Espresso Revisited
Oh no, I’ve had Italian coffee – whenever I return to Canada after being in Europe, I’m inevitably in for coffee withdrawal. North Americans think we have a coffee culture but it pales in comparison to the Italian coffee experience. My first full day in Italy and I’m driving around with the Sara Gobbo, PR representative for Geox shoes and she turns to me and suggest “café” and I know exactly what she has in mind. Not some jumbo sized, milk laden, flavour spiked concoction served in a cardboard cup – no, she means the quintessential Italian coffee ritual repeated by each citizen numerous times a day throughout the county.
We stop at the first coffee shop we spot, belly up to bar, order two espressos (actually Sara orders a macchiato which is an espresso with just a squirt of steam milk), we down the coffee right there standing up and are on our way in minutes fortified for the rest of the day (or at least for the next few hours). The coffee comes with a thick head of pale coloured “crema” on the top and is smooth, thick, delicious and served in a small, warm, heavy ceramic vessel that feels good in your hand. This ritual will take place another few times over the course of the day. If you think espresso coffee is bitter and strong, it’s because you haven’t had the real thing in the country that has turned coffee making into a precise art form. I’m going to miss my café.
By the way, just in case anyone out there is under some other impression, the coffee drink of Italy is called “espresso” not “expresso” - thank you for letting me vent.
Click here to sign up for Christine’s Food for Friendse-newsletter!
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:11 am
Reading this, I’m sipping horrible coffee from a vending machine at work. Thanks for ruining my morning, Christine. Thanks a lot.
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Hi! I have a question for you—how many of those little cups of espresso would you drink in a day? Does it keep you up at night? In Italy, what coffee drink do they sit down and linger over? Do they linger? Do they mix espresso with liqueur for after-dinner drinks? I was in Italy before I was old enough to appreciate coffee, and was drinking bubbly water, which I thought was oh-so-European.
Did I say I was jealous as I sip a stone-cold coffee that I made this a.m. at 6:15?
Hope you’re having an amazing time!
July 4th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Jacquelyn,
You can drink as many as you like, three tends to be my personal daytime limit. I find the caffeine effects me less then regular brewed coffee but I don’t really have a problem on that front so it doesn’t keep me up, I can’t vouched for anyone else.
They don’t sit and linger over coffee, they sit and linger over food! In the morning they may have a cappuccino or a latte, although a latte is really considered a child’s drink and both are only drank in the morning. Espresso with a shot of liqueur is called a “corretto” and yes would be served after dinner.
I’m sorry you’re drinking crappy cold coffee, my condolences.
July 15th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
I have also been in Italy this year. In early April with my Mom and two of my children, visiting my brother and his family, I drank my share of Espressos/Lattes and Cappucinos. I am now in search of a coffee that will compare to my Italian experience. This past weekend I was in Stratford, On., and happened upon a coffee bar called ‘Sputnick’ and it was pretty darn close.
Elizabeth
July 16th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Elizabeth, thanks for the tip. I’ll look for it next time I’m in Stratford.