STiR coffee and tea magazine

24 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 5, 2020 (October / November) C By Thomas Schmid offee is enjoyed around the world, with different countries having developed various ways of celebrating the dark brew. But without a doubt, Italy is in a league of its own. Perhaps nowhere else is a simple cup of coffee so deeply embedded in national culture, so ingrained in daily life, as there. Generally speaking, a "typical" Italian coffee would be "short and intense," as opposed to milk-based cof- fees which are more appreciated abroad," explained Luca Cioffi, president and c.e.o. of Bologna-based Coind S.C., one of the country's biggest coffee roasters. But there is also the fact that virtually every "true" Italian coffee is, indeed, an "espresso," which of course refers to the brewing method rather than the blend. This particular method of extraction is so inherent to Italian culture that, for locals, the words "coffee" and "espresso" are synonymous. "In Italy, when a consumer asks for a 'coffee,' they mean an 'espresso,'" affirmed Cioffi. A "typical" Italian coffee is also characterized by its aroma, which, depending on the particular blend, lingers on notes of cocoa, fruit, toasted bread, even a hint of spring flowers. And it must be "attractive when served in a cup, specifically in terms of aroma, taste, and consistency," according to Coind's r&d manager, Susanna Tarozzi. "The crema must be fine, compact, and persistent with an intense homogeneous color," she elaborated. "On a gustatory level, an 'espresso' must have sweet notes, with complex and harmonic acidity, followed by an intense and soft body." Tarozzi adds that "dirty" scents of earth, mold, or straw ought to be absent. "Typical Italian roast" – an elusive term While aromatically and flavor-wise it appears rather clear-cut what should be expected of a "typical Italian coffee," defining what constitutes a "typical Italian roast" would be much too generic and bear little meaning as an absolute reference. After all, the country today boasts around 800 roasting companies, ranging from "micro-roasteries" to large interna- tionally represented firms such as Coind, Illy, Lavazza, and quite a handful of others. When in Rome, Drink "Italian-Roast" Coffee STiR talked to two of Italy's largest coffee companies about what makes a roast "Italian." The takeaways are somewhat surprising. Coind president and c.e.o., Luca Cioffi. Coffee roasting. Credit: Coind S.C.

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