Coffee might have originated in Africa, but the Italians have fashioned it into a lifestyle. As you probably know there’s a whole culture around coffee here in Italy – what you drink and how you drink it. It’s a culture I’ve wholly embraced.

It didn’t take me long to realise that no one here had ever heard of a mocca so I had to find an alternative. As it turns out I now have not one, but three, favourites and the coffee I order depends on the time of day.

My favourite barista

On the way home from the gym in the morning, it’s a cappuccino at the local bar on the corner. Mid morning I’ll order a macchiato and any time after midday, for me it can only be a caffè.

Coffee here comes with a small glass of water, drunk first as a palette cleanser. And the coffee itself is served at drinkable temperature; hot but not steaming.

That’s because it’s usually consumed standing at the counter – a quick hit and you’re on your way.

And it’s also the reason that take-away cups don’t exist here.

So this is what I’ve discovered, so far, about ordering coffee in Italy:

  • caffè – is a shot of espresso in a small cup, ordered any time and the coffee of choice for many Italians
  • lungo – a ‘long’ coffee, espresso topped up with a splash more hot water
  • macchiato – comes from the Italian word for stained, an espresso with just a couple of drops of hot milk
  • cappuccino – made with milk so never to be ordered after midday (and don’t expect a sprinkle of chocolate on top if you do order one)
  • latte – order this and you’ll get a cup of steamed milk, with maybe a dash of espresso, so ask for a caffè latte if you must
  • americano – generally a watered-down espresso in a big cup (no Italian would ever order this)

I’ve learned a lot about coffee in the past couple of months, largely because I’ve spent a lot of time drinking it (often while Gayle is in some cathedral somewhere, but that’s another story).

The good news is it doesn’t cost a lot to be active in the Italian coffee culture; one euro for a caffè – that’s about $1.50.  At that rate I can see myself progressing to full membership in no time.