Despite being a tropical country, the Philippines is filled with coffee lovers. In fact, the meals of some Filipinos would not be complete without a cup of coffee. The trend among students to take coffee while studying has risen as well. Numerous coffee shops have popped around the country too. When you browse social media, you will see numerous posts about coffee in Italy. There are many types of coffee, and one of the most flavorful is Italian coffee.
Italy is known for its unwavering love for coffee. Roughly 97% of Italians enjoy more than a cup of coffee each day. Having a long history in coffee, Italy even has its own traditional way of making coffee – the Moka pot. The Moka pot coffee maker comes in either a stove-top or electric, and utilizes high pressure to make the loved espresso. Up until this day, the Moka pot is still used in Italy and several coffee shops and homes all over the world by coffee enthusiasts. Want to get that Italian coffee experience? We got you covered!
Coffee is found everywhere in Italy, so you won’t have a hard time finding a place to enjoy your favorite brewed drink. However, bear in mind that coffee shops are actually called bars in Italy. Quite unusual, right? The one who tends to your coffee needs is still called a barista though!
Enjoy a hot cup of coffee by the coast in this beautiful Italian town. | Photo by Matt Hardy from Pexels
When getting coffee, you can enjoy it in one of two settings: al banco or al tavola. The former literally means at the counter, and this usually involves no seats – just standing at the counter. The second means at the table, so you can relax and sit comfortably while someone takes your order. Take note that most bars price their coffee differently depending on where you take them!
Always remember that Italian coffee shops have set sizes for all their drinks. No, you can’t get a caffè ristretto in large, just order more of the coffee if you’re feeling that you need more. Italians take great pride in how they make their coffee, and the process of making each simply should not be altered.
Customers often customize their coffee’s sugar content. Take the classic caffè, for example. If you prefer your espresso without sugar, you’ll be having it amaro – meaning bitter. If you want it sweeter, then help yourself with the packets of zucchero (sugar) usually found near the counter.
Enjoy a cup of coffee with a friend in Italy. | Photo by Valeriia Miller from Pexels
Some coffees are usually taken during only certain times of the day. The milky types, such as cappuccino, are usually taken in the mornings. Having these types of coffee after 11 AM will earn you stares from the locals. Not to worry, there are coffees served all day, like the good ol’ caffè.
Coffee is usually served with a glass of water, meant to cleanse your palette before indulging in the coffee goodness. If they happen to forget, it’s definitely okay to ask for one: Posso avere un bicchere d’aqua, per favore?
To fully enjoy your hot coffee, finish your drink in less than 2 minutes. Italians believe that the beverage loses much of its taste after it passes by a certain temperature degree. It’s also bad manners to stay longer than needed at the establishment, coffee shops are supposed for enjoying coffee!
Licking the spoon clean is such a Filipino thing to do. Don’t do it in Italy. | Photo by Polina Tankilevitch from Pexels
Coffee comes in their respective cups and glasses accompanied with a little spoon. Licking your spoon is considered bad manners in Italy, so fight the temptation to lick that leftover crema. Also, remove the spoon from your cup when sipping your coffee.
Having a coffee takeaway is extremely uncommon in Italy. Whether it’s your leftover or a coffee-to-go, most coffee bars have no ways to accommodate your request. Italians believe that coffee should be enjoyed in the best way, after all!
The famed coffee drink, espresso, is called caffè in Italy. The name directly translates coffee, as it is used as the heart of most Italian coffee. Compared to regular coffee, the beans used for espresso are roasted for a much longer time and end up with a darker color. This is what causes espresso to have a much stronger flavor than usual.
An espresso is offered in cute tiny cups amounting to around 3oz each. | Photo by Victor Freitas from Pexels
An espresso is offered in cute tiny cups amounting to around 3oz each. | Photo by Victor Freitas from Pexels
Aside from the beans, the brewing process of making espresso is what makes up its unique taste. It’s made by utilizing high pressure to force nearly boiling water through the coffee. The concentrate made from this is what’s loved by lots of baristas and coffee lovers around the world – both as itself or in other variations. Although because of its vast number of customizations, remember to ask for a caffè normale if you want a classic, plain shot of espresso!
Can’t get enough of the classic espresso? If you think you can handle more than a single shot of espresso, then go get yourself a caffè doppio! Translating to double espresso in English, the drink is quite literal to its name. Two shots of espresso are given in one serving, resulting in twice the usual amount.
Feeling braver than usual? If the espresso isn’t strong enough for you, then try out a ristretto. Ristretto means restricted, as less water is used in the brewing process. This gives a much-concentrated flavor and is often the go-to drink for fast drinkers due to its minimal amount.
The caffe lungo is also known to be a long shot of coffee. | Photo by Fatih Arslan from Pexels
If you’re not a fan of the strong taste of espresso, then go for the opposite of a ristretto, the lungo. The English term for the drink is long espresso. As opposed to the former, more water is used during the brewing process of the coffee. This gave it its name and ends up with a slightly less strong taste than your usual cup of espresso.
Cutting down on your caffeine intake but still itching for a good cup of coffee? You can always get it decaf! Referring to your drink as a caffè decaffeinato automatically means that the barista will be using decaffeinated coffee for your drink. Decaf coffee is available in most bars so no need to worry about your caffeine level and just enjoy your caffè!
Sometimes, all we need is just a little ice in our lives.
For those who prefer ice-cold coffee, you can’t go wrong with a caffè shakerato. Usually served in tall and elegant glasses, a caffè shakerato is poured after shaking espresso with ice in a metal shaker, like those used in making cocktails. If you’re in for a sweeter ride, you can ask the barista for panna, which is whipped cream in Italian. Other famous customizations include adding chocolate or liquor to the mix. This drink is often served in hot seasons around May, be sure not to miss it when you get the chance!
Adventurous drinkers like having hints of alcohol in whatever they consume, and coffee is no exception. Italians found a way to have a shot of two of their favorites in one go – coffee and liquor. A liquor of the drinker’s choice can be added, but favorites include grappa, sambuca, rum, and brandy. The alcohol is served either made with the coffee or separately, giving you control over how much you add to your coffee. The coffee with a boozy twist is famous and accepted as a tradition in Italy. Seeing as how the name directly translates to “corrected coffee”, caffè corretto is definitely loved by Italians!
Diving into the more experimental versions of espresso, the marocchino is a fan-favorite. Marocchino means “Moroccan” and derived this name from the light brown color tending to make one think of Morocco leather. In some places, the marocchino is referred to as espressino. The coffee is made by adding a layer of unsweetened cocoa powder over a shot of espresso, followed by another layer of foamed milk or whipped cream. Some add more cocoa powder to top off the drink, while others even go to more lengths by adding chocolate spreads to the sides of the cup for extra chocolatey flavor. This thick and creamy drink is perfect for those who want to relish in the classic espresso while experimenting with new and sweeter combinations.
Latte art is one of the things that can be done to make your coffee more special | photo form pexels.
One of the internationally loved coffee variations, lattes actually originate from Italy! This silky coffee is made from one part espresso to two parts steamed milk, with some milk foam to top off the beverage. Be careful when ordering though, since latte means milk in Italian, ordering simply a latte would just mean milk, so make sure to order a caffè latte when at an Italian bar!
Speaking of international favorites, the americano is another coffee variation popular outside Italy. An americano is made by diluting the strong shot of espresso with hot water to lessen the strength of the coffee. In a way, it’s similar to the caffè lungo, but in an americano, the hot water is added after the espresso has been made – not before it passes through the coffee. Like caffè corretto, some bars offer the americano as one beverage, while some separately serve the espresso and hot water, leaving the customer to add water as they like.
The cappuccino is another creamy coffee from Italy that’s now appreciated and enjoyed all over the world. Similar to the caffè latte, a cappuccino is also made with espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam. However, the difference between these two is the division per component. Contrary to the latte, cappuccino divides the three ingredients into equal parts. This makes it a stronger and less milky alternative.
Macchiato means to marrk of to make dirty. | Photo by Nina Pintar from Pexels
Caffè too strong but cappuccino too milky? Then the macchiato is the perfect coffee for you! Machiatto means “spotted” or “stained” in English, referring to the “stains” or “spots” of milk added on top of an espresso. You can order either cold milk as a macchiato freddo, or hot milk as a macchiato caldo. If you can’t get enough of the macchiato, then go get yourself a macchiatone! Adding the suffix -one often means to make bigger or larger, therefore a macchiatone is basically a macchiato with a bigger serving.
There are several other types of Italian coffee, such as the Caffè con panna, which is espresso with whipped cream, the Caffè d’orzo which means barley coffee, and the Caffè al ginseng, which is coffee with ginseng root extract. There’s so much more to explore in Italian coffee, so don’t be afraid to experiment – you’ll eventually find the coffee for you!
As the pandemic stops us from traveling abroad, you can still get that Italian coffee experience from locally available coffee shops!
SUGGESTED READ: Best Coffee Shops with a View in Tagaytay City | Brittany Corporation
In 1993, along the streets of Italy, Francesco Illy revolutionized coffee. Considered as the blueprint for modern espresso machines, the espresso coffee machine illetta reshaped coffee preparation. As time went by, Illy became more popular because of its innovations, including pre-measured espresso pods and photo-chromatic means. Today, we can savor the famous coffee right here in Alabang. Illy Cafe Delizio can be found at the ground level of Alabang Town Center’s entertainment complex along Alabang-Zapote Road, Alabang, Muntinlupa. There are different categories of beverages to choose from. In the first category, we have the warm cafeteria that includes Espresso Doppiop, Espresso Macchiatto Caldo, and Cioccolato Caldo. For the over ice category, they offer Iced Americano, Iced Chocolate, Iced Latte, and Iced Mocha. Completing the menu is the frappe category that has different flavors such as Strawberries N’ Cream, Gourmet Iced Chocolate, Vanilla Caramel, and Mocha Mint.
Inspired by the cities of Milan and Rome, Chef Margarita Forés brought the modern taste of Italy to Manila through Cibo. The modern Italian caffé-paninoteca offers different coffee such as Americano, Espresso, Doppio espresso, Caffe latte, and Cappuccino. All of the beverages can be served either hot or iced. Ofcourse, Italian dishes are available as well. For the pasta, they have different seafood varieties, such as Spaghettini Alla Romana which has extra-virgin olive oil, chili pepper flakes and red pesto. Want to eat healthily? Do not worry, for they have vegetarian options, including the Spaghettini Ala Margherita. Salads, such as Inslata Pacfica and Insalata Nizzarda, are up for grabs as well. As an Italian restaurant, certainly, there will be pizza. The must-try Sinaci Zolla, which is Spinach Dip, is truly bursting with mozzarella. The Italian caffé concept can be found at the upper ground floor of Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City, which is only around 16-20 minutes away from Vista Alabang through car.
The gates of Portofino screams luxury. | Photo by Nina Pintar from Pexels
What better way to enjoy the finest of Italy in the country than to live in an Italian house? Take a sip of your Italian coffee cozily in the Italian-inspired luxury homes of Vista Alabang. The beautiful homes exhibit Italian architectural details such as cupolas, cobblestone pathways, gabled roofs, and pocket gardens. The Brittany corporation is the first and foremost to build
luxury homes in the Philippines. Luckily, luxury houses and lots for sale in Daang Hari are available in their Vista Alabang community. Portofino Alabang emanates the classic Old World charm of Italy indeed.
Those residing in Portofino Heights can enjoy Monte di Portofino, a world-class amenity center, which endows different courts such as basketball and tennis. They also have a badminton court which can be converted into a function room. There is also a grand ballroom that can accommodate up to 300 people. Feel free to take a dip in the Roman-inspired lap pool, and children’s pool. Work out as well in the fully-equipped gym, and take a jog in their nature jogging trails. So what are you waiting for? Take a look at the properties for sale in Brittany, for they offer the best houses in the Philippines.
