gentle fruit acidity that's quite charming, nutty flavors emerging in the middle, and persistent caramel sweetness in the finish. If you like milk coffee, this formula is also a great choice. This coffee, which tends toward sour and sweet, has its sweetness enhanced after adding milk, and the cookie flavor it develops when cooled is quite surprising.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various 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