Compared to most normal college students my addiction to coffee is very mild. In fact I can barely stand to sip on the bitter, dark liquid so many obsess over unless it’s drowning in caramel, peppermint mocha or pumpkin spice flavoring.
So you can imagine that upon my arrival in Italy I was skeptical to try a simple cappuccino.
It’s just a shot of espresso and hot foamed milk. Surprisingly enough, as I took this first sip at a random café I came upon in Florence, Italy, my immediate thought was that this cappuccino blew Starbucks’ coffee out of the water.
While Italy is known for it handmade pasta, fresh pizza and decadent wines, we must not forget to recognize Italians superb ability to provide an outrageously smooth cup of joe at literally any of their local cafés.
Italy, however, has done more than master the art of making a perfect cup of coffee. It has also taken ownership of the saying, “you work to live. You don’t live to work.”
The coffee culture in Italy compared to the United States shows just how differently we think of this caffeinated savior and our daily routine in general.
For most Americans, college students especially, we crave coffee not necessarily because we want to sit and enjoy each sip but because we need that caffeine to hit our bloodstream as fast as possible to compensate for the lack of sleep we got the night before and the dreadful 8 a.m. class that awaits us.
While yes, Italians too appreciate the boost of energy they get from the cup of coffee they make at home, Florence native and resident Anna Kraczyna said any coffee an Italian gets at a café (or as Italians call it, a bar) is for social purposes.
“When you’re going to the bar, it’s really a social moment,” Kraczyna said. “So, yes, you are going for the coffee. It does wake you up, but in reality what you’re going there for is the social moment.”
Kraczyna also said for most Italians there is a routine, daily break built into their work schedule to go to the bar for coffee and a pastry. She also said this break in the day is a social moment even if he or she isn’t headed to the bar with friends or co-workers.
“Even if you don’t meet anybody there that you know and even if you don’t chat, still you know the bartender, the bartender knows what you’re going to have, you have a tiny chat with him or her about the weather, but really it’s like Italians’ second home,” said Kraczyna. Perhaps what is more admirable than Italy’s ability to make an incredible latté from even a vending machine is the way Italians take something as simple as a morning pick-me-up and turn it into a way to slow down and enjoy the people around them.
It’s an art within itself to master the ability to take a step back from the stress, take a sip of coffee and just enjoy the little things.
apoudrie@indiana.edu
