The Bar: Coffee

While espresso and cappuccino are synonymous with Italy and the Italian cafe society, coffee is not actually grown in Italy.  It is grown in Africa and South America.  But these coffee beans are green when first picked. They are then roasted and turn that beautiful dark brown we see as the finished product.  It is the people of Naples, Italy who are famous for their way roasting of coffee beans. There are tasters and testers and such high standards as to what color the coffee bean should be and is tightly regulated.  About 27 tons of coffee beans are responsible for 1.5 million cups of coffee.  You also have two basic types of coffee, Robusto, which tends to be grown in much lower altitudes and is more robust, as the name implies; and the other kind is Arabica which is more expensive because it is more delicate and a bit more mild.

One of the biggest myths of espresso is that it is loaded with caffeine because of its strong taste, but the fact of the matter is a cup of espresso made the right way has less than half the caffeine than a typical American cup of coffee.  The reason is because it makes less contact with the beans as steam is forced through the grinds.

Important things to look for in a good cup of espresso:  Creme, this is the light brown foam on top of the cup of espresso.  Even your more expensive Krups, Braun or other expensive appliances will not produce this adequately because you need hundreds of pounds of pressure of steam forced through the grinds and these home machines will not produce it.  Sorry to say, but if you want a good cup of espresso, you are going to have to pay anywhere from $300 upward for a professional machine that will do the job.  Now, back to the creme.  If you take a small spoon of sugar and pour it into the cup of espresso, the creme should hold it for 3 seconds, sink, then the creme on top shold re-form.

Another myth about espresso, is that it should be served with a small rind of lemon.  The acidity from the lemon rind will in fact disrupt the delicate flavor.  You will find it here in the USA, but never in Italy, but hey, if you enjoy it, drink it like that, just remember that if you ask for lemon in Italy you may not get it, and you be laughed at as an American tourist.  The choice is yours.

Some other types and variations of espresso:
Corretto: espresso with a shot of sambuca
Caffee Americano: Coffee American style, dripped through coffee beans finely ground and made mostly with water, milk and sugar added, as I once heard in an Italian Cafe "go to a diner if you want American coffee"
Demi Tasse: a cross between espresso and an Americano, more diluted than espresso, often made on the stove top
Macchiato: served with a spoonful of steamed milk
Cappuccino: this was named for the cappuccin monks because of the color of their robes.  It is espresso with steamed milk.  Keep in mind that in Italy, this is strictly a morning drink, only American and German tourists order it after 12 noon.
Latte: milk with a shot of espresso

Some Better Known Brands of Espresso:
Lavazza - Brand of Espresso
Moka d' Ora - Brand of Espresso

© Copyright 1999-2002 (MCMXCIX) Cristaldi Communications Web Design, Hosting & Promotion - - February 27, 2002