Coffee Beverages in Italy
| Title: | Coffee Beverages in Italy | |||||||
| Category: | Food and Wine in Italy | |||||||
| Author: | Daniele Pintaudi | Updated: | Jan 30, 2019 | Views: | 4,325 | |||
| Tags: | cofee in italy italian coffee drink coffee in italy food in italy wine in italy | |||||||
If you ask for a latte in Italy, you will get a glass of milk. If you ask for a Frappuccino in Italy, you will get a puzzled look. In fact, the entire Starbucks menu, while designed to sound Italian, is pure Americana, with only two exceptions: Cappuccino and Espresso. Even the espresso and cappuccino in Starbucks is barely a shadow of what you will get in Italy.
Artificial sweeteners are not always present, but when they are, you will find them in little blue and white bags usually called Dietor. They are more or less the same as Sweet n'Low.
There are no paper cups, no travel mugs, no candy flavorings. There is no such thing as a double-shot espresso, or a Venti Cappuccino. You will not have the option for a non-fat soy Cappuccino.
That said, when you walk into a bar, here are the coffee varieties you can ask for and sound like a pro:
Cappuccino
The classic. One shot of espresso, with frothy whole milk, served in a ceramic cup. Some palces will offer sprinkled chocolate on top, and there is always sugar.
Caffe' Latte
This is the closest thing to what you would call a Latte. It simply means coffee with milk. It is the same as a Cappuccino, but there is little or no froth.
Caffe Macchiato
Another Starbuks term that has had its meaning changed by Starbucks. Macchiato means 'Spotted' or 'Stained'. This is an espresso with just a touch of frothy milk. Some people use it to take some of the bite off of an espresso.
Latte Macchiato
The exact opposite of Caffe' macchiato. This is milk with just a touch of espresso.
Caffe Corretto
Corretto means 'Corrected'. This is an espresso with some alcohol in it. For example, you can ask for 'Caffe' corretto con whiskey' , which would produce a cup of espresso with a dash of whiskey to correct it.
Caffe al Vetro
Would you like to be an espresso snob? Some believe that the little ceramic cups ruin the flavor and make the espresso too cold. If you ask for Caffe' al Vetro (pronounced Caffe al Veh-tro), you will instantly gain the respect of the barrista, and others around you will instantly award you many 'not just another tourist' points.
Hag (or Dek)
Hag and Dek are brands of Decaf that are so popular that all decaf is usually called Hag or Dek (In the same way we say Kleenex for all brands of tissue). You can use all of the above examples and simply substitute the word HAG or DEK for CAFFE and you will get Decaf.
Orzo (Pronounced Ordzo)
If you want decaf, you might consider trying Orzo. This is a barley-based drink that resembles coffee. It was popularized in World War II when coffee supplies were very low, and is often given to children.
Caffe' al Ginseng
Recently a Ginseng based coffee alternative has become popular in Italy. It doesn't really taste anything like coffee, but makes for a nice warm beverage. It always comes pre-sweetened.
Espressino
This is a nice little sweet coffee beverage that is available in some bars. It is basically an espresso with a dollop of Gelato in it. Delicious!