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Countries around the world love waking up to a nice piping hot cup of coffee. Italy is no different. If anything, it leads the way in coffee consumption. So, why is coffee so popular in Italy?
Well, it all dates back to the 16th century.
Looking at the History
In the 16th century, the coffee trade was expanding around the globe. Thanks to the ports in Venice, Europe was able to experience coffee for the first time.
In no time at all, shops selling coffee started popping up all over Europe becoming popular for both socializing and buying it.
More forward to the year 1763 and a whopping 200 coffee shops were established in Venice. Although, not everyone was too happy with the arrival of coffee beans. In particular, the Catholic Church was livid and often referred to it as ‘a drink for the devil’. Eventually, this changed once Pope Clement VIII tried a cup of joe and decided he liked it.
Here Comes the Espresso
We’ve all heard of the word ‘espresso’. This fantastic little drink is thanks to the ingenious work of Luigi Bezzera.
He set out with the idea to use pressurized water to go through a small puck of ground coffee, with the hope of making a concentrated drink. And as you probably can guess, he was very successful.
So why is it called an espresso? The reason for the name is because of how rapid the process is to make it. In a couple of seconds, boom, the drink is ready.
Before long, new coffee bars started appearing, providing a hassle-free way of catching up on the latest news by reading a newspaper and sipping a quickly made espresso. A perfect combination for a businessman in a rush.
Coffee Advancements Continue
After the initial rush of coffee shops in Italy, things started to level out throughout WW2. Makes sense if you think about it, probably best to stay inside!
One convenient invention that made coffee drinking so easy at home was the Moka pot. Invented in 1933 by Turin’s Alfonso Bialetti, the Moka pot is a metallic stovetop pot that allows pretty much anybody to make a first-class espresso from the comfort of their own home.
This handy piece of equipment went on to sell millions of units across the world, adding to the popular coffee culture we see in Italy presently.
Coffee Culture in Italy Today
Coffee shops in Italy are still going strong as they attempt to keep up with the demand of Italians across the country. There are over 58,000 coffee shops in Italy, which makes them the largest supplier of coffee cafés in Western Europe.
Considering how small their population size is compared to others in Western Europe, it shows the Italians truly love their coffee.
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