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BY BILL DANTE
After you rise in the morning, look in the bathroom mirror and say three times with gusto,”Buongiorno Un Caffe Per Favore!”
If you were in Italy, you would have just ordered a short, strong espresso to start off your day.That saying is heard thousands of times every morning all over Italy. What a great way for a coffee lover to start the day! It has been said that Italian coffee is considered the crème de la crème of coffees. You know you deserve the best!
First of all, remember to grind your Italian espresso beans with a burr type grinder, fine grind. Always use fresh bottled water and then you are ready to make your delicious espresso or cappuccinos in 10 minutes. Now you’re off to work singing Volare in your Alpha Romeo.
By the way, let me say that I appreciate your response to my last article,” How to Make a Really, Really Great Cup of Coffee” in the San Antonian. I received a lot of great suggestions and questions. There were some requests about Italy and Italian coffee. For example, is it worth the price? I decided to focus and speak Italiano and find out.
Italy is considered the worlds leader when it comes to coffee. Starting as early as the 16th century, ships would sail up the Adriatic to the charming city of Venice. They were loaded with silks, jewels and delicious coffee beans from Yemen and Ethiopia. Italy was the heart of coffee for most of Europe, way before espresso, lattes and cappuccinos.
It wasn’t until 1884 that the first espresso machine was patented in the city of Turin by Angelo Moriondo. ( so the Italian legends say) Angelos coffee machine was the talk of the town, liked by the mayor, it was considered innovative, the coffee was very strong and it took a long time to make one cup of espresso. He didn’t make a lot of money and never really got off the ground with mass production. In early 1906, at the Milan Fair, a new machine with lots of innovations was introduced. That truly was the beginning of the espresso machines we use today.
Lots of years have gone by since 1906, many new espresso machine patents were applied, and many shots of espresso have gone down the hatch. Each decade there have been better machines for espresso and better machines for roasting and blending. Plus, the prices have dropped significantly on the machines so that we all can afford a machine from beginners to those who can afford the very best.
Ok, back to Italian coffee, did you know that coffee is not grown in Italy..WHAT? It never has been. (Now you can say, “I didn’t know that!” ) Italy’s coffee superiority comes from their knowledge of picking the right beans and their total perfection for mastering the roasting and blending, using the right combination of perfect coffee beans.
The top Italian coffee companies have been around for a long time. They started as the best in Europe and have had a couple of hundred years to become even better. They have remained the leaders across European countries when it comes to espresso and espresso machines.
Buying your coffee roasts like French roast, Italian roast and Espresso roast are just the different roast levels. The beans like Arabica and Robusta come primarily from different Central American countries, like South America, Africa and Asia. Did you know that one top Italian coffee blend could be a mix of nine different Arabica beans from around the world? That’s where the expertise comes in showcasing the unique flavors of Italian coffee blends.Italy has mastered the roasting and that is the main reason it is still considered to be the worlds premium coffee.
During the last 12 months I have been buying and comparing Italian brand coffees with other popular coffees that I like. I wanted to see If I could appreciate or taste the difference from my other non-Italian brands.Two names that stand out with Italian coffee companies are Lavazza and Illy. These two are in the top choices of the Italian brands that I have been trying. They also happen to be the top two choices in the world. I found out that if you take your time and correctly prepare the coffee, whether it was an espresso or a latte, that will make the difference.
After a few attempts and different grinds I found the Italian coffee to be exquisite. The aroma was strong, the taste was bold and flavorful, smooth to the palate, rich and well balanced. It was impressive and I was finally converted.
I really enjoyed the Lavazza-Super Crema Espresso which is a rich blend of Brazilian, Indonesian and Central American. This results in a very mild, tasty creamy espresso. The Crema was perfecto! That was my second choice. Now for my first selection…..
Close your eyes and imagine you’re sitting outdoors, on the Via Veneto in Rome, a cup of perfection is placed in front of you with a couple of biscottis. Before you open your eyes your nose tells you that something wonderful is now yours to enjoy. Then the taste test, delicious, and tasty! It’s now my favorite above all others.The brand is Illy and my choice is their “ Classico” by Illy. The best of the best! It’s a medium roast with hints of chocolate and caramel. Perfect for espresso or even French press.
Let’s talk about the cost per pound.It can go from ten dollars to twenty dollars per pound for great Italian blends. Depending on the brand and how much you’re willing to spend to try a particular blend. I found that the lower end can run about a few dollars more then you are probably used to spending. Lavazza offers specials that knock off as much as five dollars per pound. This is a great price and opportunity to try a true, smooth, fabulous Italian coffee.
Always grind, “course” for French press and “fine” for espresso and drinks with milk added. The Italian brands that I mentioned are available at World Market, or you can order from Amazon or go to the brands website. I found Amazon was the fastest. Italian coffee is one of the best and definitely worth the price of a few dollars more.
Give them a try,
Until the next issue…
Ciao!!
