The Tradition of Italian Breakfast: Home, Bar or Starbucks? (2023)

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. How many times have we heard this phrase? Italian style, as dictated by grandma tradition, fast in the bar or in the cafes of big American brands, everyone can choose their own style.

Italian grandmothers attached particular importance to the children's breakfast. Rich breakfast for the day: bread, butter and jam, milk and barley or chocolate.Coffee latte and biscuitsorhomemade cakeshas been the ideal breakfast for Italians for centuries. Unfortunately, almost everyone told usFarewell to grandma's real breakfastin the eighties. The new lifestyle, promoted through compelling TV commercials, acclaimed snacks and industrial cookies, did the rest. Then came the fashion abroad, breakfast cereal and habits. Always at the expense of nutritional quality. Until the death of the homemade breakfast: fastCup of coffeeat home, followed by a quick breakfast at the coffee house.

Discover coffee

Coffeeis the ultimate wake-up drink. For many, including the author, it is almost impossible to get through the day without a cup of coffee. This fascinating drink is actually an extract from the powder of a seed that bears its own name. A Middle Eastern drink of ancient origin that only began to spread in Europe from the 1930sseventeenth century. It seems that Venetian traders are mainly responsible for the introduction of the coffee. Originally as consumeddigestive medicineand then slowly established itself as a drink. This is how the coffee shops came into being, some of which still resist over time, such asCaffe Florian in Venice,Greek coffee in Rome,Gilli in Florence, Cova in Milan and Gambrinus in Naples.

Historical cafes and modern cafes

coffee housesbecame not only places of entertainment and refreshment, but also meeting places and cultural circles. High society and the bourgeoisie, intellectuals and artists frequented the cafés and lived their lives thereGolden agebetween the 18th and 20th centuries. Not only in Italy but also in othersEuropean countrys, and even in America. It's a tasty oddity in the first placeNew Yorker Cafe, TheTontine kaffehusbecame the original homeNew York Stock Exchange. Precisely because the cafeteria had become the meeting place for business people and business exchanges. INItalyThere are thousands, if not millions, of cafes commonly called thatRiegel. Places where you essentially eat fastEspressoAndCappuccino, you have breakfast or you have a quick lunch with youSandwichsandwich or oneSandwichSandwich.

And Starbucks is finally in Rome

Unlike the Italian ones, American-style canteens are hybrid places that offer a wide variety of products and services. Everyone stops there and sometimes indulges in something for hours. You can see business people taking a break and students using the WiFi network for their devices. TheStarbucksModel that so fascinates Italian xenophobes ended up in Rome. Many were completely convinced of the superiority of the Italian style and would have bet on the impossibility of realizing the project. But not only Starbucks opened, a few steps awayErsatz, but it was stormed by Italians and foreigners. For Italians, it actually represents onecosmopolitan lifestyle icon. For foreigners who often don't appreciate our espresso, this is a way to find theirsHome far from home. Even back then in Rome: American coffee to go and king-size cappuccino for an American-Italian breakfast.

The Italian cappuccino

Cappuccino is a product of the Italian cafeteriaEspresso coffee and fresh whole milk. It must be prepared with 2.5 cl of espresso and 10-15 cl of fresh whipped cream. Served exclusively in a 200cl porcelain cup. The perfect preparation requires hours of practice and precision. Not everyone is aware that there is an official temperature at which milk should be whipped, which can vary55 and 60 degreeshighest. Asking for a hot cappuccino at the bar is of course possible and you will be satisfied. However, it is not advisable to do so, because milk that is too hot actually binds caffeine and makes the cappuccino somewhat indigestible. Last but not least: special milk is in increasing demand, from lactose-free to milk of plant origin.

Cappuccino? Yes! but only before 11:00 in the morning

Nutritionists almost all agree: protein, low sugar and simple carbohydrates, perhaps fruit would be the best options. And a large part of the population is following this advice and forced to switch to a new diet every six months. Despite this, the Italian breakfast that most of our compatriots prefer takes place and takes shape outside the homeCappuccino and croissant.Cappuccino is undoubtedly one of the Italian feel-good dishes. Famous all over the world and drunk at any time in almost every country in the world except Rome. In fact, tradition says that cappuccino is drunk in Romefirst at 11.The origin of this habit is unknown. However, there are some very interesting hypotheses on this topic, which we will discuss another time.

A legend is born

It is clear that, as in the best traditions, the birth of cappuccino is shrouded in mystery and legend. One of the most famous concernsMarco d'Aviano, AKapucinerbroderwho had participatedBattle of Vienna in 1683. This monk had tasted coffee for the first time in a shop. The coffee was made with the beans that the Turks had left behind on their way at the beginning of their defeat. The monk, who found the coffee too bitter, added milk to it and used it to invent the cappuccino. Another legend always associates him with the monks, referring to the color of his skin or even to clerics. However, none of these legends have any historical basis, so we can choose the one we like the most.

Cappuccino and croissant, perfect combination

As everyone knows, the episode of the end of the Ottoman siege of the city of Vienna also marks the birth of the croissant. That is, the puff pastry celebrates victory over the crescent moon, the symbol of the Ottomans. Curiously, there is a similar legend about the origin of cappuccino and cornetto. Unlike French croissants, Italian croissants contain less butter and are more like a candyViolation.

How about grandma's breakfast at the bar?

That's an excellent idea. Note that there is already a wonderful cafeteria in Rome that offers the possibility of requesting it in its menu. Coffee from the famous coffee pot (Moka Caffettiera for the locals), bread and ricotta with fresh fruit. We are talking about Raimondo Ricci's newborn:EmporioSant'Eustachio, of Via della Maddalena,Pantheon areain Rome. The newborn cafe after the older and historical oneSant'Eustachioin the same sounding room.

Are you a coffee lover and want to delve into the secrets?backstagethis Italian excellence? Take part in one of our events. Contact us