Discover the unique characteristics of Italian coffees

When it comes to Italy, people think of rich, creamy cups of coffee.

But how can we distinguish between Italian coffees such as Cappuccino, Latte, Macchiato or Mocha?

Originating from Italy, Espresso also means “instantly” – that is, coffee that can be served to customers immediately and began to appear around the 1930s.

Today, there are at least 10 types of coffee derived from Espresso that are popular and loved in many countries around the world. Let’s take a look at the most familiar types of coffee.

To get a cup of “genuine” Espresso, people have to roast dark coffee beans and grind them very finely, then brew them by using hot water compressed under high pressure. Thanks to that, a cup of Espresso will have a very strong flavor and a layer of brown foam on top, also known as Crema, which is very fragrant and not bitter. There are quite a few heated “debates” about how to make the “perfect” cup of Espresso. Some say that the ingredients need to be mixed in a ratio of 60% Arabica coffee and 40% Robusta, while others “resolutely” believe that only a cup of Espresso with 100% Arabica coffee beans is the most perfect.

In Italian, “Macchiato” means speckled and because of this “name” there is quite a bit of controversy in the preparation of this drink. Some people say that Macchiato is Espresso with a few streaks of milk added on the surface to create beautiful veins. However, nowadays many coffee shops add quite a lot of milk to the cup of Macchiato, so there is a lot of confusion between Macchiato and Latte.

“Latte” is derived from the Italian word Caffellatte, which means coffee and milk. If the “connoisseur” is not really knowledgeable, they will often confuse the taste of Latte with Cappuccino because both have 3 basic ingredients: espresso coffee, hot milk and milk foam. However, if in Cappuccino, people add the amount of hot milk equivalent to the milk foam, in Latte, the amount of milk foam is only half of the hot milk. Therefore, a cup of Latte is always less “fluffy” than Cappuccino. And according to the traditional “standard”, Cappuccino is drunk in thick cups that are preheated, while Latte is drunk in quite large glasses. Another interesting point is that when Latte was first “created”, it was specifically for children because the amount of caffeine in it was quite low and it had a relatively high creaminess. Later, adults gradually became fascinated by this drink, so it became a drink for all ages. Also for the same reason, in Italy people also hear about cafe hag (full name is granita di caffè con panna) which is also a type of caffeine-free coffee, very suitable for teens.

And surely no one is unfamiliar with Cappuccino coffee, right? A cup of this coffee also consists of 3 parts: Espresso coffee, hot milk and milk foam and is usually divided very equally. However, depending on where it is brewed, the amount of Espresso is also different. Some places leave the Espresso strong, but some places dilute the Espresso with double the amount of water. And to complete the cup of Cappucino, we cannot fail to mention the “art of drawing” on the surface of the milk foam. As for the name of Cappucino, it is predicted that it originated from the name of the Capuchin monks because the color of their robes is very similar to the color of coffee. This has not been verified yet…

The drink that teens not only in Vietnam but also in many other countries love is Mocha. Not as “simple” as Cappuccino or Latte, in Mocha, the drinker will fully enjoy both the rich aroma of fresh cream and the rich taste of hot chocolate. Espresso in Mocha is also brewed with steam so the amount of caffeine is also very little. With the light aroma of coffee mixed with the sweet taste of cream and chocolate, and does not cause insomnia or worry because of the fear of heat, Mocha is always considered the “most favorite” drink for all ages.

Finally, we have a coffee that sounds “very American” but is completely Italian in origin – Americano. In fact, Americano is Espresso but diluted with twice the amount of water. Many people do not like Americano at all because they think it has “destroyed” the “standard” of Espresso, but there are people who really like Americano because it retains the flavor of Espresso but at the same time limits many harmful effects of caffeine.

Someone once said, “If you have never enjoyed the taste of Espresso, it means you have never set foot in the world of coffee.” However, coffee brewed with a filter in the traditional Vietnamese way is just as delicious, very fragrant and rich in flavor!

Collected.