Coffee in Italy facts for kids
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Italians are famous for how much care they put into making coffee. They pay close attention to how it's prepared, the types of coffee beans they mix, and the tools they use. Many of the ways we make coffee today actually started in Italy!
The main port for coffee in Italy is Trieste. This city also has many factories that process coffee. People in Trieste drink a lot of coffee, especially espresso. They drink about 1500 cups per person each year! That's twice as much as most other places in Italy.
The word Caffè (pronounced [kafˈfɛ]) is the Italian word for coffee. It probably comes from Kaffa, a region in Ethiopia where coffee first grew. Muslims were the first to use coffee and shared it with the world from the port of Mocha in Yemen. Europeans later called it mokka. In Italy, caffè usually means an espresso, or sometimes it refers to a coffee shop.
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What is Caffè Espresso?
When you order "un caffè" in an espresso bar, you'll get a straight espresso. People usually drink it standing at the bar. An espresso always comes with a small saucer and a tiny spoon. Sometimes, you might even get a small chocolate or a glass of water with it.
The Caffettiera
Making Coffee at Home
The caffettiera is a special tool used to make coffee at home. It's like a small steam machine. It has three main parts:
- A bottom part for water.
- A middle filter that holds the ground coffee.
- An upper cup where the finished coffee collects.
In the traditional Moka pot, water in the bottom part heats up and turns into steam. This steam pushes the hot water through the coffee grounds and up into the top cup.
The Neapolitan caffettiera works a bit differently. Once the coffee is ready, you need to flip it upside down! Because of this, its water boiler and cup can be swapped.
To make good coffee, you need to put the right amount of coffee grounds in the filter. If you put too much, the water might not be able to pass through easily. A small flame should be used to heat the pot. If the flame is too strong, the water will go through too fast, and the coffee won't have much flavor. You should turn off the flame about ten seconds after you hear the first bubbling sound.
Coffee Houses
A caffetteria is an Italian coffee house or café. These places traditionally made coffee using a Moka pot. Coffee houses became popular in the 1800s as places to enjoy coffee. People started drinking coffee at home more often in the early 1900s when Moka pots became available to everyone.
Older caffetterie (that's the plural for caffetteria) were often places where important cultural events happened. Many of these coffee houses, like Caffè Greco in Rome and Caffè Florian in Venice, became famous meeting spots for artists, thinkers, and other important people.
In the 21st century, coffee drinking has become less formal. Since the early 2010s, Italy has seen more coffee houses that serve specialty coffee. This means they focus on making very high-quality coffee for people who want to try something new and delicious.
You might have heard of Cappuccino. It's made with an espresso machine. Caffè-latte (also known as a latte in the U.S.) is a simple mix of hot coffee and hot milk. It's served in larger cups than tea cups. Most caffetterie also serve caffè-latte.
Socializing at Coffee Houses
Coffee houses have always been places where people can easily meet and talk. This is why people often say, "Let's meet for coffee," meaning they want to meet up and chat. Historically, coffee houses were where people gathered to talk, work, write (especially local newspapers), and read. Today, it's much the same, but people might use laptops instead of pen and paper, and read blogs instead of newspapers.
Coffee houses often have different areas, like small, cozy corners and larger, shared spaces. In a busy coffee house, it's common for strangers to sit at the same table. Coffee houses are usually comfortable, which helps people feel relaxed and talk to each other.
Popular Italian Coffee Types
Italy has a huge variety of coffee types! While about 20 kinds are popular across the country, many regions also have their own special coffees.
Here are some of the most popular Italian coffees:
- Espresso: The standard, strong coffee.
- Ristretto: A very short, even stronger espresso.
- Double espresso: Two shots of espresso.
- Macchiato: Espresso "stained" with a little bit of milk.
- Marocchino: Espresso with chocolate syrup, milk, and cocoa.
- Cappuccino: Espresso with whipped milk foam on top.
- Caffelatte: Coffee and milk mixed in similar amounts.
- Affogato: A scoop of ice cream with hot espresso poured over it.
- Shakerato: A long espresso mixed with ice and strained, like a cold coffee shake.
- Caffè ginseng: Black coffee mixed with ginseng extract.
- Cappuccino matcha: A cappuccino where green tea powder (matcha) is used instead of coffee.
- Caffè d'orzo: Coffee made from barley instead of coffee beans.
- Caffè con panna: Coffee with whipped cream on top.
