New here? Subscribe to my RSS feed - http://feeds.feedburner.com/MsAdventuresinItaly or receive email updates! I'm on Twitter as @rosso
There are so many different types of Italian coffee, and by now we know them all, right? Latte, mocha, Frappuccino…
You won’t find a single drink by those names here in Italy.
Ordering coffee in an Italian bar is quite a different story, and I often give my guests a little primer on coffee in Italy (much like How to Avoid a Pickpocket I wrote Monday). Torani syrups to “personalize your coffee experience” and nonfat whipped cream don’t exist in Il Bel Paese. Instead, there are a series of coffee variations you can count on finding in almost any bar in Italy. Italy doesn’t have Starbucks and in my opinion, it doesn’t need it. The next time you say “Venti” remember you’re ordering 20oz. of a coffee drink. And that’s only the medium.
Jeff Israely, the Rome correspondent for Time touches on the mystery of un caffè in Italy in his article Black Magic – he even says….
…the consumption of espresso at the local bar is a rare example of standard fare, identical throughout the country: a brief but intense pausa from life’s travails that is a national bond…
The fact is that there is relative consistency in the quality as well as the coffee drink names across Italy. You won’t have to worry about mixing your ice blends with your Frappucinos as you go from bar to bar and town to town. Maybe you won’t be able to learn how to make the perfect Illy espresso (part 2) like David, but at least you’ll know how to order it!
Popular Italian Coffee Drinks
Caffè - In Italy the word “caffè’” naturally implies an espresso. There is no need to specify “espresso” when ordering. It will be served in a porcelain demitasse cup “tazzina” with its own saucer and little stirring spoon. Pronunciation tip: Cahf-FEH’
Caffè Macchiato – In Italian, macchiare means to “stain” – and this espresso in a demitasse cup is stained with some hot milk, probably frothed, though no attention is placed on serving foam. This is not a mini-cappuccino.
Caffè Macchiato Freddo – An espresso served in a demitasse cup with cold or lukewarm milk on the side. It looks like a normal caffè next to a carafe of milk. It is! Many bars provide a communal container of milk on the bar, so often someone can just order a caffè and add the milk themselves. It’s best to order the caffè macchiato freddo and let the barman direct you. If you absolutely want to add the milk yourself, you can make sure to specify, “il latte a parte”
Cappuccino – Probably the most well-known and loved coffee drink, it has a long history. Espresso and steamed, frothy milk added so that there is a clean layer of milk foam in a larger cup, a tazza.
Marocchino – In some areas of Italy, also called an Espressino or Mocacchino, this is my drink of choice and was what ultimately led me to be addicted to coffee 9 short months ago. It is a shot of espresso served in a glass demitasse (for aesthetic reasons), with a sprinkling of cacao (added either before or after the milk, sometimes both!) and milk foam spooned on top.
Latte Macchiato – Milk “stained” with coffee, and served hot in a glass cup as shown or in a tall glass, larger than a cappuccino.
Caffè Corretto – An espresso in a demitasse cup, with a “shot” of liquor of your choice. Popular liquors are grappa, Sambuca (anise-flavored liqueur), cognac, rum, or my personal favorite, Baileys Irish Cream. You can also ask for a Marocchino Corretto and they should oblige you.
Popular Variations on Caffè Espresso
These drinks are further variations on the coffee itself. Most of these drinks can have milk added to them but the important thing about ordering these drinks is specifying how it is brewed – doubled, water added, chilled, reduced!
- Caffè Doppio – Two shots of espresso, served in a larger cup (tazza).
- Caffè Americano – A shot of espresso with hot water added and served in the larger “tazza.”
- Caffè Lungo – A setting on most espresso machines, more water is being run through the filter, resulting in a “longer” coffee. The consistency and strength is not the same as an espresso.
- Caffè Stretto or Ristretto – Made with less water than a normal espresso, this caffe’ is more concentrated and strong and served in a demitasse.
- Caffè d’Orzo – Espresso made from barley is a popular alternative to traditional espresso. It can be ordered as a single, doppio (double) or macchiato like a normal caffè. You can see this macchiato has some bubbles because the caffè d’orzo is not as thick as a regular caffè.
- Caffè Freddo – Espresso is left to raffreddare or get cool, or is sometimes refrigerated and served cold or lukewarm.
- Caffe HAG – Not only is this the most popular brand of decaffeinated coffee in Italy, it can also be a way to indicate a decaffeinated coffee when ordering. It can be ordered as a single, double or macchiato like a normal caffè. (Pron: Ahg – the H is silent).
Special Coffee Drinks
Not all bars will have these specialties available (and some not year-round) but if you find a bar that does them right, you’ve found a favorite for life!
- Granita di Caffè – Granita, an icy coffee treat was recently covered by Shelley at At Home in Rome at the famous Tazza d’Oro in Rome. This can be found in some gelaterias or bars that have granita, but it is not a common flavor.
- Caffè Completo – This may be available at a few select bars (ask if you don’t mind striking out every once and a while!) but Shelley’s Caffè Completo at Cafffè Camerino had fresh whipped cream on top with a sprinkling of cacao.
- Caffè Shakerato – I recently posted about Caffè Shakerato, my favorite summer coffee drink. Coffee shaken with ice and sugar (if requested). It’s great on its own, or try it with Bailey’s Irish Cream for an even better experience!
- Bicerin – A Torinese specialty – hot chocolate, espresso and frothy milk served in a glass. I just posted about this here when I went to Torino and had a Bicerin at Baratti & Milano.
- Caffe’ con Panna – Espresso with fresh-whipped cream. Some bars will have this as a specialty but not all bars will have whipping cream on hand.
Sweetening Your Coffee
There are a few standard additions to your coffee if you don’t want to drink it amaro – fig: “black,” lit: “bitter” :
- Zucchero: Plain white, refined sugar. Some people collect the bags as almost every bar will have their logo and/or specially-designed bag.
- Zucchero di Canna: Unrefined, cane sugar that is darker and has larger grains. My preference. Most bars will have this as an option, but not all. I usually have to stir a bit longer than the white sugar to make sure it’s dissolved entirely.
- Dietor: A popular sweetener made with saccharin (similar to Sweet n’ Low). [site]
- Miele : Honey, an alternate and natural sweetener, is not available everywhere, but it is usually in packet form or in a little carafe on the bar top.
- Cacao: Though most of the bars will use unsweetened cacao (cocoa powder), it gives a different taste to your coffee. Cacao can be added to almost any drink, and many bartenders will ask if you want cacao on top of your cappuccino as it’s often added. Some will leave a little shaker on the counter for self-service.
Non-Coffee Drinks
- Latte – Milk. If you ask for a latte, you will get a large glass of (most-likely) hot milk.
- Cioccolato Caldo – Hot chocolate. This beverage deserves its own post and it will have it around winter.
- Te’ - Tea. They will usually provide you with a carafe of hot water or with the tea already brewing in the carafe when they deliver it. Note: Most bar owners do not look favorably upon ordering hot water and making tea with your own bags.
- Camomilla – Chamomile tea
A note on Drinking Coffee at Home like an Italian
Most Italians go to the bar because they believe the coffee is better, and it’s espresso coffee. At home, most Italians use a “Moka” which is a stovetop brewer of coffee. The consistency is quite different from espresso, and most will add quite a bit of milk to it for their breakfast. If you want to make “moka” at home, you will need the following:
- Bialetti Moka Express (I suggest the 3-cup)
- Illy fine ground coffee, arguably one of the best coffee brands in the world
- Demitasse/espresso cups (These are very similar to the ones we use at my house)
- A milk frother (if you want to make a simple cappuccino at home)
What’s your preferred way of drinking coffee? How many cups do you drink a day? Do you switch drinks in the summertime?
51 responses so far ↓
What a great description of the bar drinks! Yum, those are some great photos. I prefer latte macchiato when we stop in bars first thing in the morning because I don’t drink straight espresso.
Marocchino (decaf) is my favourite too!
But I think that outside Milan is not very known, or yes?
Nice reportage!!!
:-)
what a lovely guide to coffee drinking in Italy! This is great, and should be read by visitors :)! The Marocchino looks yummy, but I’ve never tried it (I’ve never even seen it here in Le Marche, actually). I always stick to the the standard caffe :)!
Ehm… Maybe “Zucchero DI canna” is better than “Zucchero ALLA canna”.
;)
@Piperita – I’ve had it in Rome and Florence, but in Puglia it was espressino. I think it’s getting more popular.
@Napolux – oops! Must have been a Freudian slip. Fixed. :)
I hope everyone tries a Marocchino!! :)
Great post!!
I’d add a section on local caffé tradictions…
Caffè has different way to be consumed by italian peoples.
There are specific rituals:
I.e. In Sicily is avoided to drink coffe alone you have to offer it to at least a people…before you take you have:
1) Drink a water glass (mixed 50% normal and friz)
2) Put sugar
3) Mix
4) Drink 2 times
5) Re mix
6) Last drink
7) Sigarette
P.s. Another good way to drink coffe is coffe with almond granita…wow!!!
Oppssss, another error… Please correct the http://www.detior.it URL ;)
wow, I’m impressed! This post covers everything! But I have to say that I don’t like Illy at all and I don’t understand all the fuss about it.
Is it true that any caffè made with milk in any amount isn’t taken by Italians after 10 a.m.? That marocchino is something I could drink all day!
very informative. I need to try coffee with some sambuca. Caffè corretto indeed.
Brava, another great reference. Personally I liked the zucchero alla canna Freudian slip, that would definitely be a hit in any bar, right? The “secret ingredient” that makes people buy panini afterwards. ;-)
Ristretto coffee, while being more flavorful is also less rich in caffine. The amount of caffeine is highier in cofee the loger the water is kept into contact with the pèowder, so american-brewed coffee is usually much richer in caffeine than an Italian espresso not only due to amounts but also due to the fact that percolation or other filtering techniques allow water to sit with the powder for longer. A similar consideration could also be done for Turkish or Greek coffee.
Rose, that’s one fully American legend that’s completely false. Actually, many people drink caffè macchiato only in the afternoon because it’s commonly believed that milk depowers caffeine (which is not true, but let them stick to their believes). What is true is that cappuccino is not believed to be a drink to be had with a meal: the amount of milk in it makes the bar version of the most popular breakfsat drink in Italy, caffellatte (usually, the cold leftovers of the previous day moka-made coffee poured into freshly warmed milk), so cappuccino is drank mainly at breakfast or, less frequently, as a mid-afternoon snack (usually with some pastry: notice that most Italians never eat dessert after meals, we eat pastry mainly with our brakfast or as an afternoon snack).
Goodness, girl, this post must’ve taken forever to compile! Bravissima :)
wow…wonderful post…i have bookmarked it…thanks for a lovely lesson in ordering coffee…
Bialetti…..more on this as it is ready to go public on the Italian exchange
Just looking your post over again (so much good info.) and a thought came to mind… I noticed that miele is on the list of sweeteners… do you (or any of the other commenters) know anyone who puts honey in their coffee to sweeten it? That sounds kind of weird to me.
Have you ever heard of the remedy of putting lemon juice in an espresso for a sick stomach? I saw someone do it at a bar once. Yikes. I’ve always thought that would cause more of a problem than solve it… what do you think?
This is a great post! Nice job!
@Enrico – I’ve never heard of that version! That’s to try out!
@Napolux – I love that you’re “working for me” as my Dad would say. Thanks for the help :)
@Rose – Most Italians wouldn’t have a cappuccino after 11am and definitely not after lunchtime. Cappuccino seems to be ok from 12am-11am disco to dawn! But as Typsetter says, they may have a macchiato in the afternoon/after a meal.
@Shelley – yes, several of my coworkers use honey, and I think especially with the orzo coffee. Have heard the lemon and honey but not in coffee!!
Thanks all for the comments – I hope this is useful!
Thank you for making it so clear for us. Your insights are quite useful.
This was fun to read. I just returned from my very first trip to Italy and loved every minute of it. I’ve never been a coffee drinker (YUCK!), but I love my tea! A relative told me before I left that I would get addicted to coffee in Italy. I thought she was crazy, but it happened! I had at least one cappuccino everyday. And now that we’re home, my husband and I ordered, and are impatiently waiting for our new espresso machine to arrive!
What a charming (and informative post) :-) Thanks for sharing – I love the photos!
Wow, that’s all!!
I like marocchino!!
I have it in Rome
Actually, I know lots of Italians who have macchiato throughout the day and cappouccino for “merenda” at 4 pm, along with a pastry. Macchiato is commonly used as aftermeal by lost of people who prefer a milder-tasting coffee or who think that the milk will depower the caffeine. Again, though, cappuccino is drank by _lots_ of Italians in the afternoon, but never as an aftermeal drink.
Shelley: at the office we keep a honey jar for the two colleagues who have honey with their coffee. A cup of unsweetened black coffee witha rind of lemon is a popular hangover remedy.
Fantastic. I really love your blog. It’s so amazing to see our culture and our faults from a different point of view. Is it so funny. Good job!
Paul
I had no trouble getting a “caffe latte” anywhere in Italy when I was there 2 years ago. And it was exactly what it should have been!
Great info! I love them all, but if I had to pick it my fav would be cappuccino! I fell in love with it at the B&B we stayed in Venice. I immediately bought the Bialetti, frother, cups etc when we got home and I switch off between that and cafe au lait from my french press for breakfast every day! I prefer the brand Kimbo to Illy coffee(too many people buy Illy for the name, but I don’t really like the taste). My method is a good substitute, but nothing beats having them in Italy!
This post really makes me miss Italian coffee!
There’s also something I learned about in Trieste, the ‘Trieste Capucchino’, which is a tiny capucchino served in a small, clear shot glass. Great post…
@Nicole – Kim – Thanks!
@Colorado reader – I never thought I would get addicted, either!
@Tulip – yum, marocchino. :)
@Typesetter – right, no aftermeal cappuccinos! :) I think everyone’s tastes are so varied – no one I know gets a cappuccino in the afternoon with a pasty but it is gelato time nowadays!
@Paul – I hope it’s not funny in a bad way! I try to keep things true to how I see them.
@Ann – right, a caffè latte is not a latte, though, which is how most people order it in the states ;)
@my melange – cappuccinos are good but for me right now it’s too much milk
@David – No cacao on your Trieste Cappuccino? Maybe it’s the marocchino’s cousin! :)
WONDERFUL post !
THANK YOU
What a truly informative post! Thank you so much! Am just beginning to appreciate coffee and its nuances so I’m trying to drink up as much info as I can. My husband just came back from Rome and gifted me with a Mukka Express. I love it to death and have been making myself a cappuccino a day. I’m eager to go to Rome and order myself a marocchino.
Great post…so much info!
(But I think you mean “CioccolatA CaldA” when you talk about the drink…”
I was fortunate to have lived in “Bella Napoli” for 11 years and got to know the culture and People around Campania quite well. It is not at all uncommon for Napolitanos (home of “il migliore caffe nel mundo”) to have Cappuchino or Cafe Macchiato the evening. While I enjoy all types of Italian Cafe my personal favorite is Macchiato. In my humble opinion the best brands are the local brands from around Napoli Cafe Kimbo, Cafe Tico and especially the Cafe Kimbo Espresso Napoletano. Try a shot of Espresso Napoletano correto (with a shot of sambucca) nothing better on a cold morning.
Quote: Actually, many people drink caffè macchiato only in the afternoon because it’s commonly believed that milk depowers caffeine (which is not true, but let them stick to their believes).
All perfectly exposed about the caffeine content, but there is soething to add about the use of milk. Actually the grease contained in the milk does not “depowers” caffeine but slows down its absorbtion by the body. Thus the myth that it depowers the caffeine (which is soluble in water).
Great post! I think the one thing I would add– which has been alluded to in the cappuccino comments– is that Italians drink coffee by itself or AFTER a meal: never WITH a meal. I can’t tell you how many Americans I’ve heard complain about poor restaurant service, saying “we didn’t get our coffee until after we finished dessert!” I try to tell them that that’s just the way it is! The coffee is to help you digest after you’re finished.
Great! A very good guide, I can barely belive it has been written by a non-italian.
Honey in coffee…. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Ciao! Grazie for the info — it’ll help on my next visit to Italia this summer. I can’t help but laugh when I remember my first trip to Venezia: I ordered a latte, and the baffled barista gave me a glass of hot milk! :)
Wow, great explanation and with pictures too. People always ask me about coffee in Italy. It’s hard sometimes to describe well but I’m going to pass your link onto everyone I know! Thanks for taking the time to post something so useful and informative.
In Rome you can also ask for “caffe’ genovese”, which is like a caffe’ macchiato but has some cocoa powder sprinkled on top. I believe the name comes from the stereotype that wants genovesi (people from Genoa) to be cheap, therefore asking for this kind of drink instead of paying for a cappuccino! (caffe’ genovese is usually the same price as a regular espresso shot)
Was in Italy for the first time in the fall and had an amazing time…the coffee was great..I did see in a few cafe that they used a special latte milk and I can’t find it anywhere back home..do you know if it is available in north america or if it is just whole milk? it definately said latte milk on the label
Wonderful article. Also, a lemon slice is not used with espresso in Italy.
Carlene – “latte” means milk in Italy so every bottle/carton of milk in Italy will say “latte” on it – it is not a special milk used to make lattes – it is just plain old whole milk.
Very happy to come across your coffee descriptions. We have just returned from Italy, and had the opportunity to sample many of those listed above. However, I did notice one that was missing. That would be the “caffe affogato” or drowned coffee, and maybe would more appropriately be a dessert coffee. It is an espresso served over vanilla gelato in a tall glass – very refreshing in the hot Italian sun!
Great post!
Initially I had the same problem with the differences in dutch and italian coffeeculture… My favourite is the caffe macchiato, especially with some ‘zucchero di cana’ on top! But in the morning I usually start with a selfmade moka-espresso… But (I’m sorry to say so) I just don’t agree on the Illy-coffee-part… I mean, it’s not a bad coffee, but there are a great number of more delicate coffees to be found… for exemple here in Turin we have Caffe Costadoro, recently recognised as the best coffeeblend in Italian bars in an Altroconsumo (Italian magazine) headline. I hardly drink anything else since I discovered it! Which turned out to be a great problem when I was back in the Netherlands for a week… Only thing with Costadoro is that you can’t buy it in the supermarket, but only in Costadoro bars…
hi ms.
In your list u have to add “Cappuccino freddo”.
You can taste this amazing summer breakfast drink in Napoli zone. I think the best i drunk is in Bar Max in Santa Maria La Carità. Served in a 0,50 cl glass, it’s based on a cold espresso cream mixed with fresh milk and above… a chocolate snow…
It’s only a poor description…u have to taste…
Sorry for my english.
Ciao!!
Your post is an absolute delight, congratulations!
Any ideas on the variations of eating a pizza?! (completely unrelated, I admit, but another fascinating ritual!).
World so small palce , where internet makes even closer to each other to share.
Thanx for great post on one of the world greatest coffee and its maker….
Here in Varese (near Milan) there’s also the Buosino, 3 parts of a particular chocolate and one part of cofeee, with milk foam and some 70% cacao chocolate powder on top of it
Here in Varese (near Milan) there’s also the Buosino, 3 parts of a particular chocolate and one part of cofeee, with milk foam and some 70% cacao chocolate powder on top of it and a chocolate spoon
you’re missing ESPRESSINO FREDDO!!!!
it’s a kind of MAROCCHINO with a bit of coffee ice cream inside….AHHHH, wonderfull!
i will send you a photo as soon as possible !
bye
Nice very nice, remembered me of my days in Firenze, im a coffe adict i drink 6 per day, italian style standing, in 3 seconds and out caffe normal(esspreso), senza zucchero
I remember one thing that a friend told me one day in the evening after school next to the duomo. I saw a beautiful girl talking a perfect italian and I told him look I love that italian girl, he said, shes not italian, I was like, how do u know? he said look, shes drinking cappuccino, only turists drink cappuccino in the evening, so i went there talked to the girl and yes, she wasn’t italian…
since then I used that metod to detect turists and it never failed, i have never seen an italian drink cappucciono alla sera
Leave a Comment