Dellanave

I’m not sure that Italy would function without espresso. Then again, I’m not 100% convinced that Italy functions anyway but that’s another post. Those who know me well know I’m pretty well obsessed with coffee, espresso specifically. Don’t even talk to me about drip coffee because its nothing but an affront. In Italy though café has such a place in the culture its more than a beverage. When I go to Italy I do a lot of running around seeing old friends or my father’s old friends. Without fail the first thing they suggest is that we walk around the corner and grab an espresso. I’ve seen this in hospitals, in downtown Milan and in the countryside. In fact, few large offices or business don’t have an espresso machine. Maybe because it’s more acceptable than a whiskey in mid-afternoon, but that’s just what friends do. Business is the same way, most casual meetings of business associates begin with an espresso at the closest bar. Lunch and dinner are, of course, followed by an espresso as well, without which I don’t think anyone would be able to stay awake. Every morning starts out with a nice cappuccino too, but don’t even ask for one after 10am. I don’t know how people put down those Starbucks super-ventis of 20oz of milk. If you give someone a 20oz glass of warm milk they’d think you were joking. Drop a shot of espresso in it and suddenly it’s the American Breakfast. I don’t get it. Also, for the love of Christ, don’t order a cappuccino after dinner. A glass of warm milk after dinner is a kick in the stomach, not a digestivo.

The other thing that strikes me is how natural it is to make GOOD espresso. Do a Google search for espresso tamping and you’ll see all sorts of ridiculous discussion about how you should go about tamping an espresso. Watch a barista in Italy and see how much thought he puts into it. Two quick flips of the doser, a touch on the built-in tamper on the doser, and lock it into the machine. Out comes a perfect shot. Granted the grind is set well, the group head pressure is set correctly and the machine is kept clean. But they don’t put all this pomp and circumstance to making a good espresso, its just comes naturally.

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