COFFEE IN ITALY

From north to south, from east to west, people in the world have something in common, that makes them feel at home wherever they are: coffee, or rather the tradition of coffee.

In fact, so widespread all over the world it is not everywhere just a drink.

In Italy coffee is a ritual that cannot be renounced.
It is a way of being, a tradition, a moment of pause, relaxation and reflection.

“Let’s have a coffee” is nowadays a common invitation to spend enjoyable time with friends.

The Italian coffee history begins with the Neapolitan coffee machine up to the moka and espresso machine and has influenced the coffee traditions of many populations.

ITALIAN COFFEE AND NEAPOLITAN CUCCUMA

Naples is a splendid and enigmatic city, full of history and life. It surprises for its beauty, its art and its paradoxes.

Its soul manages to wrap you like a cloak and accompanies you through its alleys and neighborhoods.

The city offers splendid landscapes, melody, music and traditions.

Among the latter, one of the most important is certainly the one linked to the preparation of coffee with the typical Neapolitan coffee maker: the cuccuma (sometimes also called cuccumella), the coffee machine par excellence.

Preparing coffee with the Neapolitan cuccuma means retracing a homemade ritual celebrated by many illustrious Neapolitans.

The cuccuma is a particular coffee maker that produces a light-bodied coffee with a full taste.

Until the 1930s, it had enormous success in Italy as the only tool for coffee preparation until the moka was patented.

To prepare coffee with Neapolitan cuccuma it is necessary to use coffee powder with a coarser grind (compared to that used with modern moka) or it is even better if you use beans grounded at the moment.

A very nice and interesting idea comes from Naples in the early 20th century: the “caffè sospeso“.
At that time, the wealthiest customers had the habit of paying for two coffees and consuming only one. The second one was a “gift” for the next customer or for somebody who couldn’t afford it. A friendliness combined with the value of solidarity that came back again since the last decade.

ITALIAN COFFEE, MOKA AND ESPRESSO

It was precisely the thirties when Mr. Bialetti invented the first moka, the coffee machine certainly among the most famous in the world. For its practicality it replaced the Neapolitan cuccumella over time.

Busy life spread another Italian habit, that of espresso coffee to be consumed at the bar.
But beware! You don’t order an “espresso” in Italy. Here it is obvious: a caffè is an espresso.

The preparation of espresso coffee is a real art.
A good barista (barman) must be skilled in terms of pressure of the coffee powder as well as exact preparation time.

And it is in front of him, standing at the bar counter, the ideal place to enjoy an Italian coffee!

When you are in Naples, join our experience in the heart of the real Naples, in one of its typical and charming streets.
Prepare and taste with us the traditional coffee with the Cuccumella (NEAPOLITAN CUCCUMA). We look forward to you!

A coffee is never just a coffee!

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