A journey through coffee to discover the treasure of Trieste

Food

20 June 2018

Food

A journey through coffee to discover the treasure of Trieste

It seems easy to order a coffee, but in Trieste it’s not something to be taken lightly. There is a risk of being misunderstood. Indeed, only here can you order a “nero" (a “black”) and be served an espresso coffee.

But that’s not the end of it. There’s a special vocabulary also for a caffè macchiato (espresso with a drop of hit milk), because here it is called a “capo" (short for “cappuccino”) and if it is poured into a small glass it becomes "capo in b” (shorthand for “capo in bicchiere” or glass). And if you want a cappuccino, then you will have to order a “caffelatte”.

Customers may prefer a glass beaker or a porcelain cup; this is a personal choice, but in both cases, a "speciale" means the addition of a dusting of cocoa powder. In this itinerant tasting among the many cafés of the vity, I am lucky to be accompanied by an expert, Gianni Pistrini, who knows about coffee, not only thanks to his long experience in the field, but also because he is president of the Associazione Museo del Caffè based in Trieste, just a few steps from the former stock exchange.

It is thanks to Gianni that I have got to know the historic cafés of the city and have attended the traditional preparation of the "capo in b". I can watch the bartenders at work behind the espresso machine, during the delicate and not negligible operations that they repeat with Swiss precision: from the grinding of the beans to the preparation of the drink, but particularly the foaming of the milk.

And for this it takes talent! Getting the perfect temperature, shine and compactness and a perfect whipping of the milk until it is transformed into cream (so called and not foam in this case) is not easy. Just think that in order to realise this final decoration to best effect, whole courses are held, because here it has become an art and they even call it "latte art".

facebook twitter

Live your experience

Find out about the ideas and offers for this experience in Friuli Venezia Giulia

Where to stay

Age

Advanced Search

Esmeralda Perosa

I'm a slow tourist, with a backpack and map at my fingertips. I love cinema and old movies. I collect photos and extraordinary stories of ordinary people. Friuli is a mix of plain, sea and mountain, where special places are just around the corner.