The Art of Italian Coffee

First Maître d’ Nicola Celegato of the Caravella Restaurant in the Hotel Saturnia is very knowledgeable about Italian coffee, its customs and traditions. For the Italians, it’s truly an art form in itself. Per Nicola, here are some of the names and descriptions of the most well-known Italian coffee beverages:

Espresso: a Caffé served in a 3 oz. or demitasse cup. Simply ask for a caffe' and remeber to drink it quickly. Espresso is not made to sip casually; it is made to be drunk in two or three sips at most.

Doppio: a double Espresso

Macchiato: Espresso that is “marked” with a dollop of steamed milk on top

Corretto: Espresso that is “corrected” with grappa, cognac or sambuca

Ristretto: more concentrated than a regular espresso

Lungo or Caffe Americano: an Espresso made with more water

Cappuccino: Espresso with foamed milk and containing equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foamed milk. A Cappuccino is drunk only in the morning. Usually coffee is not served by itself, but is served after a meal, with the exception of breakfast. Any coffee after breakfast should not have milk in it, and cappuccino orders after 11 am are often scoughed at.

Caffe latte: Espresso made with more milk than a cappuccino, but only a small amount of foam

Latte macchiato: Steamed milk that is “marked” with a shot of espresso coffee

Try one of the more obscure of these on your next visit to Starbucks to keep them on their toes!

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