Types of Italian Coffee

If you are visiting Italy, you will want to check out the Italian coffee that is available there. Whether it is your morning pick-me-up, an after dinner drink, or simply something to enjoy mid-afternoon there are numerous varieties to choose from. Many Italians stop for coffee on their way to work, just as many Americans hit the local Starbucks. While you might not be getting up at 6 AM while on your vacation, you should still take the opportunity to enjoy a real coffee from one of the fancy machines.

Types of coffee

There are two main types of Italian coffee: caffe and caffe hag. Caffe is a strong coffee, similar to espresso, and has caramel-colored foam on top. Caffe Hag is the decaf version; it may also be labeled as decafinato. You can order these types of coffee any time of day. Drinks like cappuccino are not drunk by Italians after 11 AM, so if you see people drinking them in the afternoon it is likely a tourist bar.

Alterations

You can change how your Italian coffee is made by ordering a caffe lungo or a caffe ristretto. A caffe lungo is a long coffee, where there is more water added to make the coffee weak and bitter. It is also known as caffe Americano. Caffe ristretto is restricted coffee, where less water is added. The drink should be more concentrated, but not bitter.

Additions

If you enjoy Italian coffee or espresso there are numerous additions that you can add to it to personalize it to your tastes. These include:

o    Caffe con panna - espresso with whipped cream

o    Caffe con zucchero - espresso with sugar. In most places you will add sugar yourself, but in southern Italy you may have to order it sense zucchero if you do not like sweet coffee.

o    Caffe corretto - coffee with a drizzle of liquor, often cognac or grappa.

o    Caffe latte - Espresso with hot milk. However, if you are not at a tourist bar this could be milk or steamed milk.

o    Caffe macchiato - coffee with just a stain of milk added to it.

o    Cappuccino - a shot of espresso with steamed milk and foam.

o    Latte macchiato - steamed milk stained with espresso.

Specialty Coffees

If you are thinking of something different but still want to try an Italian coffee, here are a couple suggestions:

o    Bicerin - this Italian coffee is traditional in the area near Torino, and cannot be found outside of the Piemonte region. It features dense hot chocolate, espresso, and cream layered together.

o    Café della casa - this is "house coffee" and would be the specialty of that particular coffee bar.

o    Caffe freddo - cold or iced coffee

o    Caffe shakerato - this is a combination of espresso, sugar, and a lot of ice (and in some cases a bit of chocolate syrup) shaken until frothy

No matter what your coffee tastes include, there is sure to be an Italian coffee that will suit them and give you a unique coffee drinking experience.

The Secret To Finding The Ultimate Italian Espresso Coffee

Finding the espresso potential,or the level of perfection in any given shot of espresso is often like being on a quest for the holy grail. You know it's out there, you just can't see it. Or in the case of espresso, taste it.
Knowing if you've found the ultimate Italian espresso coffee begins with knowing about espresso. How can you tell if you've found something if you don't know what it should be like?

So, let's begin at the beginning.
What is an Italian espresso?

Italian espresso coffee is a beverage prepared with approximately one-and-a-half ounces of very finely ground coffee beans, which are dark roasted and oily in appearance. This coffee is produced with an espresso machine which ?forces? the brewing process using very hot water under high pressure.
The result is a bitter-sweet coffee with a topping of crema, or froth.

Main characteristics of espresso
Because espresso is forced, this process produces a specific feel, taste, aroma and density. Espresso coffee is ground to a very fine level and brewed very quickly, for only about 25 seconds.
The main difference between espresso and regular coffee is how the bean is roasted. While espresso beans comes from a variety of coffee plants, they are roasted to produce a very dark coffee. Also, the coffee beans have a rich, oily appearance.
Then, coffee beans geared for the Italian espresso are ground finely. The finer the grind, the slower the coffee is released when forced. Before this happens, the espresso grind is packed very tightly into a metallic filtered basket. All of this tight packing and forced brewing results in a coffee that is dark in color and very thick with a layer of crema or foam on the top.
Espresso is brewed quickly to avoid over-extraction of the coffee bean. The espresso machine is designed to produce a quick coffee and this results in a more intense flavor and aroma because it is never over-extracted or over-brewed.
Also, because espresso coffee beans are dark roasted they contain less caffeine than regular coffee beans.

A brief history of Italian espresso
It was an Italian businessman who, back in 1903, wanted to brew coffee faster and developed his fast coffee machine. He found that his coffee brewing process produced a much better tasting coffee, with a thick feel and a luscious crema topping. And so, the espresso coffee was born.
When it comes to finding the perfect Italian espresso coffee you need to delve into this world's fascinating secrets. You should come to learn everything from the Macinadosatore, which refers to the espresso dose, to the Macinazione, which refers to the correct method of grinding the coffee for the perfect espresso, and Latte art, the technique used to texture the milk into perfection and to create patterns on it.