Espresso Love

By Eric J. Lyman

When I first moved to Italy, I got into the habit of heading down to my neighborhood coffee bar after lunch for a cappuccino. The experience would play out the same way every time.

“Cappuccino?” the puzzled barista would ask, eyebrows raised high onto his forehead. I’d nod, and a minute or two later he’d place the cup in front of me with exaggerated care, announcing,“Ecco! Un cappuccino!”

Confused, I figured I wasn’t pronouncing the word right, so I asked my Italian friends for help. I practiced until the word rolled off my tongue like a Roman. Still, every time, the scene would repeat itself: “Cappuccino?” he’d ask again, feigning surprise.

Eventually, I figured it out — my problem was timing. Nobody, it seems, is supposed to order a cappuccino after mid-morning. Who wants all that milk sloshing around in a belly full of good food when coffee alone would be just right?

This, you see, is a country that takes its coffee seriously.

The basic measure of coffee in Italy is the “caffe,” which is an espresso. With half the amount of liquid — really just a few syrupy black drips in the bottom of a cup — you get a ristretto. Twice as much liquid with the same amount of coffee is a lungo. Add any more water to the coffee than that and Italians refuse to claim it as their own: it becomes an americano.

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