'na bella tazza e cafè
(a nice cup of coffee)


Caffè

Normal Espresso

Caffè Macchiato

Macchiato means “stained” and refers to the coffee being stained with a drop of milk, which may be even foamed.

Latte Macchiato

Milk stained with coffee.

Caffè Latte

With Milk.

Caffè con Panna

With cream

Caffè Lungo

Lungo means long and this Caffè is made with more water and therefore weaker.

Caffè Ristretto

Ristretto means “restricted” and is made with less water and is therefore stronger.

Caffè Doppio

Doppio means “double” and is a double espresso. It is rarely ordered and if so usually by someone who needs the extra caffeine.

Caffè Corretto

Corretto means “corrected” and this Caffè comes with a shot of liquor (usually grappa) in it.

Caffè Decaffeinato (AKA Caffè Hag)

Decaffeinated

Caffè Freddo

Iced Coffee

Caffè d' Orzo

Made from Barley

Caffè all Nocciola

With Hazelnut Cream



Cappuccino



The name Cappuccino derives from the Italian “cappuccio”, which means hood and referred to the color of the hoods worn by the Capuchin monks. Cappuccino is an espresso topped with a creamy foam made from steamed milk. It is somewhat similar to a Caffè Latte but a Caffè Latte has much more milk, less coffee, and little to no creamy foam.

Cappuccino should be about 5 ounces, made with one espresso and the rest composed of equal parts of steamed milk and foam. For a true foam, it is better to use whole milk. The less fat the milk has, the less velvety and creamy the foam will be.

A good cappuccino is quite hard to make as the barista must carefully and artistically steam the milk until it becomes a velvet-textured masterpiece. Italians may sometimes put cocoa on their cappuccino but never cinnamon. Though I prefer a plain cappuccino, I must say that either cocoa or cinnamon can be enjoyable. Though cinnamon is non-traditional, I do not find it culturally offensive.

In Italy, NO ONE EVER consumes cappuccino after breakfast. The absolute latest would be probably around 11 a.m. Italians drink their cappuccino only in the morning, usually with a cornetto (Italian Croissant) or pastry. They drink espresso throughout the day.

Italians also would NEVER drink cappuccino after a meal. Remember, Italians have philosophical, artistic, and scientific reasons for everything. After a meal, Italians usually have an espresso, which is also used for its digestive properties. If not an espresso, they will have a Limoncello or an Amaro. The reason it is stupid to have a cappuccino after a meal is simple. Imagine you had a big meal and at the end, when you need and want something to help you digest, you were presented with another stomach swelling option. In this case, the cappuccino would be like a hearty soup. It not only further stuffs you but it will not aid digestion. Italians still get a kick out of Americans who do this. I remember a cab ride in Rome, when I almost lost my life thanks to the driver passionately sharing his disgust with and confusion about this dilemma, while staring at me and keeping his eyes off the road. Food and anything else that goes into your stomach is that serious in Italy. It's life or death.