Italian coffee

Let’s speak about the coffee today. The traditions of drinking coffee are not the same that for example &0 years ago. Now the coffee is everywhere thanks to carton cups and busy lifestyle. People are taking coffee on the street, people take coffee to the business meetings, coffee is the basic drink for policemen during the long waiting in car for the suspect. Look a lot of Hollywood movies and you will see a lot of coffee. But these are not only in movies. A lot of people today prefer to go outside in the morning without eating at home and take coffee and sandwich or some bakery during the way to the work. Half of Germany, for example, lives with such style.

Italy has very solid coffee traditions and it is really part of history and culture. Everybody meet each other in the bar. Morning starts with fresh newspapers and coffee. Andiamo al bar? Prendiamo Il caffe? Vuoi il caffe? Italians meet each other with coffee, they are offering coffee, and they are inviting guests for coffee, the offer to drink coffee as the part of talking and lot of more. About the numbers 97% of Italians are drinking the coffee. Try to find one more country with such rate. Italian coffee imports approximately 17% of total European imports.

They history of coffee in Italy start in 1570 in Venice when Venetian physician and botanist Prospero Alpini came from East and brought first sacks in Italy. Republic of Venice starts the import of coffee beans in 16th of century and Venice was the first European ports for it. Let us remember the sea trade routes were the main way to export-import between countries. First coffee was sold in pharmacies but later it started the big conquest in the world and also in Italy. In 17th century in Venice were opened first coffee houses and today Venice has the oldest bar / coffee house in the world — Caffè Florian with location on San Marco square (Piazza San Marco) was opened in 1720. It is also interesting to remember other important date — in 1933 engineer Alfonso Bialetti designed moka which means the possibility to make the classical coffee at home.

Now let us see some classical pictures of Italian coffee drinking today:

First, no take away. Any bar can do take away coffee but usually it is uncommon. Classic style of carton cup is only in McDonalds. Just before Covid first Starbucks in Milano was opened but the true that it is just the place for tourists. Nobody wants to pay five euro for daily coffee and they were quite happy without Starbucks because the bar is at every corner.

Typically Italian drinks 3–4 cups of coffee during the day. Coffee is everywhere, it is good and it is cheap compare to other countries, standard price at the bar at the corner usually is 1 euro or a little more. Could be more expensive if you wish to sit at the table but typically Italian drink coffee without sitting, just the corner. Italians usually drink coffee standing (not sitting) and see it as some special sort of medicine with some boost of energy. Coffee it is just coffee — it is not the something as desert if it is not the morning.

Second thing — in Italy coffee is always good. And it is really true. There are two possibilities to find coffee — vending machine (personally I don’t like it everywhere I tried in machine) or if barista doesn’t like you and he will make specially the bad coffee. Otherwise you will be satisfied everywhere and you will be quite surprised if you like coffee and you came from other country.

Now about Italian coffee. There is no espresso as you prefer to use in other countries. Espresso called “caffe”. It is small and strong. If you wish less strong it will be “caffe lungo”, this means a little bit more volume, less strong. In reality mostly Italians do not drink other types of coffee. But for sure you can order cappuccino, coffee latte (which in italy called “latte macchiato”). Do you know what means “Americano”? American soldiers stayed in Italy after WW2 and Italian coffee was too strong for them so they started to mix it with hot water (so something like “caffee lungo” but bigger).

There are a lot of stories about Italy — “how to order coffee as local”, “how correctly order coffee” etc. Let me say — nobody cares. There are so many travellers and nations, italians love traditions but they are polite not to be very surprised if you do not follow their lifestyle. Some people just order hot milk in bar, it is also happen. Yes, it is italian tradition to drink capuccino in the morning with brioche (it called in other languages croissant, cornetto) but even if you will order it after the lunch it is ok for you so nobody cares.

Why italian coffee so good? History is history but finally? Let me say — first big traditions rule. These means that italians are quite sensitive for their culture drink so they are picky customers. Italians are quite cared about what they eat and what they drink. And if for food they are quite interested to taste the kitchen of different countries but for coffee not chance to teach them with something. Second thing is connected. Italian bars have usually 4 parts to cell — cigarettes if the have licence, coffee, simple sandwiches, alcohol and coctails. But they sell not too much food, alcohol drinks only in the evening so the main part of business is coffee. And you can imagine — if bar makes bad coffee who will come there? Next — they support their tradition. Production of coffee machines and coffee companies to sell the best selected beans — it is also about Italy.