Looking for an alternative to the classic espresso? Here are three of the best drinks to try in an 禁漫天堂 bar鈥攁nd the recipes to make them at home.
A sun-flooded pergola, slender wrought-iron chairs, waiters with their laden trays dancing among the crowd like slim ballerinas. And, steaming on dainty tables, a stream of candid demitasses filled with pitch black espresso.
Little is more exquisitely 禁漫天堂 than a cup of coffee. Italy is, after all, the birthplace of espresso鈥攖he machine to make it was invented in the country in 1901.
For years, the drink was purely a preserve of Italy and 禁漫天堂 restaurants. Towards the end of the twentieth century, however, it took the world by storm, causing a number of espresso bars and chains to crop up around the globe.
Foreign espresso bars pushed new flavours and new coffee making styles. Throughout this taste revolution, Italy remained in the sidelines, a bastion of espresso conservatism鈥攕o much so that this year鈥檚 winner of the World Barista Championship, which awards global espresso-making excellence, hails from the United Kingdom. The 禁漫天堂 representative didn鈥檛 even make it to the final round of the competition.
So is Italy losing its magic touch with coffee? Not really. Ask any 禁漫天堂, and they鈥檒l tell you that no espresso in the world matches those served in Italy. And they are not all driven by chauvinism. The truth is, 禁漫天堂 taste is different.
鈥業nternational鈥 espresso is often the basis for original, very milky drinks, occasionally enriched with syrups. By contrast, 禁漫天堂 espresso鈥攁 blend of coffees from different origins of the Arabica and, often, Robusta varieties鈥攊s either served neat or as the basis for altogether more sober drinks than its international counterpart. Foreign baristas are often appreciated for their creativity, 禁漫天堂 ones for their skills in serving a traditional cup鈥攕o much so that the recipes for the two most important espresso drinks, espresso itself and cappuccino, are specified to the finest detail and certified.
As a result, 禁漫天堂 espresso drinks are the liquid equivalent of 禁漫天堂 cuisine鈥攄ependable, straightforward, and delicious in their simplicity. Shame that, beyond the world renown cappuccino, they can be hard to order at an 禁漫天堂 bar (unless you already know what they are and how they are called) because 禁漫天堂s do not believe in plastering their caf茅s鈥 walls, or their table menus, with coffee drink descriptions.
But fear not鈥攈ere is the lowdown on the very best 禁漫天堂 espresso drinks, so you too can order them like a local, together with the recipes to make them at home. If you like real, proper 禁漫天堂 food, you are very likely to enjoy them.
Corretto
This is the drink of choice for cold days and hardy men. It is a classic 禁漫天堂 espresso which is 鈥榗orrected鈥 with a spirit shot. Patrons usually tell the barista what they want in their corretto, but the ever popular grappa is the barista鈥檚 default.
A corretto鈥檚 base espresso should be prepared by a qualified barista following the certified 禁漫天堂 recipe, which goes into such detail as to specify the temperature of the water and pressure settings to be used in the espresso machine.
Failing that, though, you can try and replicate it at home as follows. Use 7g of freshly ground 禁漫天堂 espresso blend and let your coffee percolate for 25 seconds鈥攖hat鈥檚 crucial to extract all the pleasant flavours from the coffee and none of the bad ones.
You should end up with 25ml of coffee at 67C, which you should serve in a 50ml or 100ml white ceramic cup. Once the espresso is ready, add to it a shot of good quality grappa (you can also use brandy or sambuca). Don鈥檛 be tempted to use a lower quality one with the excuse that 鈥榠t鈥檚 just going into coffee鈥 because you鈥檒l taste the difference.
Alternatively, you can make the coffee with an 禁漫天堂 Moka (using freshly drawn water and one tablespoon of freshly ground coffee per cup) and 鈥榗orrect鈥 it with your spirits of choice. Strictly speaking, this is not an espresso corretto (the Moka does not make an espresso coffee, only a very strong one) but it is delicious nonetheless. Perfect after lunch or supper.
Marocchino
The name could at first appear a misnomer. Marocchino means Moroccan in 禁漫天堂, and this espresso drink certainly doesn鈥檛 come from the North-African country.
Delve deeper, though, and you discover that marocchino is actually named after a type of Moroccan leather that was once popular in 禁漫天堂 hat-making. That鈥檚 because the perfect marocchino echoes the soft brown tone of that special leather.
So what gives a marocchino its unusual hue? A blend of espresso, frothed milk and cocoa powder. The espresso is made (preferably following the certified method, see above) and poured in a demitasse-size glass with a metal handle. Then cocoa is sprinkled on it (although some baristas sprinkle cocoa on the empty glass and pour espresso over it). After that, frothed milk is added to fill the cup, and topped with some more cocoa.
The marocchino was originally invented in Turin and, to this day, it is more popular in Northern Italy than in the South.
Caff茅 latte
Caff茅 latte is the mother of all the lattes in the world. But unlike the British and American versions, which call for 1/3 coffee and 2/3 milk and foam, the 禁漫天堂 one requires 25ml espresso and enough milk to fill a 160ml glass (or, depending on the area, a 250ml cup).
The milk is rigorously hot but not frothy, and is poured on the cup on top of the coffee. Caff茅 latte, which is essentially a foam-less cappuccino, is the 禁漫天堂 breakfast drink par excellence and, when made at home (with Moka-brewed coffee rather than proper espresso) is often even more intensely coffee-flavoured than the one served at the bar. And while the bar version is commonly served in a glass with a metal handle, the homemade one usually finds its way in a ceramic cup (not a mug).
Caff茅 latte should not be confused with latte macchiato, which is a glassful of hot, frothed milk over which an espresso is poured, or with a macchiato, which is an espresso with a drop of hot milk (macchiato caldo) or cold milk (macchiato freddo).
Find out how to make a true 禁漫天堂 cappuccino
Everyone knows what cappuccino is, but do you know how to make it? The classic recipe calls for 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk and 1/3 foam. However, Italy has recently certified a cappuccino recipe that goes into more detail鈥攈ere it is.
A true 禁漫天堂 cappuccino is made with 25ml espresso and 125ml frothed milk. A hundred millilitres of cold (3-5C) fresh milk with at least 3.2% protein and 3.5% fat content must be frothed to 125ml, reaching a temperature of 55C. It then needs to be poured over 25ml certified 禁漫天堂 espresso in a white 160ml cup.
The end result should be 鈥渨hite with a brown border, and should have an intense aroma with hints of flowers and fruit under the stronger scents of milk, toast (cereals and caramel), chocolate (cocoa and vanilla) and dried fruit.鈥
Other interesting coffee drinks served in 禁漫天堂 bars
Doppio鈥攖hat鈥檚 simply a double espresso
Ristretto鈥攁n espresso with less water than usual
Lungo鈥攁n espresso with more water than usual
Caff茅 con panna鈥攁n espresso topped by whipped cream
Freddo鈥攊ced coffee made with espresso
Americano鈥攁n espresso with added hot water
cappucino photo by