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Espresso: From Italy To America
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Published: September 15, 2006
Imagine you are in a cafe in St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy. It's early in the morning and you are craving a strong beverage to lift you from slumber. You order an espresso (un caffe, as it's called in Italy).
The barista takes heed and goes to the espresso machine. The vintage machine, made of shiny copper and brass, is crowned by a resplendent eagle whose wings are spread full span. The barista makes a shot of espresso by pulling down on a lever, and then steam escapes; you hear the hissing of water forced through finely ground arabica beans. He pours the resulting liquid in a tiny white porcelain cup, and serves it on a matching porcelain saucer. There is no need to linger with thoughts of St. Mark's Square or Venice floating in your head. Your espresso is ready and you are holding up the line.
Coffee had been around for several centuries before its introduction to Italy. The coffee bean was brought to Venice, made into an expensive drink and sold at a caffe in St. Mark's Square. The cafe became popular and soon there were 24 cafes operating in St. Mark's Square alone. Since then, Italians have enjoyed the drink and the ensuing intellectual conversations it seems to provoke.
Italians may not have invented coffee, but it was an Italian man named Luigi Bezzera, who invented the espresso process in 1901. The process is marked by the correct temperature and pressure needed to extract aromatic oils producing a stronger beverage. Espresso, Italian for "pressed out," refers to a process of forcing steam or hot water through finely ground coffee. The result is an almost viscous black beverage with reddish-brown foam, known as crema, which floats atop the surface.
But espresso in America is different from espresso in rest of the world. The nation’s leading corporate coffeehouses have shifted away from traditional Italian espresso toward a beverage which often is open to experimentation. Syrups, flavor extracts, spices, soy milk, you name it, and you've pretty much got a new drink. Also, the beans tend to be roasted darker to produce an even stronger beverage.
Though Italian espresso is not particularly popular in the States, its offshoots including the cappuccino, latte, mocha and macchiato are. Much of southern Europe, including Spain, Portugal, and Italy, as well as Argentina, Cuba and Brazil still enjoy Italian espresso. Different regions determine whether a dark, medium or light-roast is used.
With the help of modern technology and the Internet, you don't have to travel the world to find the best cup of espresso. If you're a serious aficionado, or even generally interested, you can make your own espresso at home. There are vintage Italian espresso machines still on the market, but those are expensive. It may take many failed tries before acquiring the ability to make a consistently perfect cup of espresso.
Modern espresso machines eliminate much of the artesian work required and replace it with conveniences. With the touch of a button, this type of espresso machine will make the espresso for you. However, the most popular at-home method (at least in Italy) is the caffettiera- a steel coffee-maker that brews coffee by forcing steam through the grounds. Though it's not technically an espresso, it still makes a strong cup of coffee.
Sources:
"Barazi Bezzara Coffee Machines". 13 September 2006.
Claudio, Dr. Raffael. "Procuratie". Venetia- The Website of Venice Italy Guide. 13 September 2006.
Demetri, Justin. "Italian Coffee: Espresso." Life in Italy. 13 September 2006. .
"Espresso." Wikipedia Online. 2006. Wikpedia. 13 September 2006 .
The barista takes heed and goes to the espresso machine. The vintage machine, made of shiny copper and brass, is crowned by a resplendent eagle whose wings are spread full span. The barista makes a shot of espresso by pulling down on a lever, and then steam escapes; you hear the hissing of water forced through finely ground arabica beans. He pours the resulting liquid in a tiny white porcelain cup, and serves it on a matching porcelain saucer. There is no need to linger with thoughts of St. Mark's Square or Venice floating in your head. Your espresso is ready and you are holding up the line.
Coffee had been around for several centuries before its introduction to Italy. The coffee bean was brought to Venice, made into an expensive drink and sold at a caffe in St. Mark's Square. The cafe became popular and soon there were 24 cafes operating in St. Mark's Square alone. Since then, Italians have enjoyed the drink and the ensuing intellectual conversations it seems to provoke.
Italians may not have invented coffee, but it was an Italian man named Luigi Bezzera, who invented the espresso process in 1901. The process is marked by the correct temperature and pressure needed to extract aromatic oils producing a stronger beverage. Espresso, Italian for "pressed out," refers to a process of forcing steam or hot water through finely ground coffee. The result is an almost viscous black beverage with reddish-brown foam, known as crema, which floats atop the surface.
But espresso in America is different from espresso in rest of the world. The nation’s leading corporate coffeehouses have shifted away from traditional Italian espresso toward a beverage which often is open to experimentation. Syrups, flavor extracts, spices, soy milk, you name it, and you've pretty much got a new drink. Also, the beans tend to be roasted darker to produce an even stronger beverage.
Though Italian espresso is not particularly popular in the States, its offshoots including the cappuccino, latte, mocha and macchiato are. Much of southern Europe, including Spain, Portugal, and Italy, as well as Argentina, Cuba and Brazil still enjoy Italian espresso. Different regions determine whether a dark, medium or light-roast is used.
With the help of modern technology and the Internet, you don't have to travel the world to find the best cup of espresso. If you're a serious aficionado, or even generally interested, you can make your own espresso at home. There are vintage Italian espresso machines still on the market, but those are expensive. It may take many failed tries before acquiring the ability to make a consistently perfect cup of espresso.
Modern espresso machines eliminate much of the artesian work required and replace it with conveniences. With the touch of a button, this type of espresso machine will make the espresso for you. However, the most popular at-home method (at least in Italy) is the caffettiera- a steel coffee-maker that brews coffee by forcing steam through the grounds. Though it's not technically an espresso, it still makes a strong cup of coffee.
Sources:
"Barazi Bezzara Coffee Machines". 13 September 2006.
Claudio, Dr. Raffael. "Procuratie". Venetia- The Website of Venice Italy Guide. 13 September 2006.
Demetri, Justin. "Italian Coffee: Espresso." Life in Italy. 13 September 2006. .
"Espresso." Wikipedia Online. 2006. Wikpedia. 13 September 2006 .
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