I have discovered a few things that make Italian coffee exquisitely unique. First off, espresso is made without a filter. It uses a specialized machine that forces pressurized water through very fine coffee grounds. It’s also served in shot sizes rather than cups. It is made almost exclusively with Arabica which is generally accepted as having a smoother and more acidic flavor.
The variety of coffee types in Italy is enormous and, while about 20 types of coffee are popular all over Italy, many regional varieties do exist.
Among the most popular Italian coffees are the standard espresso the ristretto (a shorter espresso), the double espresso, the macchiato (espresso stained with milk), the marocchino (espresso, chocolate syrup, milk and cocoa), the cappuccino (espresso with whipped milk foam), the caffelatte (coffee and milk in similar quantities), the affogato (a ball of ice cream showered with espresso), the shakerato (a long espresso mixed with ice and strained), the caffè ginseng (black coffee mixed with extract of ginseng), the cappuccino matcha (cappuccino where matcha is used instead of coffee), the caffè d’orzo (barley coffee) and the caffè con panna (coffee with whipped cream)
You’re probably wondering how it got in Italy when it was first cultivated in Ethiopia; Well it was later introduced to Europe through the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire recognized that coffee’s rich flavor and energizing properties would make it a profitable industry, and increased cultivation in Yemen for the European market. Venice, a port city, became one of the first European cities to regularly trade for coffee.
According to the great Italian cafe, when coffee first arrived in Italy, it was regarded as being sinful due to its association with the Islamic religion through the Ottoman Empire. In 1600, Pope Clement VIII was asked to publicly denounce coffee to discourage its consumption. To form a fair verdict, he asked to taste it. In a moment of clarity that has come to be known as the baptism of coffee, the Pope said, “This Satan’s drink is so delicious that it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it.” With the Pope’s approval, Italian coffee culture was not only born, but blessed. Sharp huh?
The Italian espresso is not just a shot of caffeine; it is a social and cultural ritual considered in the peninsula as a national treasure worthy of featuring on Unesco’s hallowed intangible heritage list.