Coffee

So Thursday afternoon, I got home back to my house, which was a relieving feeling. My mom had a nice dinner planned with my family and grandparents. After dinner, we had some dessert and coffee. It was weird to go back to American coffee after this time of drinking cafes and cappuccinos. As i was drinking it, I didn't even notice how fast I was finishing my cup. I had gotten into such a habit of drinking my coffee so fast because that is how it is done in Rome, that I was three quarters through my cup in about five minutes. Even though it is such a minor difference, its interesting how your habits can change so quickly just by being in a different culture for a short period of time.

Grantia di Cafe

Today my roommate Sam took me to Casa del Cafe, a very well known cafe in Rome. Since it was very hot today, we ordered a granita di cafe. This is an iced espresso served in a small plastic cup, highly resembling water ice. If desired, they add whip cream to either the top or the top and bottom. I asked for it just on top, and it added the perfect sweetness to the strongly flavored espresso. This was probably my most favorite thing I've bought at a cafe yet. The espresso mixed with the ice and whip cream just melts in your mouth. I highly suggest anyone in Rome to go try one of these. I know I will be back there before I leave which sadly is in 6 days.

Busy Cafes

I went into a the cafe connected to the Tabacchi right near my appartment this morning to try to notice something different the coffee culture. Instead of trying to fit in and worrying about how I looked and if I was acting like a true Roman while going through the cafe experience, I decided to just oder and then take my time, sit back, and view the scene. I noticed a few different things. First of all, as with all the bars around, it seems like there are people who go to the same place every morning at about the same time. These people appear to have a friendly almost join relationship with those who work behind the counter. You can tell that they serve in the order they want, not always necessarily first come first serve, especially with Americans.

I also noticed that grabbing a cup of coffee here is almost just as fast paced in the morning as it is in America. The Romans come in, not necessarily in a rush, but you can tell they have their mind set on a further destination. They still stand at the bar for little, but they finish their coffee quick and get on their way. This differs form American culture where many drive or walk with their coffee, and keep it at their desk at work or counter at home for some time slowly drinking it throughout part of the morning.

There is one last thing that these observations triggered me to notice. IF you go into a cafe in the afternoon or late morning, I have seen ore than a few people or a simple cafe (shot of espresso), literally finish it within 45 seconds, and be on there way. It seems a quick midday jolt is what many Romans need to keep the day going after their lunch or on a short break.

Giolitti's!

SO one thing I haven't mentioned yet so far in my blogs is the amazing culture of gelati. It is the Italian version of ice cream, and it is delicious. There are multiple flavors and cones, and there are as many gelati places as there are pizza places. The most famous place in Rome happens to also be a bar with many different kinds of coffee, and many different things to eat as well (I would say almost all bars or gelati places have either usually paninis or sometimes pizza to offer as well). This place is called Giolitti's. It is very close to where I live and I pass everyday on the way to and from class. So when I went there one day to grab some coffee, I got sidetracked and decided to get some gelati instead. I just got a small cup of vanilla and grapefruit ( I didn't know I ordered grapefruit, but the color looked cool), and it was delicious. The grapefruit smelled like a grapefruit was being cut right in front of me, and the vanilla tasted richer than I have ever had. One small cup is definitely all you need. I have had other gelati at one or two different places, but this is by far the best. Not just the taste of the actual gelati, but the atmosphere of the place and the fruity creamy smell all add to the Giolitti experience.

Ordering Coffee at a Bar

Almost all of the cafes I have been in so far have a very wide variety of different types of coffee. It can be overwhelming at times, and you don't want to be stuck getting the same thing every time because you don't know what it all is. So I will give you a short summary of the more popular kinds of coffee that you may want to consider trying if you ever travel to Rome.

The very first thing on all of the menus in the cafes is simply caffe. This is commonly mistake by American's as normal coffee. But really, caffe is what Americans would call espresso; simply a very small cup of strong coffee topped with a caramel colored foam called crema. To order this in decaf yo simply ask for "caffe hag" (hag being the largest producer of Italian decaf coffee). Caffe lungo, meaning "long coffee" is very close to an American cup of coffee. At the bar, they let the water pour from the machine until the coffee becomes weak and bitter. This type of coffee is sometimes expressed by Italians as acqua sporca, meaning "dirty water." Caffe con panna is simply espresso with sweet whipped cream. Caffe corretto (coffee corrected) is a cup of their coffee with a bit a liquor added, usually conac or grappa seems to be most popular.

Caffe latte in Italy is what we would call a latte in America. It is espresso with hot milk, the same thing as a cappuccino without the foam. This I was surprised to see was served in a tall glass, compared to everything else I've had so far which is served in a smaller mug. Cappuccino, my drink of choice, and only drank in the morning by Romans, is made with a shot of espresso in a mug larger than that of a caffe. In addition to the shot of espresso, milk and foam are added.

In addition to these, there are many other specialty drinks designated by area and also some places have a variety of iced coffee.

A Normal Bar

So by now, I have been in my fair share of bars, about 5 I would say. So I have a basic understanding of how things work and what they like, etc. For the most part, there is almost always someone in there throughout grabbing some sort of coffee. Many in the morning will grad a cappuccino, or something comparable to that, while espresso or cafe is drank any time of the day. Drinks like cafe latte are a little milkier and a good change of pace. I actually just had a cafe latte today. It was delicious and so far is what reminded me of coffee at home the most, despite the frothy layer on top. Almost all of the cafes will usually have some danish in them for a quick bite for breakfast. I haven't many breakfast sandwiches around or anything like that, expect for maybe a panini with some egg and eggplant in or something like that. And I don't think there is an Italian word or equal for a"diner" that we have at home. But some cafes also have lunch sandwiches, usually paninis that they put on a little grill for a minute and they serve hot. They are delicious. Fresh fruit may sometimes be served, and all bars have somewhat of a liquor selection, mostly used for certain cafe drinks. And it is hard to find a cafe that doesn't have a refrigerator with bottles a water, some juice, and a selection of soda. A note on the soda, they have different sizes, for example 1.5 liters, but the same brands, and instead of diet coke, it is called coke light. Although not comparable to a wawa or sheetz (I prefer wawa), cafes are a great stop if you have an urge for a quick bite or drink.

My First Bar

I had trouble getting back to sleep early on Monday morning, so I decided after writing in my journal to go find a cup of coffee. Fortunately, there is a bar (what Romans call a coffee shop) a block away from me. So i went in, and looked at the menu, which i could barely read. The only thing I understood was the word cafe. It said only .80 euro, so I just ordered one them. He put a tiny mug up the espresso machine and filled up what at the time I had no idea was what they called a cafe. It is about a shots worth of espresso. With enough sugar it tasted fine. I did know one thing about these places before I went, and that is if you sit down at a bar or any food place, you get charged extra money. So while I drank my coffee I stood right up at the counter where they serve it to you. Oddly enough, it is quite enjoyable, and it tasted delicious, probably because there was a frothy top and I added a little sugar. But my first experience there was enough to make me want to go back to multiple different bars and try new things.