CULTURE
The
more. Watch out for “friendly” waiters who usher you over to a table and offer to serve you – it will cost you! In the big cities or airports you are expected to pay before
F
ordering. In smaller towns and villages it works on trust: order first, pay later. Obviously it helps if you can speak enough of the language to explain that you ate one of those long, pastry things with the custard inside! Next, the big one, the million dollar question! What type of
coffee?
Cappuccino - (KA-POO-CHEE-NO) I know you think will look extremely cool standing there ordering a cappuccino. You may think it could almost be a scene from “The Godfather”, but after 9 o’clock in the morning, if you order a cappuccino you may as well have “I’m a foreigner” tattooed on your forehead. True Italians consider cappuccino strictly a morning beverage, but if it’s what you want…who cares if the waiter snickers at you as he serves you!
Caffe or Espresso - (KA-FEY) What the locals drink. Not a drink meant for lingering over. In Italy it’s considered more of a very quick, refueling stop. Similar to drinking out of a dollhouse set of cups and saucers, order this and you get a thimble sized cup of very strong black coffee. In many bars, especially in the South of Italy, you are given a small glass of water with your coffee (softens the caffeine “jolt”, this is not a drink for the faint hearted). Caffè is also considered the proper choice for after dinner. God forbid anyone try to order
60 | THE TUSCAN MAGAZINE
Coffee Jungle
A Guide to Drinking Coffee in Italy
irst decision – where to drink your coffee! Standing up at the bar costs less. Sitting down with waiter service costs
By James W Andrew
Seems simple enough, a nice cup of coffee. What could be difficult about that? However when you’re in Italy, just nipping into the local bar for a quick coffee can turn into a veritable minefield of choices. Our handy guide to the “The Coffee Jungle” will help you survive. Don’t leave home without it!
Some bars, in an effort to be seen as “trendy”, have started offering things like barley coffee and ginseng coffee. But, be honest, did you come all the way to “Bel Italia” to miss out on the real thing?
tea after dinner! You’ll be asked if you are feeling ill, as most Italians consider tea something you drink to calm an upset stomach. There are a number of interesting variations on the standard caffè depending on just how customized you want to go!
Caffe macchiato - (KA-FEY MAK-EE-A-TOE) has a dash of milk added.
Caffe ristretto - (REE-STRET-OH) has even less water added meaning the coffee is even stronger.
Caffe lungo - (KA-FEY LOONG-GO) has extra water added (ie a full thimbleful!)
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