Vacation in Italy: Proper behavior when drinking coffee
Cappuccino in the morning
Italians like to drink a cappuccino for breakfast. He might eat some biscuits or some other sweet treat. So what exactly can you expect when you order a cappuccino in Italy?
You should know that the composition of the coffee, known as “cappuccio” for short, is often different than in Germany. It consists of two parts: espresso and milk froth. When poured, Italian milk froth is liquid, has no air bubbles, and is similar in substance to semi-whipped cream. Unlike in Germany, no additional milk is poured into the drink. The Italians also never drink cappuccino with whipped cream.
You’re probably wondering why this cappuccio is only drunk in Italy in the morning. Due to the high milk content, the Italians believe that cappuccio is a stomach-filling, heavy drink that first has to be digested. After lunch, however, Italians only drink coffee to digest better and faster and as a pick-me-up, for which cappuccio is completely unsuitable.
After lunch only espresso
As soon as lunchtime arrives, the cappuccino is off the table and the demand for espresso increases almost every hour. Did you know that in Italy you never ask for an “espresso”, just a “cafe”?
If you ask for a coffee, you will automatically get an espresso. If you don’t want an espresso, you should be specific: a “cafe lungo” (long coffee) is an extended espresso, there are also “cafe latte” (coffee with milk), “latte macchiato” (coffee with lots of milk froth) and ” Cafe Macchiato” (espresso with a little milk froth).
Don’t be surprised by the number of Italians who demand a “cafe” at the bar from lunchtime until late in the evening: the number of espressos that the average Italian drinks in a day is high. The first espresso is usually ordered immediately after lunch to help digestion and keep you awake for the next few hours.
If you get the idea of ordering a coffee with milk after your meal, you’ll look extremely “brutta figura,” a bad figure. The Italians do not share the German tradition of sitting comfortably in a cafe in the afternoon for a coffee and slowly sipping a cup of coffee. The espresso is drunk standing at a bar in a few seconds and is more of a necessity than a symbol of conviviality and relaxation.
Espresso into the night
When do you usually have the last coffee of the day? Probably less often at 10pm or midnight. In Italy, on the other hand, the espresso is also ordered after dinner, i.e. usually around 10 or 11 p.m. The reason given by the Italians is better digestion. Many of them are already so accustomed to drinking strong coffee that they do not suffer from insomnia even after drinking coffee late in the evening or at night.