How to Make Italian Coffee Dessert Affogato? What is the Love Story Behind Affogato Coffee?

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The World-Renowned Italian Dessert and its Deep Coffee Culture

World-renowned Italian desserts are inseparable from their profound coffee culture. Besides the globally popular "Take Me Away" Tiramisu, this classic should not be missed—known as having "breathtakingly delicious" flavor, exuding a charm sufficient to "drown me"—the "Affogato," an Italian coffee delicacy that blends maturity with playfulness.

The "Drowning Me" Delicious Coffee Affogato

Affogato (also translated as "Affochito") is a coffee beverage that's nearly a dessert, originating from Italy. Its ingredients consist of Italian gelato placed at the bottom of a cup, with a small cup (small amount, about 2 ounces) of freshly brewed Italian espresso poured over it. Meticulous establishments will use chilled glass cups, allowing the rich coffee not to immediately melt the ice cream when poured, enabling one to savor the beauty of ice and fire intermingling, balancing bitterness and sweetness.

The Origin of Affogato

Tracing its name's origin, the Italian original meaning of Affogato is "to drown," describing the unique way of eating "ice cream drowned in aromatic hot coffee," while also carrying the meaning of "suffocation," referring to "food so delicious it takes your breath away."

As Affogato spread to various regions, many different recipes emerged. Sometimes local vanilla ice cream is used, drizzled with caramel sauce (or syrup) to enhance sweetness, or sprinkled with cocoa powder or cinnamon powder; some restaurants replace espresso with high-quality olive oil; in Japan, there's even a version with soy sauce.

Furthermore, you can also try an adults-only "tipsy version (Boozy)," adding a small amount of sweet wine (such as cream wine, port wine, sherry, Marsala coffee wine) or spirits that pair well with coffee (brandy, whiskey, rum, etc.), accompanied by berries, citrus, almonds, honey, and other condiments according to preference.

Affogato can also refer to a "style of dessert or beverage"—anything that requires pouring coffee over it when tasting can be called "Affogato style." For example, Starbucks offers an "Affogato Frappuccino" with added espresso.

The Secret to Authentic Affogato's Deliciousness: Italian Gelato!

Typical American ice cream emphasizes a "rich and fluffy" texture, requiring large amounts of sugar and animal fats for production, with about 50% air incorporated during the process to create a light texture.

Italian gelato, regulated by government standards, cannot contain more than 8% milk fat. In comparison, it's a refreshing low-fat dessert, and during production, it doesn't incorporate large amounts of air (about 20-35% overall), making it denser overall, with a delicate and dense texture that ordinary ice cream cannot match.

Italian gelato has a more delicate and smooth texture than regular ice cream, with lower fat content and is healthier.

Let's Make Affogato Together!

The richly layered Affogato, paired with snacks, makes for a perfect Italian afternoon tea.

Ingredients: 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream, 30ml of freshly brewed Italian espresso, 1 glass cup

Other: Chocolate shavings (any condiments you like, such as nuts, cookies, fruits, syrups, spirits, etc.)

1. Wash the glass cup, place it in the refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes, and take it out when preparing the beverage.

2. Place 2 small scoops of vanilla ice cream (coffee or chocolate flavors also work) at the bottom of the glass cup, sprinkle chocolate shavings on top for decoration. When ready to eat, pour the rich hot coffee over it and enjoy with a small spoon.

If you want to try a tipsy flavor, pour the liquor into the bottom of the cup first, then pour the coffee over it at the end.

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