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What are the most common coffee drinks Italians order at the café? They almost always involve espresso. Espresso is thicker than coffee brewed by other methods, and, as a result of the pressurized brewing process, the flavors are very concentrated, giving it the typical, unmistakable aroma. It also usually comes out with ‘crema’ on top (foam with a creamy consistency).
Here are the most common ways Italians order coffee at the ‘bar’ (Italian café). Try ordering in Italian!
Espresso: The classic way to drink coffee in Italy, and the simplest. A small amount of nearly boiling water is pressurized and shot through finely ground coffee beans with an espresso machine. Many Italians add a bit of sugar, but some prefer the bitter taste.
Macchiato (‘stained’ coffee): This is also a very popular way to drink coffee in Italy: espresso with a dab of milk. This can be ‘caldo’ (warm) if the milk is heated, ‘freddo’ (cold) if the milk is added directly from the refrigerator.
Schiumato (foamed coffee): Very similar to macchiato: the milk added to the espresso is whipped, like it’s done with cappuccino (but the milk is just a drop).
Cappuccino: Italians’ favorite coffee drink for breakfast! Espresso with steamed milk, prepared using the espresso machine steam wand; the top consists of milk foam, which can be decorated with drawings made with chocolate syrup.
Decaffeinato (decaffeinated coffee): Those who want to enjoy the aroma of coffee, but don’t want the caffeine opt for decaffeinated coffee (a very small percentage of caffeine is present nevertheless).
Caffè lungo (long coffee): Not to be confused with caffè doppio (see below), caffè lungo has a higher amount of water, so it is lighter.
Caffè ristretto (‘reduced’ coffee): The opposite of caffè lungo, this has a small amount of water, and therefore the taste is strong and sharp.
Caffè doppio (double coffee): Two coffee cups in one (two espresso shots), so the result is very strong and dense coffee.
Caffè con panna (coffee with cream): Espresso with soft whipped cream on top – yum!
Caffè al ginseng (ginseng coffee): Arabica bean coffee flavored with ginseng root extract, this is a beverage that arrived from Asia a decade ago and has become increasingly popular, although the taste is completely different from classic Italian coffee. It’s warm, milky and sweet; because it’s made with automatic machines, the taste vary from café to café. You order “un ginseng”.
Crema di caffè (coffee cream): This is very popular in summer; it uses coffee, sugar and cream; it’s served cold and, being very creamy, it’s almost a dessert.
Caffè freddo or shakerato (iced coffee): This is also a summer coffee drink. Coffee is prepared like a regular espresso, then put into a cocktail shaker with ice and shaken to chill it quickly, then strained into a glass (usually a martini glass) without the ice. The barista will ask if you want it ‘zuccherato’, with sugar, because the sugar is added into the shaker, not at the end.
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