What is Espresso Romano? Espresso with Lemon

When we taste a coffee with acidic notes, we often describe it using words like "uplifting," "bright," and "fresh." It's likely that our taste buds are detecting citric acid. As a frequent descriptor in the citrus category of fruit-forward coffee flavors, when coffee carries the elegant aroma and lively acidity of lemon, its strong acidity "dominantly" fills the palate, making the sides of our tongue salivate.

In daily life, lemons enhance the flavor and aroma of our food and can be used as garnish. In Italy—the birthplace of espresso—incredibly sour lemons are sometimes added directly to espresso for consumption. (Note: This isn't referring to the lemon coffee found in Hong Kong-style tea restaurants...)

The Historical Origins of Espresso Romano

In the early 20th century, Italians successively invented the espresso machine and the moka pot, making espresso consumption mainstream among locals. Unlike today's specialty single-origin coffees that highlight unique characteristics, coffee back then was dominated by rich roasted aromas—in simpler terms, a burnt bitterness. The early 20th century also spanned World War I and II, when Italy's coffee bean imports were restricted, compounded by a major economic crisis, forcing Italians to consume instant coffee and low-quality coffee beans.

Faced with undrinkable bitter coffee, and with southern Italy being abundant in lemons, people began mixing coffee with fresh lemons. They unexpectedly discovered that lemon's sharp, bright acidity effectively balanced the intense bitterness of espresso, masking the negative flavors in the cup while imparting lemon's fresh fragrance.

The Espresso Romano Tradition

To this day, regions in Italy such as Naples, Capri, and Sicily preserve this method of adding fresh lemon to espresso. Locals call it "caffè canarino" or "caffè all'limone," translated into English as Espresso Romano—Roman Espresso.

Baristas typically make Roman Espresso by first placing lemon slices in the cup or squeezing lemon juice, then pouring the extracted espresso. It's tasted after stirring with a teaspoon of sugar. Some coffee shops extend this concept by adding small amounts of high-proof alcohol, evolving it into distinctive regional beverages.

FrontStreet Coffee's Experiments

FrontStreet Coffee first used their house blend "Sunflower Warm Blend," extracting 37ml from 19.7 grams of coffee grounds in 30 seconds. With the inclusion of Ethiopian natural red cherry coffee, it presented berry-like acidity. The addition of lemon juice didn't positively enhance the espresso; instead, it amplified the green, astringent notes in the coffee, lingering on the palate.

FrontStreet Coffee then switched to the predominantly bitter Brazil Queen Estate coffee, extracting 35ml of espresso from 20 grams in 28 seconds. It smelled of hazelnut and caramel, with a full-bodied mouthfeel, medium-high bitterness, and a sugarcane-like sweet aftertaste. After mixing in a few drops of lemon juice, the previously intense bitterness became milder, with subtle citrus freshness in the finish.

Recommendations for Making Espresso Romano

So if we want to attempt recreating this Roman Espresso, FrontStreet Coffee suggests using medium-dark roasted coffee beans, which to some extent reduces the bitterness of the espresso while adding more complexity to the coffee.

Conclusion

This "intense" Roman Espresso probably won't become a mainstream trend, but its existence demonstrates the remarkable versatility of Italian coffee culture. When modern professional baristas build upon ancient techniques while adding innovative elements, who knows—they might create another palate-stimulating coffee beverage!

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on WeChat (ID: qjcoffeex).

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