Caffè culture

Italy is not known for its national pride. Finally unified as a single country in 1860 after centuries of famous (often feuding) city-states, this peninsular nation has been rife with division that reached a head during the disastrous decades of the Second World War. Though it bounced back from the brink of utter socio-economic collapse in the 1940s, Italy is still home to Romans, Neapolitans, Venetians, Sicilians, Florentines, and Milanese rather than Italians. Wherever you go, the differences are stark in food, wine, landscape, and language; the presence of dialects - though fading with the permeation of Standard Italian through TV and pop culture - is still strong. Deep-set cultural differences widen the gap between the more modernized North and the still agrarian South, divisive politics stalemate government activity, and don't even get me started on football rivalries, which have been known to shed blood.

But if there's one thing that unifies Italy, it's the Magical Bean itself: coffee.

Caffè is taken extremely seriously by Italians from Sicily to Siena, Rome to Ravenna. Like Italian cuisine itself, coffee is an experience as much as a beverage, and it has a firm place in the heart of modern Italian culture. And like Italian meals, it doesn't fall prey to the (typically American) habit of being "improved" with flavorings, add-ons, seasonal specialties, or other bizarre contraptions designed to drain the wallet and bloat the stomach. There are still plenty of options for the choosey coffee drinkers, each with very specific differences and times of day during which their consumption is appropriate and encouraged. 

They even invented a vending machine for fresh coffee

Caffè (espresso): When you walk into a bar* and order a caffè, this is what you will receive: a tiny cup of potent coffee roughly akin to what is known in America as a "shot" of espresso. Undiluted and bitingly strong, it may require several pouches of sugar but somehow still retains a quality of smoothness that makes it swallow-able. I tried an espresso in Naples, widely regarded as the coffee capital of Italy (and therefore the world). It is acceptable to drink a plain caffè at any point during the day, but they're especially popular for breakfast, for an afternoon pick-me-up, and after large meals.

Caffè (espresso) in its signature little cup, with sugar at the ready

Caffè americano: Though common enough on menus in Italian bars, it's one of the sadder parts of coffee culture, because no one really comes away from a caffè americano experience satisfied. The barista will be disappointed at the customer's total lack of adventure, and the customer will be surprised to discover that it isn't the Italian equivalent of Starbucks (of which there isn't a single location in the entire country). One waiter described caffè americano to me as an espresso in a big cup with more water added. Not remotely interesting or delicious.

Cappuccino: Perhaps the most famous incarnation of Italian coffee, cappuccino starts, like all other Italian coffees, with espresso, to which the barista will add frothy steamed milk. Some bars include a sweet foam while others allow you to add (or do without) your own sugar, and many sprinkle cocoa on top for presentation. For native Italians, cappuccino is strictly a breakfast beverage and never consumed after 10 or 11 in the morning.

A typical Italian breakfast: a cappuccino and a cornetto pastry
(Photo courtesy of the illustrious Megan Woods)

Caffè latte: My personal favorite, often served in a glass - un bicchiere - rather than a tazza (mug) or a tazzina (little espresso cup). The difference between the caffè latte and the cappuccino is a bit of a mystery to this humble blogger; they both are made by adding steamed milk to espresso. I've read that the major contrast comes in the way and the time which the milk is added to the coffee. It's less bound to the "morning only" consumption rules than cappuccino, which is the reason I tried it in the first place, since I was looking for a warm afternoon beverage that wasn't espresso. But whatever you do, don't order just a latte: Not only will you not receive a multi-flavored sweet drink made famous by Starbucks, but you won't receive coffee at all, because latte is plain milk.

Mmmm, caffè latte

Caffè macchiato: A common afternoon favorite, this is espresso served in a tazzina but "stained" with a splash of milk. It's still strong, but it's a bit easier to palate (at least for this wimp) than its undiluted parent.

Latte macchiato: The exact opposite of a caffè macchiato, this is milk "stained" with a splash of coffee. It's a great way to wade into the wide waters of coffee consumption. Like its cousin the caffè latte, it is often served in a glass with a thick frothy surface.

Caffè corretto: Coffee whose hyperactive effects are "corrected" by a touch of liquor, frequently grappa or brandy. It's not difficult to find since most bars boast a wide assortment of liquors, though I've yet to see anyone order it.

Caffè Hag: For those of us who struggle with low tolerance to caffeine, "Hag" is a decaf brand that still retains remarkably good flavor. I had Hag cappuccino and could hardly tell the difference except that my fingers didn't tremble uncontrollably for the next several hours.

Exactly what makes Italian coffee so special is a difficult question to answer, but likely it's exactly the same as what makes Italian food so delicious: the ingredients, the care, and a little magic. I despised every coffee I ever drank in the States, even when it was diluted past recognition with milk and sugar. But upon coming to Italy, I began to look forward to my daily caffè, not for the caffeine kick but for the flavor. Coffee here is deliciously smooth - never watered down unless you want a caffè americano - and meticulously made. And it's a little ritual, too: going to your favorite bar, ordering your caffè, sipping it at the counter while chatting with the barista, and then plunging back into the daily world refreshed and rejuvenated; or visiting your favorite caffeteria, whipping out your homework, and plugging through your assignments while comforted by a warm caffè latte and a friendly waiter. It's unthinkable to get a coffee-to-go in a fashionable paper cup, because that's not the experience. Like so many things in Italy, it's about the process, and the process takes a little time and a little talk. It makes you slow down and sip, and maybe learn something new in the meantime.

*There are two types of "bars" in Italy. There's the traditional concept of a bar or pub, where one goes for alcohol and socialization. Then there's the uniquely Italian (or maybe Mediterranean) concept of a place to get a caffè and something to eat for breakfast, lunch, snack time, or even a quick dinner.