Ordering Coffee in Italy
Seems simple, right? Maybe not so much if you’re an American. There are several “staples”: Un Caffè, Caffè Doppio, Macchiato, Cappuccino, Americano, and I’m sure more that I have yet to explore. For breakfast, people often order the classic Cappuccino.
The most common, I have found, which are ordered at any time of day are the espresso called “caffe” and the “macchiato”. A “caffe” is a small shot of espresso in a cup, served with a tiny saucer, spoon, and a side glass of sparkling water (usually only a couple sips though).
A Macchiato in Italian means 'stained' or 'spotted', so the literal translation of caffè macchiato is 'stained coffee' or 'marked coffee'. This is your classic cafe (or espresso) with a little bit of foamed milk on top. This is my preference.
Cappuccinos… You do not order this afternoon in Italy. It is considered very odd to be drinking a big cup of milk in the afternoon/evening or with/after a meal that isn’t breakfast. I have to agree. While I do love a cappuccino, when I hit the Starbucks drive thru in the US, I go with an iced coffee or something water based. I’m not a fan of drinking milk in larger quantities than what I use to lighten my coffee. While we’re on the topic of breakfast, Italians believe in a sweet breakfast, not savory. A popular choice is a good croissant (cornetto, in Italian), either plain, filled with pistachio cream, jam, or chocolate. But there are many, many pastries to choose from. I prefer the puff pastry with thin apple slices baked on top. Also, you can always find fresh squeezed OJ (Succo d'arancia) or Ace (pronounced ah-cheh-eh) which it an orange-lemon-carrot juice. Delizioso.
Back to coffee… If you’re an American who favors a big cup of drip coffee, you’re best off ordering an Americano. And if you take cream in your coffee, you will need to order that when ordering the coffee, and specify if you would like it cold or hot. So “Un Americano con latte caldo”, which is literally the only phrase that Mike has learned, other than “Non parlo Italiano”, which means “I do not speak Italian”. Ha! Not that I’m much better…. Anyway, What you will receive is a larger cup with a shot of espresso, a side pot with hot water (to pour into your espresso), and a second pot with heated milk. You can find an “American-style cup of coffee” in some tourist areas, like Starbucks, but it is very rare.
People certainly sit and sip, but most mornings I see them taking their small cups at the counter, having a couple of sips, and then they’re on their way. This is typically a "cafe" or "macchiato." I drank so much coffee the first two weeks we were here that I was convinced I had developed a stomach ulcer. By the way, never turn to Google, or my mother for a diagnosis. I'm perfectly fine and probably drink three a day now.
Last but certainly not least, the best thing to EVER happen to coffee, the Affogato al caffè. I’m not sure that it even belongs on this list as it’s actually a dessert, but I’m counting it. A scoop of gelato (usually vanilla but I have also been served Stracciatella aka chocolate chip) topped with a shot an espresso. While you can find this all over Italy, I see it more in the south.