The Rich History and Origins of Italian Espresso: Its Global Influence on Coffee Culture

Like the passionate Italian people, Italian coffee is renowned worldwide for its rich and mellow character. Espresso is the most representative Italian coffee. Americans call it "Espresso" to fully express the meaning of rapid extraction. Initially, it was only popular in southern European countries like Italy, France, and Spain, but later swept across the Americas, becoming one of the most popular beverages. Even in the UK, known as the "tea country," you can smell the aroma of espresso everywhere in the air.

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The Rich History of Italian Coffee

Italy's coffee drinking history is very long. Since 1580, coffee beans originating from Africa and the Middle East entered Italy through the port of Venice. Initially, it was a beverage only enjoyed by the upper class. Because it was a "Muslim drink" originating from the Middle East and Turkey, many Christian Italians called it "the devil's beverage."

Until the early 17th century, Archbishop Clement VIII fell in love with this black drink and baptized coffee, officially designating it as a Christian beverage and bestowing upon it the name "God's drink." Immediately following, in 1645, Rome opened Europe's first coffee house, also Italy's earliest store专门selling coffee. From then on, coffee rapidly spread throughout Italy.

The Evolution of Espresso Machines

The Italian contribution to coffee lies not only in taste but also in equipment development. In the early days, people would use old-fashioned Turkish pots to brew coffee, then filter it. With the arrival of the Industrial Revolution, it seemed everything was pursuing a fast pace, and Italians were no exception. In 1884, Angelo Moriondo successfully registered a patent in Turin, Italy, for a steam-powered machine for making coffee. However, because this device relied entirely on steam, temperature was difficult to control, often making coffee bitter and hard to swallow. Thus, it was later modified multiple times by different people.

(Angelo Moriondo's Espresso Machine)

In the early 19th century, Milan manufacturer Luigi Bezzera improved this patent and introduced the world's first steam pressure coffee machine prototype. It not only had a removable handle and detachable assembly head but could also extract a cup of coffee in a short time using high pressure.

(Luigi Bezzera's Espresso Machine)

With the advent and application of new machines, more and more Italians fell in love with the coffee quickly extracted by these machines. The term "espresso" was first included in Italian dictionaries around 1920, explained as: concentrated coffee made using pressure machines or filters.

For those who tasted this "fast coffee" for the first time, the taste wasn't good, but after learning it was obtained quickly through steam pressure, Italians seemed energized, constantly thinking about how to upgrade and modify this steam-powered coffee machine to make the coffee taste better.

For example, Milanese engineer Achille Gaggia managed to add a lever to the coffee machine in 1938, which could forcibly increase water pressure from 1.5 bar to 9 bar. This not only gave the coffee a layer of dark brown "crema" but also allowed solution volume to be quantified, making coffee quality more stable.

Thanks to the improvement and popularization of these machines, coffee making methods underwent earth-shaking changes. High speed and convenience became new indicators for every coffee shop's service, and that small cup of espresso began to evolve into the foundation and core of today's modern coffee system.

Italian Coffee Culture and Tasting Preferences

When espresso reached its final form, coffee culture had also kept pace. Compared to many other countries, Italian coffee shops feature a high-efficiency, fast-paced atmosphere, which perfectly matches the small-volume espresso, allowing people coming and going to enjoy it quickly, then chat briefly with acquaintances before leaving. Using brief leisure time to order an espresso at a coffee shop can be said to be one of Italians' most deeply rooted habits.

Walking into a coffee shop, they will directly tell the barista to bring a single espresso. The majority are dominated by the bitterness of dark roast, generally adding Robusta to make the crema richer. Some people might add a bit of brown sugar before tasting, stirring and drinking it all at once, which is very satisfying. A cup of espresso usually costs only 1 euro in Italy, equivalent to about 7 RMB, making it a very popular beverage.

It should be noted that in the view of most Italians, only espresso is "real" coffee. Because compared to lighter roasts and specialty coffees that emphasize single origins, they are more accustomed to rich, full-bodied, heavy-textured, even bitter flavors. It is said that in Italian belief, coffee is "digestive" and has nothing to do with refreshment, so after every meal, if there isn't a cup of espresso, they feel like something is missing.

It's not difficult to see that the reason Italians are so passionate about espresso is their loyalty to their cultural roots. As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, Italy invented the espresso machine, which not only made coffee preparation faster but forever changed the global coffee industry. Therefore, for the Italian people, espresso is an important part of national identity and makes Italy unique in the world.

Choosing the Right Italian Coffee Beans

Next, FrontStreet Coffee will share with you how to choose Italian coffee beans that suit you:

FrontStreet Coffee's roasters have also undergone continuous repeated ratio testing to create the current FrontStreet Coffee's in-store offerings: Frontsteet Sunflower Warm Sunshine Blend, Specialty Blend, Commercial Blend, and Basic Blend. The difference between these blends is that they provide balanced and high-quality flavor profiles for different price points. FrontStreet Coffee will now introduce these four blended coffees in detail.

1. Frontsteet Basic Italian Blend Coffee Beans (1 pound/454g)

Flavor: Features gentle fruit acidity, caramel sweetness, nut and dark chocolate flavors, smooth and viscous, but relatively light in taste. Suitable for shop and home users who prioritize cost and have general flavor requirements.

Formula: Yunnan : Brazil = 3 : 7

2. Frontsteet Commercial Italian Blend Coffee Beans (1 pound/454g)

Flavor: Caramel sweetness, nut and cocoa notes, dark chocolate flavors, balanced sweet and sour, slightly bitter, with a persistent aftertaste that can meet the daily production needs of coffee shops.

Formula: Colombia : Brazil : Robusta = 3 : 6 : 1

3. Frontsteet Specialty Italian Blend Coffee Beans (1 pound/454g)

Flavor: Gentle and slightly acidic, clear sweetness, nutty aftertaste, overall feeling is not too stimulating, peaceful, with medium crema, suitable for daily shop needs.

Formula: Colombia : Brazil = 3 : 7

4. Frontsteet Sunflower Warm Sunshine Italian Blend Coffee Beans (1/2 pound/227g)

Flavor: Noticeable fruit acidity, light berry aroma, wine notes, rich chocolate flavor, with a clear aftertaste.

Formula: Frontsteet Honduras Sherry : Frontsteet Yirgacheffe Red Cherry = 7 : 3

This Frontsteet Sunflower Warm Sunshine blend is currently used by FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) in-store for producing espresso coffee. In terms of flavor performance, it has excellent fermented wine aroma and berry flavors, very suitable for producing espresso coffee, with a very mellow and unique flavor profile.

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