Coffee Culture in Italy has many rituals and mysterious rules

Coffee is really something many can't start the day without. In Italy, it is a cultural mainstay, and the country one of the beverage's spiritual home. Coffee was introduced to Europe in the 17th century. But it wasn't until the invention of a steam-driven, coffee-making machine in the late 19th century that Italy gave the world espresso, so that coffee has developed its own culture in Italy. Coffee was first introduced to Europe from Egypt through the Italian city of Venice, where a flourishing trade between the local businessmen and Arabs enabled a large variety of commodities and goods to be imported. Merchants sold this coffee to the wealthy in Venice, charging them greatly for the privilege of drinking this exciting new beverage. Coffee is so much a part of Italian culture, that the idea of not drinking it is as foreign as the idea of having to explain its rituals. These rituals are set in stone and not always easy for outsiders to understand. You can think about coffee regionally: each of Italy’s 20 regions boasts its own unique coffee culture. Espresso may be ubiquitous, but there are many regional twists to the caffè. In the northern LeMarche, enjoy a caffè anisette for an anise-flavored espresso; in southern Sicily, try caffè d’un parrinu, an Arabic-inspired coffee flavored with cloves, cinnamon, and cocoa. For many coffee drinkers, espresso is coffee. It is the purest distillation of the coffee bean, the literal essence of a bean. In another sense, it is also the first instant coffee. Before espresso, it could take up to five minutes –five minutes!– for a cup of coffee to brew. But what exactly is espresso and how did it come to dominate our morning routines? Although many people are familiar with espresso these days thanks to the Starbucksification of the world, there is often still some confusion over what it actually is – largely due to “espresso roasts” available on supermarket shelves everywhere. First, and most importantly, espresso is not a roasting method. It is neither a bean nor a blend. It is a method of preparation. More specifically, it is a preparation method in which highly-pressurized hot water is forced over coffee grounds to produce a very concentrated coffee drink with a deep, robust flavor. Historically most Italian coffee is brewed strong, and fast in the form of espresso, which is perhaps why this country developed various milk based coffees such as the cappuccino and latte. The influence Italians have made on coffee throughout world has continued from the 17th Century through the tradition of high quality espresso coffee; this inspiring the proliferation of retail coffee giants and specialty coffee roasters encountered today. Here we see the constant recreation of the stylish, attractive, and relaxing environment of the Italian cafes and classic Italian renditions of coffee served. Nowadays we can enjoy the same atmosphere and superior taste even at home, where domestic coffee machines, serve genuine Italian espresso just as if it served in a café!