Coffee plantations in Italy. Italian coffee houses and coffee. For its preparation it is necessary

Italian stamps

A large number of well-known coffee brands are concentrated in the country. Therefore, tourists often wonder if coffee grows in Italy. Despite the fact that the country occupies a leading position in its production, the local climate is not suitable for cultivation.

Italian manufacturers have developed unique technologies for roasting coffee beans, which are rightfully considered the best in the world. They perfectly mastered the technique of blending, skillfully combine grains of different varieties, surprisingly achieving a drink balanced in taste and aroma.

Consider the most famous brands for the production of coffee in Italy, and which one is better to buy is up to you.

Illy caffe

It is a family business founded by Francesco Illi. In 1933, he opened a bean roasting company. The following year, the company patented a coffee packaging using an inert gas, thanks to which the unique coffee aroma was preserved.

Today, Illy is the leading Italian coffee brand. Arabica beans are supplied from Ethiopia, India, Brazil, Colombia. Illy products are distinguished by floral and fruity notes in taste and chocolate aroma, which literally drives you crazy even when you open the package.

In Italian stores, Illy can cost around €5.3 (Illy Moka Tostatura Media, 200g can) or €7.20 (Illy Espresso Tostatura Media, 250g can).

Lavazza

One of the largest Italian coffee companies. Its founder is Luigi Lavazza. The company produces many different types of coffee, which differ in different ratios of the two main components: Arabica and Robusta. They produce both coffee beans and ground coffee.

All types differ in taste and aroma, from floral-spicy to chocolate flavor with bitterness. Among the many Lavazza everyone will find a drink to their liking. And Italians buy more often: Lavazza Qualità Rossa Grani (1000 g package - 14.50-15 €) and Lavazza Crema e Gusto Classico (250 g package - 3 €).

Pellini

An advanced factory in Verona for the processing of coffee beans, the owner of many certificates and awards at the international level. Pellini coffee is an absolutely pure Italian product, without the use of impurities and flavorings.

The constant love of buyers enjoys Pellini Top 100% Arabica. It has a multifaceted taste with notes of flowers, fruits, honey and chocolate. The cost of a can of 250 g in Italian supermarkets is 5.78-6 €.

Kimbo

Starting from a small factory opened in the middle of the last century, Kimbo has grown to number two in the production of packaged coffee. Various types of bean roasting in the best Italian traditions and blending skills allow you to create drinks with a rich taste and deep aroma of different shades - from fruity-citrus to wine notes.

When choosing which coffee to bring from Italy, pay attention to ground Kimbo Espresso Napoletano, the cost of a package of 250 g is about 4 €.

Molinari

The company began its activities with the sale of spices and delicacies. At the beginning of the 20th century, a coffee shop was opened, after which they decided to focus on the coffee business. Today, the brand produces a huge line of natural Italian coffee - grain, ground, in capsules.

One of the company's new blends, which is based on cutting-edge coffee bean roasting, is The Molinari Platino Roasted Coffee. An exquisite gourmet drink with low acidity, rich aroma and velvety texture.

TOP 5 best coffee houses in Rome

To visit Rome and not try real Italian coffee means not to learn anything about Italy. In coffee houses, which are called bars here, Italians spend a lot of time. The best coffee in Rome can be drunk in such places.

Antico Caffè Greco (Via dei Condotti, 86)

An excellent choice for those who want to touch the Italian history. Just think, because famous poets, philosophers, composers gathered for intellectual conversations in this cafe! It was visited by Hans Christian Andersen, Mark Twain, Wilhelm Richard Wagner when they were in Rome.

The atmosphere of Antico Caffè Greco is a world of old world luxury with gilded decorations, marble tables, works of art on the walls. The prices here are quite high. A cup of espresso, drunk at the table of this cafe, will cost 7 €. Not cheap, but the pleasure is worth it.

Sant Eustachio Il Caffe (Piazza di San Eustachio, 82)

The cafe is located in the very center of Rome, not far from the Pantheon. Here, coffee is brewed according to a special recipe, which is kept in the strictest confidence. The usual espresso in Sant Eustachio Il Caffe has a completely unimaginable aroma, a special thick foam and aftertaste of bitter chocolate. Be sure to also try Caffè d'Elite - 3.9 € and branded Gran Caffè - 5.4 €.

The cafe has a shop where you can buy grain or ground coffee to treat yourself to the unique taste of the drink at home. A can of 250 g of one of the branded coffee beans costs 7.9 €, in a soft package - 6.3 €.

D'Angelo - Gastronomia Caffe (Venti Settembre, 25)

The best place in Rome for inexpensive. Amazingly delicious fresh pastries and cappuccino costing only 1.2 € will not leave anyone indifferent. A typical Italian atmosphere and a smiling bartender will help you feel the true spirit of Italy.

Tazza D'Oro (Via Marche, 52)

Tazza D'Oro is the name of a coffee shop in Italy, which is associated with a black beauty who sows coffee beans around the world. It is this logo that greets visitors at the entrance to the cafe. Here is an exceptionally delicious latte - 1.1 €, cappuccino - 2.2 € and espresso for 0.9 €.

You can also buy branded coffee with the cafe logo to go: a 250 g package costs €10.87, 1 kg costs €43.45, a 250 g can costs €13.17.

Sciascia Caffe (Via Fabio Massimo, 80/A)

This place is recommended by locals. There are few tourists here, a quiet calm atmosphere. From the gentle smell of freshly baked and invigorating coffee aroma, the head begins to spin already on the threshold of the cafe. You will be served a cappuccino, masterfully decorated with a foam pattern, at a price of 1.3 € per cup. I want to come back here again and again!

Italy and coffee are inseparable concepts, here they truly know how to infect with their love for this drink. And having tasted real Italian coffee, you will certainly become a fan of it.

Whether coffee grows in Africa, America or Asia, it can be Italian. The country, which does not grow beans, is famous all over the world for its coffee production. Italian coffee has become synonymous with excellent quality, inimitable taste and luxurious aroma.

Venice was one of the first countries in Europe where coffee beans were brought from Asia along the Mediterranean Sea in the 16th century. The famous botanist Prospero Alpini brought from Egypt a recipe for a wonderful invigorating drink. Initially, it was positioned as a medicine and was sold exclusively in pharmacies. Soon the Genoese merchants arranged the supply of coffee beans, along with tobacco and exotic spices.

The growing popularity of coffee caused an unprecedented stir among the inhabitants of Italy. Church officials suspected satanic machinations in this. But Pope Clement VIII blessed the noble drink, marking the beginning of the "golden age" of coffee.

In 1647, the first coffee house was opened in Venice, and soon establishments began to appear throughout the country and the world.

Features of Italian roasting

Italian coffee is recognizable all over the world thanks to its unique roasting methods. Heat treatment is carried out at t 245°C. The Italian style is characterized by a high degree of roasting, a pronounced bitter-sweet aftertaste with minimal sourness.

The longer the duration of processing, the less sour taste is felt, saturation is revealed, but bitterness increases. The main skill is to maintain the right balance.

There are three main types of roasting coffee beans by region of Italy:

• Northern Italian - the color of the beans comes out red-brown or chocolate. Grains without oil on the surface. Inside the fried fruits, all the subtle shades of taste inherent in nature are preserved. Bitterness is almost absent.
• Central Italian - medium roast. Coffee color is dark brown. Droplets of oil appear on the surface. The drink is characterized by a slightly burnt aftertaste, sweetish smoky notes are felt.
• South Italian - the highest degree of roasting. The grains acquire an almost black tint, a pleasant burnt smell, due to active caramelization. But under the influence of high temperature, essential oils evaporate and the flavor palette is lost. There is a significant bitterness, low caffeine content.

Another feature of Italian coffee is that only high-quality raw materials are selected for the preparation of blends or single varieties. Before roasting, the grains undergo a thorough selection and quality control, and then, using special technologies, they are sorted into groups. Berries of different varieties should be processed separately, which will preserve their flavor and aroma.

See also: - why Switzerland is called the coffee country and its famous brands.

Varieties of drinks

Italy has its own culture of coffee consumption. The inhabitants of the country gave the whole world many variations of a coffee drink: strong or light, pure, with milk, with cream, ice cream, cognac, lemon, with spices.

Starting the morning with a cup of latte (emphasis on the first syllable, translated from Italian - milk) or cappuccino is a traditional feature of Italians. There is more milk in a latte than coffee. Cappuccino is traditionally served warm (60°C) in a heated cup. Adding chocolate makes a mocha.

Throughout the day - just caffè, espresso (Italian - urgently, quickly). The drink is poured into small cups, thimbles, in which its aroma is best revealed. The taste depends not only on the variety, but also on the sustained proportions of water, processing temperature. Served immediately, in the first minute after preparation, always with a glass of water. It can be a strong concentration - double or weak - long, diluted with boiling water.

It is not customary for Italians to drink instant coffee, only natural, freshly ground, brewed according to all the rules in a coffee machine or a Turk.

Popular coffee brands in Italy

Italian coffee producers have gained prestige in the world market due to the high quality and impeccable taste of the product. Companies value their reputation and keep each technology strictly secret. The nuances of roasting, grinding and blending are passed down from generation to generation.

• The age-old dynasty gave the name to the brand. The company was the first to sell roasted coffee berries in formulated coffee blends. Raw materials in grains of selected varieties are delivered to factories from Central and South America, Colombia, Brazil, and India. Qualified specialists work on exquisite blends of coffee. The optimal balance of softness and moderate strength is the ideal basis for making drinks.
• Considered to be a well-known brand Illy (Illy) produces the best coffee in the country. The first factory was founded in 1933 by Francesco Illy. By the way, it is he who is the inventor of the espresso coffee machine. Arabica beans come from plantations in Brazil, India, Colombia, Ethiopia. Organoleptic characteristics surprise with their versatility. The drink is characterized by the presence of floral and fruity notes in taste and chocolate aroma. Illy coffee is suitable for brewing latte, espresso or cappuccino, both in a coffee machine and a Turk.
• Coffee Turati (Turati) represents the premium segment of the coffee market. Unique combinations of Arabica and Robusta are popular with coffee lovers. There is a wide range to choose from, in which notes of cocoa, citrus and vanilla motifs are felt. Reliable packaging in the form of stylish tin cans or foil packs preserves the taste of the product for a long period of time.
• Corporation Kimbo (Kimbo) receives natural grains from Asia, Africa, South America, India, Ethiopia, Brazil, Kenya. Compliance with the best Neapolitan traditions of roasting guarantees the drink a rich taste and aroma with fruity and citrus notes. Available in vacuum foil bags.
• Trademark Musetti (Musetti) known for multi-faceted blends, bouquets of only Arabica and decaffeinated product. Excellent fruit quality from the largest coffee producers in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Brazil, Kenya, Ethiopia and other countries. Modern equipment and many years of experience work in tandem.
• Flavor properties of the brand Caffe Italia (Coffee Italy) easily recognizable. Medium roast, strong rich aroma with chocolate-spicy notes and a long aftertaste do not go unnoticed by coffee gourmets. Thanks to several blends that differ in the percentage of natural Arabica and high-quality Robusta, every connoisseur of a noble drink will find a taste according to personal preferences.
• One of the leading companies in the middle price segment - Italica. The drink is not inferior in its properties to expensive brands, combining a bright rich taste, aroma with a slight bitterness and subtle sourness. Produced in hermetically sealed bags of multilayer foil, which retains all the enchanting aroma of coffee beans.

This is not a complete list of the famous Italian coffee brands. Brands are also very popular: Gimoka (Gimok), Danesi (Danezi), Italo, Boasi (Boasi), Bristot (Bristot) and others. Blends and monosorts surprise with an intense smell and a velvety aftertaste.

You can taste the real one not only in his homeland. It is quite possible to cook it in your own kitchen, pamper yourself and loved ones with a fragrant cup of rich nectar.

Italy is a country of true coffee lovers, which is why a record number of world coffee brands are concentrated on its territory. How does the national drink of Italy differ from others, which brands offer the best and why do they offer real espresso here?

History of Italian coffee

Coffee does not grow in Italy, there are no favorable conditions for this shrub, but the process of conquering Europe with an invigorating drink began precisely from this country, or rather, from its independent republic - Venice. Italian - this product was one of the goods that the wealthy Venetians traded, buying it from the Turks and reselling it to Europeans. But this happened much later.

The first coffee beans were brought to Milan from Africa as a material for study in 1500, and the mass purchase of coffee began 125 years later, the supplier was Yemen. In Venice, coffee houses began to appear for the first time from European regions, the number of which in several decades reached 2 hundred. Here it was possible not only to taste a delicious and fragrant drink, but also to chat, as if at a social event. Coffeehouses were a favorite gathering place for intellectual youth, the elite, famous artists and politicians.

Florian - the oldest and most famous coffee house in Venice

The Italians are the developers of several roasting technologies, the strongest of which is called dark or Italian. They are able to organically blend varieties of coffee beans, carefully select raw materials, surprisingly feel the most subtle facets of taste and aroma, which is why they are considered the best in the field of beverage production and preparation.

Types of Italian coffee

When talking about Italian coffee, everyone will imagine a tiny portion of strong and aromatic espresso and will not be mistaken. This drink is the first in the list of national drinks. But there is no limit to perfection. In this country, there is a double and triple espresso, which are respectively called Doppio and Trippio espresso.

It is part of the most famous Italian types of coffee drinks.

• Macchiato is a classic strong espresso with a small amount of warm frothed milk.
• Espresso Romano - Roman coffee with lemon zest.
• Ristretto is the strongest of all types, its volume is only 25 ml.
• Frappuccino is a drink that is served chilled, the list of ingredients includes milk, whipped cream and caramel syrup.
• Cappuccino - espresso with milk and milk foam.
• Bicherin is a delicious drink made from coffee, cream and chocolate.
• Moreta Fanez - coffee with a mixture of alcoholic beverages: rum, anise liqueur and brandy. Warms up great.
• Glace - a drink with creamy ice cream.

Italian coffee sometimes strikes with a combination of ingredients, but it cannot be tasteless and non-aromatic. This country even has special rules for ordering this drink.

So, morning is the best time for espresso, latte and macchiato. Moreover, if you ask to add a little liquor, syrup or other ingredients to the cup, the barista will immediately understand that he has a guest from another country in front of him.

The most famous brands

In Italy, a large number of enterprises involved in roasting and packaging coffee are concentrated. The most famous brands of Italian coffee are Lavazza, Kimbo, Trombetta, Illy.

Illy is a brand operating in the premium segment of the market. Offers the best blends of high quality Arabica from around the world. The brand is well known in Europe, but in Russia it is just beginning to gain popularity. The brand's products always have a deep and rich aroma, medium caffeine content and a unique aftertaste. Illy offers ground, bean and portioned coffees. It is the brand's technologists who are credited with developing the first coffee machine.

Lavazza is the largest and most popular Italian brand, well established in Europe. Works with different varieties of coffee beans from all over the world - from Brazil and Colombia to Vietnam and Indonesia. This brand offers a variety of coffee blends of different roasts. The range of the brand includes ground and grain coffee, as well as the product in capsules and pods.

If you ask 4 Italians what kind of coffee they prefer, then 3 out of 4 will point to Lavazza as the best and real. The photo above shows the range of the brand, available in all European countries.

Kimbo (Kimbo) - a brand that operates at an average price of the market segment, sells its products in 60 countries around the world. Offers blends from different varieties of Arabica and Robusta. Kimbo coffee can be bought in beans and ground. A distinctive feature of the production technology at the factories of the brand is roasting with hot air, thanks to which the maximum aroma is preserved in the grains and an invariable constancy of taste is achieved.

These establishments are not only standards of Italian taste in the interior, but also witnesses of the mass of cultural and political events of several centuries. Over a cup of strong espresso or gentle cappuccino, the guests of these coffee houses are transported back to the old days.

Venice

Caffe Florian

Piazza San Marco, 56

Founded in 1720.

One of the oldest cafes in Italy, Caffè Florian captures the very essence of Venice of past centuries. At one time, the institution was visited by Lord Byron, Goethe, Rousseau, Gozzi, the satirist of Italian enlightenment classicism Giuseppe Parini, the writer and poet Ugo Foscolo, the patriotic poets Silvio Pellico and Giovanni Bershe. The great Casanova seduced the ladies here.

During the uprising against Austria in 1848, the revolutionaries chose Caffè Florian as their headquarters, and it was here that the conspirators demanded the release of Niccolo Tommaseo and Daniel Manin, who proclaimed the revival of the independent Republic of San Marco.

Initially, the coffee house was called Caffè alla Venezia Trionfante, and later became famous as Caffè Florian - in honor of its founder Floriano Francesconi. The walls of the halls still keep the traditional Italian charm created by the owner Francesconi himself.

Naples

Gran Caffe Gambrinus

Via Chiaia, 1/2

Founded in 1860.

Gran Caffè Gambrinus is a literary café with a typical Belle Époque interior. At the end of the 19th century, it was without exaggeration the intellectual and political center of the city. Gabriele D'Annunzio wrote the text for the famous Neapolitan song Vucchella here. And Benedetto Croce, one of the main followers of Hegelian philosophy, and the most active anti-fascist intellectuals met in Gambrinus with like-minded people, journalists and politicians who were active on the political scene of that period. It was Gambrinus was chosen as the meeting place in Naples.

Florence

Caffe Gilli

Via Roma, 1/R

Founded in 1733.

In 1733, the Swiss Gilly family opened the Bottega dei Pani Dolci bakery on Via de' Calzaiuoli, and the place soon became a favorite among wealthy Florentines. In the early 1900s, Gilly's café was moved to its current location, Piazza della Repubblica, then known as Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. Educated people of that time and journalists of the newspaper La Voce liked to gather here. Soon the institution became the main meeting place for artists, among whom were Doni, Pozio, Polloni and many others. After the World Wars, the coffee house became a real haven for young Florentines, as well as the first tourists who began to come to the city again.

Antico Caffe della Pace

Via della Pace, 3/7

Founded in 1891.

Located next to Piazza Navona, this coffee shop consists of three charming little rooms in three interior styles mixed together: Baroque, Empire and Art Nouveau. Tables on the outdoor terrace overlooking the picturesque square and the church of Santa Maria della Pace invite you to come into the cafe day and night for a cup of coffee. Artists, writers and artists have been gathering here for a long time. And here the transavant-garde art movement flourished, born in Italy by the critic Achille Bonito Oliva and the artists Enzo Cucchi, Sandro Chia, Francesco Clemente and Mimmo Paladino. The transavant-garde trend, which rejected conceptual art and sought to return to the fine art, was born within the walls of Antico Caffè della Pace.

Turin

Caffe Fiorio

Via Po, 8

Founded in 1780.

Born in 1780, Caffè Fiorio survived a refurbishment in 1845 and is one of the few cafes to retain its original layout. Impressive chandeliers, yellow marble counters, velvet upholstery and antique mirrors all survive to this day. In addition to authentic decor, the cafe is famous for its ice cream and its own coffee blends. Fiorio was the favorite coffee house of Count di Cavour and statesmen: Urbana Ratazzi and Massimo d'Azeglio. They say that Charles Albert, King of Piedmont-Sardinia, before the start of the morning audiences, asked: "What are they talking about in Fiorio?" The question was natural, as the café served as a meeting place for many influential thinkers, Friedrich Nietzsche himself visited the legendary Caffè Fiorio.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele on the corner of Piazza Duomo

Founded in 1867.

Cafe Zucca in Galleria is the same age as the famous Milan passage Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, inextricably linked with the La Scala theatre. The great Italians Giuseppe Verdi, Arturo Toscanini, Giacomo Puccini, Arrigo Boito and Giuseppe Giacosa came here to meet, discuss what they heard and drink coffee after the opera. Original decorations, chandeliers, mosaics - the entire entourage has been respectfully preserved to this day by the owner Guglielmo Miani, who bought the coffee house in the 60s of the twentieth century.

Aosta

Caffe Nazionale

Piazza Chanoux, 9

Founded in 1886.

Café Nazionale is located on the first floor of the neoclassical Palazzo, where, in addition, the municipality of Aosta functions. First of all, the coffee house impresses with a rounded Gothic hall left from the monastery of St. Francis. The monastery was built by Count Amadeus VI of Savoy back in 1352. It was in the Caffè Nazionale that the first film screenings of the 20th century took place. Italian movie stars of the middle of the last century, Alida Valli and Amedeo Nazari, filmed scenes of the film in the iconic cafe. Without politicians and even the Egyptian king Farouk, the story of the Caffè Nazionale on Shanu Square was not complete. However, even before that, in the 1800s, the coffee house served as a stage for performances and dance performances typical of the Belle Epoque period.

Bergamo

Caffe del Tasso

Piazza Vecchia, 3

Founded in 1476.

Unbelievable but true: Caffè del Tasso has existed since the 15th century! During the Renaissance, the cafe operated under the name Locanda delle due Spade, but in 1681 it was renamed in honor of the poet Torquato Tasso, whose statue was installed in Bergamo. This is how the name Torquato Tasso Caffé e Bottiglieria appeared. The coffee shop is located on Piazza Vecchia, which the great architect Le Corbusier himself called one of the most beautiful squares in the world. Of course, the Caffè del Tasso has always been visited by musicians, artists, writers and famous people visiting Bergamo. In the second half of the 19th century, the coffee house was reconstructed in the neoclassical spirit and renamed Caffè del Tasso.

Padua

Caffe Pedrocchi

Via Otto Febbraio, 15

Founded in 1842.

Pedrocchi Cafe is architecturally interesting in that it was created from various buildings and facades that were integrated into a single eclectic ensemble. Founded in 1831 by Francesco Pedrocci, the coffee house was expanded by his son Antonio and the Venetian architect Giuseppe Giappelli. Historically, Pedrocchi Cafe has always been the cultural, political, journalistic and academic center of Padua. During the national liberation movement of the Risorgimento, the coffeehouse was home to students who took an active part in the opposition to the Habsburg monarchy. Pedrocchi's guests at one time were Stendhal, Lord Byron and Dario Fo. When Antonio died, the business was inherited by the son of his student, Domenico Capellato, who in turn bequeathed the café to the city. In fact, to this day the institution is the center of the cultural life of Padua.

Pisa

Caffe dell'Ussero

Palazzo Agostini - Lungarno Pacinotti, 27

Founded in 1775.

It is difficult to count all the famous clients of Caffè dell'Ussero, which is located in the 15th century Agostini palace. Suffice it to say that the first Italian Nobel Prize winner Giosue Carducci and the national hero of the United States of Italian origin Philip Mazai visited here as students. As a friend of Thomas Jefferson, Mazai had a great deal of influence on the great doctrine of the equality of all people, included in the Declaration of Independence of the United States. And in 1839, the first congress of Italian scientists took place in the Caffè dell'Ussero, bringing together dozens of great Italian scientists.