For those of you that know me well, you know that I love coffee. That I am addicted to coffee, in fact. So after 6 weeks of living in Italy, I have finally come to terms with Italian coffee. Coffee is a huge part of Italian culture, and there are many norms associated with ordering/drinking coffee. Some things I knew before I moved here- I read Rick Steves and learned that ordering 'un caffe' will get you a teeny cup of espresso. If you want a more standard size, you need to order 'un caffe americano'. I also had read about Italians' aversion to drinking coffee with a meal- it is only appropriate to order coffee after you have finished your sandwich.
But some things I had to learn the hard way- such as: never EVER drink milk with your coffee after 11:00. Milk is to be enjoyed at breakfast time, and only at breakfast time. After that- it's straight espresso. This was hard for me to come to terms with since I love cappuccino. But, it was also a motivation for me to get out of bed early- I did not want to miss my morning cappuccino at the bar next door! I've also learned that 'latte' is the Italian word for milk, and if you order a 'latte' here, that is what you will get- a cup of steamed milk. A 'latte macchiato' is steamed milk with espresso. Conversely, a 'caffe macchiato' is espresso with a little bit of milk. Macchiato literally means 'stained' in Italian.
Italians for the most part drink their coffee standing up at a bar- a quick sip of espresso and then they continue on their way. Or they will leisurely sit with a cup of cappuccino and a brioche at a cafe table while reading the paper or chatting with friends. But they do not have coffee to go- no Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts here. I think that is what I miss the most- being able to carry around a hot cup of coffee with me as I walk to school. Now, as the weather is changing and autumn is here, I also miss pumpkin spice coffee. So sit back and enjoy a Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Spice Coffee with cream and think of me :)
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