But, before tasting our national drink, you will have to overcome another little complication.
In Italy live about 60 millions people, not counting some million of immigrees.
It’s been estimated that we have 70 millions different ways of asking a coffee.
Ordering a simple coffee (“un caffè”) would too easy for us.
If you do so, you must be very busy, maybe talking at your mobile while ordering and drinking it.
Choosing a little, personal variation on the theme is a little pleasure to which few Italians would renounce, it’s a self-exhibition of diversity that is part of our national culture.
Now we try to make a list of the most frequent types of coffee.
Let’s start form some basic:
lungo = long
corto or ristretto= short
we ask to let the cup under the machine few seconds more, or few seconds less, in order to have a lighter or stronger coffee.
decaffeinato or, better dek = caffeine-free
macchiato = stained
… with milk, it’s obvious!
macchiato freddo = cold stained
macchiato caldo = hot stained
you can ask to use cold or hot milk
in tazza grande = in large cup
the quantity of coffe remains the same, but you can choose in which cup you prefer to be served. the bartender will be prepared to bear such requests, and some more …
corretto = laced
the substance used to lace coffee is always alchool-based: wich one exactly varies depending of different geografic regions and of different quality level of the cafè you are visiting.
In Venetia region alchool correction is a must, so that for you and your two friends, it’s possible to order “one normal and two laced”, but it’s also possible to order
“one NOT-laced and two normals” … being understood
that in that zone lacing with alchool is traditon.
How many correction? As much as how many liquors you can see behind the bartender.
corretto/grappa, corretto/sambuca, corretto/a lot of liquors,
if you like a corretion with an tonic liquor, there’s another complication:
you have to choose the brand of tonic you prefer.
Ready to order? Not yet?
Let’s make an exercise: we are three friends:
“give us a hot stained dek, a long one in large cup,
and a short, montenegro laced”
… that’s why they’ll let you serve by yourself for different types of sugar!