When talking about Italian Caffé, one specific Coffee Specialities probably comes to your mind immediately. Espresso! You haven’t visited Italy properly before if you haven’t had a real Italian espresso. Best consumed at the counter of a bar, among locals. This strong yet sweet shot of a hot beverage, freshly brewed by pushing a small amount of hot water through fine coffee bits. Espresso unquestionably is life! However, Cappuccino or Latte Macchiato are, too, true Italian coffees. Everyone knows those three types of coffee preparation in Italy, but do you know any more? Save this list of almost 40 different Coffee specialities for your upcoming holiday to dig deeper into the tasty world of Italian Caffé. Keep in mind that various regions in Italy enjoy their coffee in quite a similar/slightly different preparation method, however, it’s still called differently wherever you are (Marocchino in the north versus Espressino in the south!). For more info about Italian cuisine, check out this ultimate list of every Italian dish from soups to breads, pasta and desserts.

How the real Italians enjoy their Caffè / Espresso – list of all the authentic coffee specialities in Italy

• Affogato al Caffe – a scoop of fior di latte or vanilla gelato topped with a shot of hot Caffé
• Barbajada – originally from Milan – either served hot or cold: equal parts whipped chocolate, milk and coffee as well as some sugar for extra sweetness, often topped with whipped cream
• Bicerin – originally from Turin / Torino – coffee with hot milk and drinking chocolate topped with whipped cream by JoyDellaVita
• Bombardino – typically enjoyed in ski resorts in winter – one part egg liquor, one part brandy, one part Espresso, often topped with whipped cream
• Caffé – a classic Espresso, due Caffé or two Espressi
• Caffè americano – believed to have originated in World War II when American G.I.s in Italy would dilute espresso with hot water to approximate the coffee to which they were accustomed. – espresso diluted with hot water after the brewing process
• Caffè corretto – a shot of espresso with a small amount of liquor (usually grappa, sambuca or brandy), (outside of Italy) also known as “espresso corretto”
• Caffé con pallina di gelato or Coffee Affogato – Espresso with a scoop of vanilla Ice Cream
• Caffè con panna – a single or double shot of espresso topped with whipped cream traditionally served in an espresso-sized cup, sometimes coated with some cacao powder (pictured below)
• Caffè crema – Espresso with double the amount of water as Caffé lungo (4 times more than regular Caffé)
• Caffé doppio – a double Espresso in one cup (double coffee powder, double water)
• Caffè Freddo or Espresso Freddo – pre-prepared and chilled espresso, usually enjoyed during summer
• Caffè leccese or Caffè in Ghiaccio – originally from Salento, in the south – shot of espresso over ice cubes with a splash of almond milk JoyDellaVita
• Caffè lungo – is somewhat similar to Caffé Americano, however, it is more an espresso with more hot brewed water out of the machine (usually twice the amount compared to regular Caffé), water is not added afterwards
• Caffè macchiato – Espresso with a splash of milk foam, “a small Cappuccino” with less milk
• Caffè mocha or Mochaccino/Mochachino – a shot of espresso with hot milk and cacao powder/chocolate flavouring and sweetener/sugar. Sometimes topped with frothed milk or whipped cream, can also be enjoyed with white chocolate (chocolate syrup)
• Caffè Moka – Black coffee prepared with a special Moka pot
• Caffè alla napoletana – made with a caffettiera napoletana
• Caffè shakerato – a shot of espresso beaten with ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and simple syrup for sweetness, sometimes liquor is added and usually served in a martini glass
• Caffelatte – Milk is added to a shot or two of Espresso, less foam compared to a Cappuccino
• Latte macchiato – similar to a Caffelatte, but with less coffee and more milk, often served with visible coffee, milk and foam layers
• Cappuccino – a shot of espresso with hot foamed milk served in a cup, often sprinkled with cacao powder
• Cappuccino freddo – a shot of hot espresso is poured over crushed ice and topped with cold milk, usually served in a glass by JoyDellaVita
• Espressino – originating in the southern region of Apulia, usually served in a small glass cup – equal parts of espresso and milk, with some cocoa powder on the bottom of the cup and on top of the drink
• Espressino freddo – originally from Puglia – a mix between coffee and ice cream (fresh coffee is mixed with cream-based ice cream during initial preparation), eaten with a spoon
• Espresso – known generally in Italy simply as Caffè
• Espresso Granita – brewed espresso is frozen, before serving crushed and often topped with whipped cream and eaten with a spoon
• Espresso Romano – a shot of espresso with a slice of lemon served on the side to accentuate the espresso’s sweetness / or the inside of a cup is rubbed with citrus peel for additional flavour by JoyDellaVita
• Espresso Sara – originally from Budoia in northern Italy –  a shot of espresso diluted with cold water, instead of hot water compared to Caffè Americano
• Espresso Tonic – a cold coffee cocktail with one shot of espresso, crushed ice, lemon juice and 150 ml tonic water
• Grolla dell’amicizia – originally from Aosta Valley/Piedmont – coffee and grappa served in a traditional bulbous wooden loving cup, shaped like a multi-spouted teapot
• Gassosa al caffè coffee – originally from Catanzaro/Calabria – a Coffee Soda with carbonated water, coffee and sugar as the main ingredients
• Guillermo – one or two shots of hot espresso poured over slices of lime, can also be served on ice, or with a splash of milk
• Iced Coffee or Cold Brew – there is usually no such thing as a Starbucks-like “iced coffee” in Italy 😉 (the next best thing is Caffè Freddo, Caffè leccese or Caffè in Ghiaccio)
• Latté frappe – freshly brewed coffee blended with milk, sugar (or flavoured syrup) and ice (also known as Frappuccino)
• Manilo – one espresso shot and less than 100ml of silky milk, unfrothed
• Marocchino – originally from Alessandria/Piedmont and Lombardy/Milan – cocoa powder is added to a small glass, followed by a shot of Espresso and frothed milk, and cocoa powder on top (similar to Espressino); is often also enjoyed with Nutella instead of cocoa powder
• Moretta/Moretta fanese – originally from Fano/Marche – a hot coffee-based cocktail served in a glass: liquor (cognac, brandy) is heated up with steam and added into the glass with sugar and the zest of a lemon/orange, now a shot of espresso is added, the different layers are usually still visible
• Rexentin or Raxentin – originally from Veneto – “to rinse”: after drinking the caffè corretto a small quantity of coffee remains in the cup, which is cleaned using the liquor used for the beverage, that will then be drunk to “clean up” the cup  by Joy toDellaVita
• Ristretto – essentially an Espresso but with even less liquid (half the liquid compared to Caffé normale), resulting in an even more potent beverage
• Uovo sbattuto con Caffe – originally from Sicily / rural areas – with sugar-beaten egg (similar to Zabaione) with a shot of espresso and often served with hard crusty bread, once a popular breakfast as it is prepared quickly and relatively inexpensive

Have you already been lucky enough to try all of the above Coffee Specialities? Which has been your favourite? Or do you know even more? Let me know on Twitter @JoyDellaVita! 🙂