I know many of us are used to our warm mugs of piping hot coffee that lasts us hours into the morning as we sit staring at our computer screens. In Italy, it takes a while to get used to all the differences in such a beloved morning ritual. Coffee isn’t a “to-go” item here and it is not served a million different ways with caramel or gingerbreadlemonseeddillweed flavorings. Instead, it is an art in one of the truest forms.
First, important lesson in vocab:
Italian word English word
Bar Café
Café Coffee
Café normale Espresso
Café Americano …something like our regular coffee
Cappuccino Delicioso!
The coffee ritual in Italy is not just a morning concept, rather a daily ritual that starts in the morning and ends after dinner. The first coffee is in the morning – either one at home or at your neighborhood bar on your way to work. The bar is a social atmosphere filled with your neighbors and morning regulars. You go to the bar and order your café or cappuccino from a well-dressed baristo(a) and drink it standing at the bar. You pay either before or after you drink it. Often there are small tables where you can sit with you drink and your brioche, but most places charge you a service charge to grab a seat.
The breaks for a café continue throughout the day depending on your level of caffeine dependency. Many people probably have 1-3 a day, but some people I know can pound down 5 or 6 on a regular basis. Generally cappuccinos or café lattes are morning drinks and not commonly ordered past lunchtime (1-3 p.m.). After dinner, another café is an option acting as a “digestivo.”
So come on over and
stay with us for the world’s best cappuccino!
