After-lunch coffee is taken at separate smaller tables, not at the main one and children are not normally welcome to join adults in such formalities. The coffee pot has to be left on the table, for a second cup. It is not usual to serve pastries or biscuits with afternoon caffè, but an exception can be made in case there are women at the table. If women are present, it is they who might grant the men permission to smoke. After taking caffè, smokers are usually allowed to light their cigarettes (the service typically includes a porcelain ashtray). Sugar is served separately, in porcelain pots, with a separate silver spoon. The traditional afternoon serving of caffè has an almost ceremonial formality: the caffè is always brought with a silver pot porcelain cups (which should be fine china and as plainly decorated as possible) are served on a saucer with their small silver spoon on the right (on the saucer). This caffetterie culture was mainly enjoyed by men, while women organised their tea meetings. So, many caffetterie acquired cultural importance (like Caffè Greco at 84 Via Condotti, Rome or Caffè Florian in Venice, both established after the mid of the 18th Century ) and became famous meeting points of artists, intellectuals, politicians, etc. In the older caffetterie (Italian, plural), frequented by the upper classes, art and culture events were held. These places became common in the 19th century specifically for enjoying caffè, while the habit of caffè drinking at home started at the beginning of the 20th century, when caffettiera machines (Mokas) became available to the general public.
The flame under the caffettiera has to be turned off ten seconds after the first characteristic noise is heard, and eventually lit again in case the cup was not filled.Ī related but separate translation of the Italian caffetteria is coffee house or café: an establishment in which caffè was traditionally made with a Moka. Some hints prescribe that some small vertical holes are left in the powder by using a fork.Ī small flame has to be used to provide an appropriate moderate water pressure a high pressure makes the water run too quickly, resulting in coffee with little flavour. The quantity of coffee to be put in the filter determines the richness of the final beverage, but special care is needed in order not to block the water from crossing it, in case of an excess of grounds. Its boiler and cup are therefore interchangeable. The Neapolitan caffettiera operates somewhat differently, and needs to be turned upside down when the drink is ready. In the traditional Moka pot, water is put in the boiler and the resulting boiling water passes through the coffee grounds, then reaches the cup. The instrument used to prepare caffè at home, the caffettiera, is essentially a small steam machine made of a bottom boiler, a central filter which contains the coffee grounds, and an upper cup. Caffè may refer to the Italian way of preparing a coffee, an espresso, or occasionally used as a synonym for the European coffee bar. The Muslims first used and distributed it worldwide from the port of Mocha in Yemen, after which the Europeans named it mokka. Ĭaffè ( pronounced ) is the Italian word for coffee and probably originates from Kaffa ( Arabic: قهوة, romanized: Qahwa), the region in Ethiopia where coffee originated. That is about twice as much as is usually drunk in Italy. Italian coffee consumption, often espresso, is highest in the city of Trieste, with an average of 1500 cups of coffee per person per year. The main coffee port in Italy is Trieste where there is also a lot of coffee processing industry. Many of the types of coffee preparation known today also have their roots here. Italians are well known for their special attention to the preparation, the selection of the blends, and the use of accessories when creating many types of coffees. Trieste, the seat of many coffee companies.