Italian espresso coffee is a real “institution”. More than just a drink, in fact, coffee is an integral part of the italian culture. Perfect when travelling, for a little break, or after a meal, Espresso is the coffee that Italians love and drink the most. But how to recognize a coffee prepared exactly as tradition wants? Let’s find out together!

How to recognize italian espresso coffee

First, coffee should be roasted and packaged in Italy. The roasting temperature should be approximately between 200 μc and 225 μc, while the process should be done by the traditional rotating drum method;

Another fundamental rule is that the roasting time should be between 12 and 20 minutes.

No less important is the hygiene of the container in which the coffee beans are stored, which must be periodically cleaned as the fats contained in the beans could oxidize, making the flavor of the coffee unpleasant.

The aroma

Another fundamental requirement is the exclusive use of coffee beans to ensure maximum freshness and taste. As for the dispensing time, this should be between 20 and 27 seconds:

Speaking of aroma, coffee should have a full taste, pleasantly bitter and never astringent. If you feel the need to add a lot of sugar it means that the coffee has not been properly prepared or that some cleaning steps have been neglected.

Foam and porcelain cups

The true Italian espresso is also distinguished by other requirements such as the cream on the surface, which should be uniform and persist for at least 120 seconds from the end of the dispensing of the beverage not mixed, and the extraction temperature, For which the reference is between 90 and 96 C, the content of the cup can range from 13 to 26 grams.

The type of cup is also important: Italian espresso coffee in fact, preferably requires porcelain cups, with a thickness sufficient to keep the temperature and with the bottom narrower than the mouth.