Italians drink an average of 3 coffees a day: 4 out of 10 oscillate between a minimum of two cups and a maximum of 3, while the same number consumes from 3 to 4 cups of coffee a day.
Why do Italians drink coffee after dinner? “The espresso after dinner is ordered only if the meal was heavy, and they also 'correct' the espresso by adding grappa, known as 'the corretto,'” Milos says. The habit might also have to do with the fact that Italians stay up later.
Thou shalt only drink cappuccino, caffé 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.
At least once a day practically all Italians consume coffee (or coffee-based drinks): espresso (more than 90%), ristretto, long, macchiato (hot or cold), corretto, americano, marocchino, moka, cappuccino, caffelatte, mocaccino, affogato and so on and so forth.
Italians drink lots of coffee – they drink it small and they drink it fast. It's a pick-me-up and a quick caffeine kick. 'Caffé' is what we'd call an espresso. It's served, not too hot, in a petite espresso cup and saucer, thick, dark and without milk and comes with a complimentary glass of water.
Italians drink an average of 3 coffees a day: 4 out of 10 oscillate between a minimum of two cups and a maximum of 3, while the same number consumes from 3 to 4 cups of coffee a day.
Back in the 16th century, as the global coffee trade was exploding, coffee beans were first introduced to Europe through trading ports in Venice. Coffee shops started to open in the cities, becoming meeting places for the local intelligentsia, then becoming more of a social space for wider society.
Italians have a thing about drinking cappuccino after noon. It's just not done (some say it's because the milk and foam makes it a replacement for a meal, and all that dairy upsets the digestion). And you'll never see an Italian ordering a cappuccino after dinner.
This tradition has its origins in the ancient Italian coffee roasters, in which water was served to customers before they tasted the coffee. The roasters, in fact, wanted customers to appreciate all the aromatic nuances of coffee without having the taste of other foods previously eaten.
Some Italians don't like the idea of sweetening coffee with sugar, so they go for milk instead. In this case we're talking about “caffé macchiato” (pron “kaf'fé mak. 'kia.to”) which is an Espresso with just a bit of milk foam in it. You don't have to ask for milk since macchiato always comes with it.
Sugar is traditionally added to espresso by Italians, who invented the drink. Not all of them take it this way, but most of them do. Why? Because that's how you make it taste good.
While it may seem strange to some, the custom of not ordering a cappuccino after 11am in Italy is rooted in tradition and the belief that the drink is best suited for the morning.
Italians like their morning coffee milky. Breakfast time is the traditional time for macchiato, cappuccino, and mokaccino.
A typical Italian diet consists of three meals in a day. The most common foods in the Italian diet include pasta, cheese, vegetables, olive oil, meats, and wine. Italians give a lot of importance to fresh ingredients. They use seasonal ingredients to prepare meals.
Italians eat predominantly sweet things for breakfast. This can be quite a shock if you are used to having toast, eggs, and bacon first thing in the morning. Instead, the traditional breakfast in Italy relies almost exclusively on baked goods like biscuits, cookies, pastries, rusks, and cakes.
Finland – 12 kg/26.4 lbs per capita
Fins consume a whopping 12 kilograms (about 26 pounds) of coffee per capita annually, making Finland the biggest consumer of coffee on earth. Coffee is so ingrained into everyday life in Finland that, per Finnish labor laws, workers are granted two 10-15 minute coffee breaks a day.
After a traditional Italian meal or dinner you are likely to be offered a 'digestivo' aka an Italian digestive drink (digestif). Italian digestivo are alcoholic after dinner drinks, usually served in a small glass, straight, as a shot.
1) First and foremost, you need to know that coffee may stimulate the production of stomach acid. This, in turn, may cause issues like indigestion, bloating, and nausea among others. 2) Coffee increases cortisol (the stress hormone in the body), which can negatively impact ovulation, weight, and hormonal balance.
As much as Italians like their pasta al dente, they like their coffee to have a heavily roasted, bittersweet flavour with a brown foam or crema on top. Smooth, fruity taste notes and fancy latte art are anathemas to most Italians.
Riposo in Italy
In Italy siesta is known as riposo. Shops are closed midday for three hours or so, that way Italians get to go home, rest, and be with family.
Cappuccino
The cappuccino is arguably the most popular type of coffee drink in Italy that includes milk, made with equal parts Italian espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam. Since cappuccinos have quite a bit of milk, Italians only drink this particular type of coffee in the morning.
The most popular coffee drink in Italy is a cappuccino. Of course, espresso is still the base of this coffee but with a creamy and mild taste due to the added equal amounts of milk and foam. Caffè cappuccino is best consumed at home or as you linger at the coffee bar.
What is the most popular brand of coffee within Italy? The most popular brands of coffee within Italy are Lavazza and Illy. Illy's Arabica coffees are preferred by northern Italians, while southern Italians prefer the strong flavor of Lavazza's Arabica-Robusta blends.
Italian coffee may seem stronger than the regular coffee you are used to consuming. This is because Italians generally roast their coffee fairly dark. This produces a darker flavour profile such as roasty and bitter notes.