Il Libridinoso is a hilltop cafe in Murlo, a mountain town located near Siena in the Tuscany region of Italy. The cafe is cozy with different quotes painted on the walls and on the tables. There are different books at each table, a nod to the name of the cafe (il libridinoso essentially translates to bookworm in English). The photo to the left is one I was able to take when me and my friend went to visit. The atmosphere alone elevates the coffee by a hundred.
The Italian word for coffee is caffe. Coffee was introduced to Europe in the 17th century. Caffè Florian, located in Venice’s Piazza San Marco, was founded in 1720 and is considered the oldest operating cafe in the world. I was lucky enough to visit cafe Florian while I was in Venice as well as the oldest cafe in Rome, cade Greco. In Italy’s original coffee houses, coffee was usually brewed Turkish style, boiled with spices and sugar in a heated pot. But it wasn't until the invention of a steam-driven, coffee-making machine in the late 19th century that Italy gave the world espresso. Espresso is not a particular coffee bean or type of roast. It's a method to brew finely ground and compacted coffee very fast, with very hot water, at very high pressure.
Caffè macchiato: Espresso with a splash of frothy milk. Unlike breakfast drinks, this lighter milky caffè can be enjoyed as frequently as caffè normale.
Caffè corretto: Espresso with a splash of alcohol, such as grappa or sambuca.
Caffè americano: Espresso diluted with hot water.
Caffè lungo: Espresso with a splash of hot water but stronger than the americano.
