One of the greatest joys about living in (or visiting) Italy is the ubiquitous Italian coffee bar. I love everything about it; the energy, the social aspect, the smell, the physical space, and yes, the coffee.<\/p>\n
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With all due respect to Starbucks, there are some things that Italians just do better<\/strong>. Maybe that\u2019s why Italy resisted the invasion of the Seattle chain for so long. Oh, there have been some Starbucks knock offs<\/a> for a while, but they never gained much traction. Now, alas, there is an official outpost of the American Corporate Coffee Giant in Milan. By all accounts, it\u2019s doing quite well. And if that weren’t enough to signal that The Apocalypse is imminent<\/strong>, they recently announced a second location in Italy… near The Vatican, of all places. <\/p>\n \n Personally, I prefer all the little rules and procedures found in an Italian coffee bar<\/strong> over the silly \u201ccoffee\u201d options at Starbucks (Chai mocha Frappuccino nonfat soy latte, anyone? YUCK!).<\/p>\n \n And once you’ve learn these rituals, you feel like you\u2019ve discovered something important, and in some small way, you\u2019ve integrated into Italian society<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Now, submitted for your review, are the following protocols:<\/p>\n \n \n Let\u2019s break it down more precisely. Again, when ordering a coffee (un caff\u00e8<\/em>), remember that a \u201cnormal coffee\u201d (in fact, it can be referred to as caff\u00e8 normale<\/em>) in Italy is always an espresso<\/em><\/strong>. Then there are countless variations. To name just a few of the most common:<\/p>\n \n \n First thing in the morning, the most important thing is to get some caffeine into your bloodstream<\/strong> before you attempt any strenuous activity, whether it be physical or mental. This is the perfect time of day for this magic little potion, which contains maximum energy and occupies a minimum amount of space in your stomach.<\/p>\n \n Skipping coffee at breakfast<\/a> is not an option. And you can forget about your mint-infused Chinese herbal tea, as well. No, you need the real-deal: high-octane Italian rocket fuel<\/strong>. It can be an espresso or cappuccino or any other incarnation of real coffee.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Later in the morning, of course you\u2019ll need one or two more coffee breaks to keep the blood pumping. But then make sure to leave at least an hour (more time would be better) between your final coffee of the morning and your upcoming lunch. Coffee suppresses the appetite<\/strong>, and that\u2019s the last thing you want as you contemplate your midday meal. <\/p>\n You can even eat your lunch at an Italian coffee bar. Some bars will offer a pasta dish of the day, but most just stick to pizza al taglio<\/em> (pizza by the slice), panini<\/em> (sandwiches), and various insalatone<\/em> (big salads)<\/a>. The majority of Italians will eat it standing up at the counter with either just a bottle of water or a small beer. They\u2019ll read a gossip magazine or the soccer pages before downing a quick coffee (are you keeping count?<\/strong>) and rushing back to work.<\/p>\n Following your after dinner dessert, you should certainly have a final coffee of the day. Remember, coffee always comes at the very end of the meal, and never before or during (this rule is not flexible and you may get instantaneously deported if you break it). And never forget that you may not have a cappuccino at this hour<\/strong>, either. <\/p>\n \n How could you even consider pouring warm, foamy milk on top of your pasta and fish? Fa schifo!<\/strong><\/em> But if you really can\u2019t take the full bitterness of an espresso, remember that it\u2019s acceptable to make it macchiato<\/em>, just a tiny \u201cspot\u201d of milk to neutralize the acidic coffee.<\/p>\n \n Coffee is an intense taste to be savored<\/strong>, not to be chugged like a soft drink. It\u2019s the period (or exclamation point!) to signify the end of a meal. The last taste on your palate. Unless\u2026<\/p>\n \n Sometimes when you drink a coffee at this hour of the evening, you might follow it with an \u201camazzacaff\u00e8<\/em>,\u201d or \u201ccoffee killer,\u201d as they are called in Rome. These are also called \u201camari<\/em>,\u201d or bitter after dinner drinks meant to cleanse your palate<\/strong> and aid in digestion. (Averna is my preferred choice.)<\/p>\n \n The bar in Italy is a unique place, even compared to similar types of locales in other Mediterranean countries. The local bar is the hub of daily life<\/strong>. You might stop in to read the newspaper or recharge the credit on your cell phone. It\u2019s where you go to greet all your friends and neighbors and exchange a few pleasantries. Beautiful weather we\u2019re having, isn\u2019t it? Bello!<\/em> Did you see Totti\u2019s goal last night? Incredibile! <\/em>Can you believe that Berlusconi has the nerve to think that he can fool us again? Stronzo!<\/em> And so on.<\/p>\n \n These days, coffee breaks are an important part of the day in Italy, both for taste and energy. But from what we know, the consumption of coffee beverages began in northern Africa<\/strong>, where coffee trees grew in the Ethiopian province of Kaffa. It is thought that the beans were eaten by slaves taken from present day Sudan into Yemen and Arabia through the port of Mocha. (Are we picking up on the vocabulary lesson here?) <\/p>\n \n Perhaps the natural stimulant found in coffee, caffeine, was used to keep the slaves working hard<\/strong> throughout the day. (Take a peek inside the corporate America of today, and we can see that little has changed in that regard.)<\/p>\n \n But in an attempt to prevent its cultivation elsewhere and hoard all the java for themselves, the Arabs imposed a ban on the exportation of fertile coffee beans<\/strong>. However, by the early 1600s, the Dutch had found a way around this (it\u2019s called smuggling) and brought live coffee plants back to the Netherlands where they were cultivated in greenhouses.<\/p>\n \n The first appearance of coffee in Italy was brought by Venetian traders in 1615<\/strong>. In fact, the first formal coffee house in all of Europe is said to be Caff\u00e8 Florian in Piazza San Marco<\/a> in Venice\u2014where it still stands today. You\u2019ll pay a little extra (OK, a lot extra) for your espresso here, but the historical setting and view of the Basilica makes it worth every centesimo<\/em>.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the coffee culture of Italy is something that can\u2019t be exported. But at least we can enjoy the coffee itself. There are many high-quality Italian brands found around the country, but the Italian coffee most often found abroad is Illy<\/a>. What\u2019s more, they also make some really cool espresso machines which very nearly replicate the real caff\u00e8 you get in Italy. <\/p>\n \nItalian Coffee Bar Protocols<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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What to Order at a Italian Coffee Bar <\/h2>\n
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Coffee Throughout the Day in Italy<\/h2>\n
History of the Italian Coffee Bar<\/h2>\n
Drink Like an Italian<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n