Italian people definitely love coffee. They know exactly how they want it. Once in Rome, you will be surprised by how many different types of coffee are served in the Italian “Bar”, that’s how the coffee shops are called.
The Italian breakfast and snacks are decorated by infinite possible choices of coffee depending on the size of the cup, if you want caffeine or not and so on.
Every morning begins with a ritual between the customer and the bartender. In some cases, you will simply hear the guy behind the bar welcoming the regular customers with a “il solito?”, which means “as usual?”, as Italian people are creatures of habit when it comes to breakfast routine.
There’s nothing better than a coffee and cornetto (Italian croissant) to wake up and start the day in the most perfect way.
This is a very simplified list of the different types of Italian coffee that you can ask in a Bar. Some are well known; others are more like Italian “capricci”:
- The simple “espresso” is the best known, simple coffee, half a small cup, quite strong and dark.
- “Espresso macchiato” is coffee with some milk, just a few drops. You can ask for an “espresso macchiato caldo” or “espresso macchiato freddo”, which means espresso with hot or cold milk.
- “Caffe ristretto” is a stronger version of the espresso, with a smaller amount of water.
- “Caffe lungo” is a lighter version of the espresso, with a little more water.
- “Caffe corretto” is an espresso coffee with a few drops of liquor or rum, usually sambuca, or baileys.
- “Decaffeinato” is the espresso without caffeine.
- “Caffe d’orzo” is barley coffee.
- “Caffe ginseng” is a type of coffee made of ginseng herb. Barley and ginseng coffee can be “grande” or “piccolo” that is large or small.
- “Caffe schiumato” is an espresso with whipped hot milk on top.
- “Caffe al vetro” is an espresso served in a cup made of glass.
- “Espresso in tazza grande” is an espresso served in a large cup.
- “Cappuccino” is a quite large amount of whipped hot milk with espresso coffee in a large cup.
- “Caffellatte” is simple hot milk with espresso coffee, usually served in a cup made of glass.
- …
These are only some of the most requested coffees, the list can easily be extended.
You might have noticed that the “caffe americano” is not on the list as it is quite rare for a real Italiano to drink American coffee. It’s not part of the Italian tradition.
The most traditional coffee that you could ever drink is when you are invited by some Italian friends, and it is usually made with the little Moka, a typical Italian coffee maker that they bring with them even when travelling. The Moka that you can find may be of different sizes, depending on how many people are invited.
Last but not the least, never forget that in a Roman restaurant or Osteria, you should NEVER have a cappuccino after finishing your meal. When in Rome…
In Rome don't forget to try the coffe at St Eustachio, here the beans are tosted in a wood oven.
