Caffè espresso

The espresso is prepared in a machine that forces hot water under pressure through a dose of finely ground, compacted coffee. In a few seconds a small amount of concentrated drink comes out, topped by a hazelnut-colored foam, the crema. In Italy, asking for a caffè means ordering an espresso, served in a small, thick cup, often with a glass of water.

The custom has its own rules. Coffee is drunk standing at the bar counter, in a few sips, early in the morning, mid-morning and at the end of meals. There are variations with their own names: the ristretto, shorter; the lungo, longer; the macchiato, with a little milk foam; the corretto, with a shot of spirit. The cappuccino, with milk, is usually reserved for the morning.

The first machines to prepare coffee under pressure were developed in Italy between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, in Turin and Milan, and from the mid-20th century lever machines gave espresso the crema that characterizes it. The bar, with its counter and the machine, became a meeting point in every city and town.

The Italian Ministry of Agriculture included the ritual of traditional Italian espresso and the culture of Neapolitan coffee in the national inventory of agri-food heritage. Communities from Turin, Milan, Venice, Trieste, Bologna, Rome, Naples, Lecce, Pescara, Palermo and Modica signed a charter of values for the espresso ritual. Because it is present across the entire country, without a single city concentrating the tradition, espresso represents Italy as a whole.