The Italian art of caffe’

 

 

Italy is a country where life and art have become so intertwined as to be virtually indistinguishable. It is a land where a very emotional aesthetic sense inserts itself into every aspect of human endeavor in perennial pursuit of the ephemeral joys of beauty.

 

From the highest point in Trentino to the southernmost tip of Sicily, the day begins with a good cup of coffee. It may be surprisingly small to the rest of us, but its preparation is an art in itself, handed down from generation to generation. It is such an

integral part of the culture it is very nearly part of the genetic make‑up.

 

We all know the pleasure of waking to the smell of freshly ground coffee beans, raising the cup for that first sip, the comforting / stimulating taste¼no wonder few ever care to abandon this intensely enjoyable morning ritual.

 

In Italy, coffee as a way of life begins in the home. The first cup of the day, often accompanied by the newspaper, provides a gentle transition from the heavenly slumbers to the hectic pace of the everyday. Together with wine, traditional espresso is considered the most widely consumed beverage in the country, in spite of the

introduction of various coffee makers in recent years. Indeed, in 1903, an engineer named Bezzera patented the first espresso machine, which was to prove the founding father of an industry. The necessity of having to make enough coffee to satisfy the

clientele of a bustling café (normally prepared one cup at a time), gave birth to this brilliant new device which was able to prepare multiple cups quite quickly.

 

This spiritual elixir, this nectar of energy, this revitalizing jolt ‑ so dense and creamy¼ This masterpiece of mellow flavor and is known as "Espresso all'Italiana" and is obtained solely by using a prestigious blend of coffee and the proper equipment.

 

History

 

The word "coffee" signifies wine or any other stimulating beverage. Other determinant characteristics include sweetness, body and aroma.

The first coffee plants originated in Yemen, where ancient legends recount how its regenerative qualities were discovered first by goats and then by monks, who noticed how agitated the flocks became after these strange green leaves were burned.

They soon came to steep the leaves to allow longer periods of prayer.

 

The beverage spread around the know world and in 1600 was introduced by a Venetian merchant Pietro della Valle, though some maintain historians claim that a coffee roasting facility already existed in Livorno.

From this moment on, the caffé became more than a shop, serving as a meeting place and social center, each with its own select crowd.

 

There were caffés frequented by politicians, those reserved for Austrians, those for the wider public, those much loved by the elderly seeking companionship and most importantly, the literary caffés such as the Tommaseo, the Garibaldi, and the Carrara.

 

In these Botteghe del Caffe’, men gathered (they were indeed almost exclusively a masculine domain) to debate and discuss interminably, driven on by the forceful effects of caffeine. Coffee production eventually shifted from the orient to Central America, Brazil and the tropical zone of South America from where it traveled clear around the globe. Because coffee is so widely dispersed, numerous methods of preparing and drinking it have emerged.

 

Percolator: Boiling water is driven up through a tube onto ground coffee deposited in a cloth or paper filter. It then soaks back down through the coffee.

 

"Melior" system: The ground coffee is placed in a coffee pot filled with boiling water. A metal filter is placed in the pot and pushed slowly down from top to bottom, thus separating grounds from the coffee beverage.

 

Espresso: This is the method used in Italian bars (caffés). The water is heated to around 90° centigrade and is thrust through the coffee contained in a filter. This system permits the full measure of taste and aroma to reach each tiny "tazzina."

 

Turkish Method: The very finely ground coffee is placed in a special stove-top pot with the sugar before boiling water is added.

It can be drunk immediately or after the grounds have settled to the bottom. Once poured, do not stir!

 

Moka: The water is poured in the bottom half of a two‑part, stove-top pot. When it boils, the water it forced up through the filter filled with coffee and stays in the top half for serving. For best results, the coffee should never be packed into the filter. The

flame should be moderate and the pot itself must be kept scrupulously clean of residue without the use of detergents.