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Posts Tagged ‘Espresso’

 

The Ten Commandments of True Italian Coffee Drinkers

Friday, April 16th, 2010

I found this article on a website I frequent. This stuff will help you appear less like a tourist if you plan on traveling in Italy. Abide by the code! Also, I recently met and Italian while traveling on an airplane and while discussing our “life stories” he mentioned how envious he is of our Starbucks coffee culture. We sit down, enjoy a cup of coffee, socialize. In Italy they order an espresso, down it in one or two gulps while standing at the counter, place the cup down, and leave. Though this seems unusual for us, this is completely normal for them. So here are the ten commandments of true Italian coffee drinkers. Good luck!

Here, then, for those who fancy going native in true Lorenzo of Arabica style, are the Ten Commandments of Il Culto del Caffe.

1 Thou shalt drink only cappuccino, caffe latte, latte macchiato or any milky form of coffee in the morning – and never after a meal. Italians cringe at the thought of all that hot milk hitting a full stomach. An American friend who has lived in Rome for many years continues, knowingly, to break this rule. But she has learnt, at least, to apologise to the barista.

2 Thou shalt not muck around with coffee. Requesting a mint frappuccino in Italy is like asking for a single-malt whisky and lemonade with a swizzle stick in a Glasgow pub. There are but one or two regional exceptions that have the blessing of the general coffee synod. In Naples, you can order un caffe alla nocciola – a frothy espresso with hazelnut cream. In Milan, impress the locals by asking for un marocchino, a sort of upside-down cappuccino, served in a small glass and sprinkled with cocoa powder, hit with a blob of frothed milk, then spiked with a shot of espresso.

3 Which reminds me, thou shalt not use the word espresso. This a technical term in Italian, not an everyday one. Espresso is the default setting and single is the default dose; a single espresso is simply known as un caffe.

4 Thou can order un caffe doppio (a double espresso) if thou likest but be aware that this is not an Italian habit. Italians do drink a lot of coffee but they do so in small, steady doses.

5 Thou shalt head confidently for the bar, call out thine order, even if the barista has his back to you, and pay afterwards at the till.

6 If it’s an airport or station bar or a tourist place where the barista screams “ticket” at thee, thou shalt, if thou can bear the ignominy, pay before thou consumest.

7 Thou shalt not sit down unless thou hast a very good reason. Coffee is a pleasurable drug, but a drug nevertheless, and should be downed in one, standing. Would thou sit down at a pavement table to take thy daily Viagra?

8 Thou shouldst expect thy coffee to arrive at a temperature at which it can be downed immediately as per the previous commandment. If thou preferest burning thy lips and tongue or blowing the froth off thy cappuccino in a vain attempt to cool it down, thou shouldst ask for un caffe bollente.

9 Thou shall be allowed the following variations, and these only, from the Holy Trinity of caffe, cappuccino and caffe latte: caffe macchiato or latte macchiato – an espresso with a dash of milk or a hot milk with a dash of coffee (remember, mornings only); caffe corretto: the Italian builder’s early-morning pick-me-up, an espresso “corrected” with a slug of brandy or grappa; and caffe freddo or cappuccino freddo (iced espresso or cappuccino) – but beware, this usually comes pre-sugared. Thou mayst also ask for un caffe lungo or un caffe ristretto if thou desirest more or less water in thine espresso.

10 Anything else you may have heard is heresy.

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Dark Roasted Coffee: Friendlier On Your Stomach?

Friday, March 26th, 2010

happystomachA lot of people out there have trouble digesting coffee, but maybe they just need to try a darker roasted bean.

“German and Austrian researchers said dark-roasted coffee may contain substances that reduce stomach acid…The researchers found espresso, French roast and other dark-roasted coffee contain a substance not found in raw coffee beans — N-methylpyridium — that tells the stomach to reduce the production of acid.”

This discovery is very helpful for those who have coffee sensitive bellies. Here are a few recommendations of darkly roasted beans that might be easier to stomach than what you are used to:

If you are looking for single serve coffee in dark roasts, here are a few suggestions:

To read the full news article click here.

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Lavazza Pienaroma Espresso Review

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

lavazza pienaromaLavazza Pienaroma Espresso is one of the few espressos that sincerely does not need an addition of milk. Make sure though, that your machine is clean before you extract such a lovely bean so the smooth long pull and mild flavor stay untouched as they flow from grounds to your cup. Tastes exactly like an espresso from an espresso bar in Italy, because it is the most popular espresso in Italy, made by Italians, drank by Italians, and sold to you with the convenience of low prices from CoffeeRocket.com. The beans aren’t as dark and oily as espressos made in the US. The body is full and rich with a lasting sweetness as opposed to the often-bitter flavor found in many espressos. In addition, this espresso produces a beautiful crema. Just make sure you get this in the Lavazza Pienaroma Espresso Whole Bean bag because the aroma produced by grinding the fresh beans is part of the experience. You will want more than one shot. Enjoy responsibly!

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Segafredo Massimo Espresso Review

Friday, February 5th, 2010

SEGM-2TSegafredo Massimo Espresso is a very complex espresso. With strong earthy tones and a syrupy-like texture that easily stands up to frothed milk, this espresso just screams authentic Italian. The flavor of Segafredo Massimo Espresso is relatively mild and not at all acidic. You will want more than one and won’t cringe at the often-bitter flavor left behind from an espresso shot. However, the flavor gets a bit lost in milky lattes so keep this one around for straight shots or cappuccinos. The deep golden crema on top of the Segafredo Massimo Espresso is so enticing and is achieved by both manual and automatic espresso machines. We highly recommend it. Stop by www.CoffeeRocket.com to shop for Segafredo Espresso today. Enjoy!

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Espresso: Did You Know…?

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
  • vsh0419lEspresso is one of the most commonly mispronounced words. It should not be “ex-presso.” this word was borrowed from Italian well after the Latin prefix ex- had developed into es-.
  • Espresso is not a roast style of coffee. It doesn’t matter how dark the bean is, espresso has to do with how it is prepared.
  • You can use any type of coffee to produce espresso. Italians prefer medium roasts, while US west coasters like dark roasts, and US east coasters prefer lighter roasts to make espresso.
  • A fine espresso is a deep chocolatey red color covered by crema, a dark carmel-colored foam that lies on top.
  • Italians test their crema by pouring a spoonful of sugar on top. It should not sink for at least 15 seconds.

Enjoy your espresso responsibly!

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Red Espresso—the Future of Tea or at Least the Latte

Friday, December 4th, 2009

REDESP-2Red Espresso is a drink with a very interesting characteristic. It’s not an espresso at all, but a delicious tea that has 5x the health benefits of green tea with the ability to be prepared like espresso. This semi-new drink, first produced in 2006, looks like the segue drink between dedicated coffee drinkers looking to gain the health benefits of tea without having to give up their beloved mixed concoctions.

Red Espresso is made by extracting a specially ground rooibos tea through a normal espresso machine. It produces a very similar crema, body, and intensity that you would find in a regular espresso. “The red espresso won Best New Product in the Specialty Beverage Category at last year’s SCAA exposition as well as the Global Food Award for innovation at the IUFoST (International Union of Food Science and Technology) convention in China last October—for effectively launching the first tea to perform as an espresso.”1

Look out Lattes, there’s a new competitor looking to get topped with froth and it’s not what you’d expect, but something you will certainly love. Fortunately this Red Espresso is sold at CoffeeRocket.com, so get some and try it out yourself.


1 Bolton, Dan. “Tea Lattes Expand Horizon: Boost Profits With New, Unique Tea Beverages.” Specialty Coffee Retailer Feb. 2009: 24-27.

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Segafredo Coffee and Espresso Now Available on CoffeeRocket.com

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

massimoWhen it comes to the creators of CoffeeRocket.com, the quickly budding e-commerce website, variety is the name of the game. Quickly increasing the selection of choices in products and making sure to provide as many new products as they can find is the reason people have professed their love and loyalty to the site.

Recently, CoffeeRocket.com added another Italian Espresso, Segafredo Zanetti, the espresso that sells over 25 million cups of the stuff daily all around the world. Whether it’s intense, mild, decaf espresso, or filter coffee that you are after–Segafredo makes it and it’s available in the forms of ground coffee, whole beans, pods, filter packs, and cartridges.  Known for the Massimo Espresso blend, named after the famous founder and owner of the Segafredo Zanetti Coffee Group, and Cafesenza Naturale line, CoffeeRocket.com looks forward to a successful launch of the new product.

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Benvenuto Lavazza!

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

Lavazza_logoCoffeeRocket.com recently expanded their selection of Lavazza Espresso products, becoming one of the very few discount coffee sites to offer such an extensive variety of “Italy’s favorite coffee.” With Lavazza Super Crema and Lavazza Grand Espresso bags already a hit, CoffeeRocket.com noticed an opening in the Espresso market that most other site aren’t catering to. Not only are there several new products, but most of the them can be conveniently purchased in several sizes, starting as small as a .22 oz satchets to larger 2.2 lb. bags in either ground or whole bean form. Some of the new products added: Lavazza Espresso Tierra, Lavazza Gran Filtro, Lavazza Gran Filtro Dark Roast, Lavazza Gran Filtro Decaff, Lavazza Gran Filtro Classico, and Lavazza Dek Decaff Espresso. With such a large menu to choose from Lavazza fanatics can pick and choose new products to try without having to pay international shipping charges from Lavazza’s motherland.  In addition, CoffeeRocket.com recently put together a Lavazza variety pack so Lavazza Lovers don’t have to settle on just one choice and can have an Italian espresso shop right in their own kitchens at a super low price. Good luck trying to find these prices and selections elsewhere! Become a believer and try some of this delicious espresso as soon as possible. You won’t be sorry!

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Arabica vs. Robusta

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Arabica vs. Robusta EspressoDid you know that there are over 25 different types of coffee? But in our reality we only need to be concerned with the 2 that are most popular, Arabica and Robusta. Have you ever wondered what the difference is between these two? Why does it matter if something is 100% Arabica? Does that make it better?

Many coffee drinkers already know the answer to this question, but just in case you were wondering…yes, Arabica gets much more respect than Robusta for the most part. In the land of American coffee snobbery, anything less that 100% Arabica isn’t even a cup of coffee. (The French and Italians often prefer a combination blend.)

Arabica makes up for 75-80% of all coffee produced in the world even though it’s much more difficult to grow than Robusta.  Therefore, this results in a higher price for the consumer. It takes about 4-5 years for an Arabica tree to first produce a crop, while Robusta only takes around 2-3 years.

One of the interesting  ‘perks’ to Robusta is its surpassing amount of caffeine in comparison to its delicate rival. For this reason, Robusta is often used in espresso, not only because of it’s speedy effects, but also because it produces a sufficiently better amount of crema on top of a brewed espresso.  Mostly used for instant coffees and espressos, Robusta has its place in the world, but for a truly great cup of coffee with a full bodied taste, definitely grab the Arabica beans and get to grinding.

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