If you wish to know all about the Italian coffee culture, it´s time to learn from Luca, our brilliant expert guide based in Rome.
You wake up in the morning and you do get your Espresso.
You are entering a coffee bar because maybe in need of restrooms and you do get your Espresso.
You are at work and you cannot make it anymore and you need a break? You are allowed to go to the Coffee area and get your Espresso from the machine.
You are late somewhere? The most common excuse, a part from the car traffic and the parking hardships, would be: “oh! I was just getting an Espresso”!
You meet with a friend after a long time in the city center? Well you will get an Espresso.
You had a long lunch and you are kind of tired? Well, you will get your Espresso.
You have some stuff to take to your friend’s house? Well, you cannot leave the house without getting an Espresso.
You are with your girlfriend at her hometown and you are visiting the relatives? Well, at every house you will get an Espresso.
No matter where you go you’ll always find coffee: Italians can’t live without it. Whether you’re visiting a small town or a major city you’ll always find a bar around the corner. In Italy any time is good for “un buon caffè” and the favorite kind is without doubt the espresso: 25 ml of water that flows through 7 g of freshly grinded coffee in 25 seconds, at a pressure of 9 bars.
“Un Caffè” is an espresso: only 25 ml of water. A perfect one has an even brown cream on top and must be ready in less than 30 seconds.
“Caffè Americano”: a shot of espresso with hot water poured into it. In fact, often they’ll just serve the espresso in a larger cup with a pot of water.
“Caffè lungo” is obtained by draining more water than usual. A long coffee, although it is less dense, contains more caffeine than an espresso. The long coffee is regarded as normal coffee in the United States and in central and northern Europe. So, if you want to have extra caffeine, ask for “an americano”.
“Cappuccino”: is an Italian coffee drink that is traditionally prepared with espresso, hot milk and steamed-milk foam in a big cup. Cappuccino is a breakfast drink, so if you order a cappuccino after 12 m, people will frown at you (don’t worry, they’ll still serve you).
“Caffè macchiato”: in Italian macchia means stain, so “un caffè macchiato” is an espresso with a “stain” of milk.
“Latte macchiato”: a big cup of milk with a “stain” of coffee.
In the summer you go for “CAFFE’ SHEKERATO”
When do you pay for the coffee? This is also pretty cool to know. In the past we used to pay it only at the end, by leaving a 1 Euro coin on the counter. Today in certain city Coffee bars you are asked to pay at the beginning and how it works you will have one of your friends standing in front of the cashier with a 5 Euro bill in the end, turning around to you guys positioned already at the counter, asking you: CHE PRENDETE?
Rome Private Excursions will always make sure to get the Espresso in the Italian way!
