Caffe' Cilento style

Caffé’ differences

Just click on the “Label” section of this blog and you will see that one of the things I love about life here in Italy is coffee, caffé vero. In the short time that we have been in the Cilento area I have noticed some minor differences in the l’esperienza di caffé.

As with every area of Italy the brands of coffee used by bars is different than what we saw in Anzio, Basilicata, Rome and Ascoli Piceno. The flavor of the caffé is on average superior to what we have experienced farther north. Strong, hot and with a thick crema is the norm.

Valerie prefers un cappuccio in the morning, bello caldo and not full to the brim with foam. She also is accustomed to not having cacao sprinkled on top in the Ascoli area but here cacao is an automatic, she has learned to request it without. My morning caffé macchiato is as likely to be served in a small glass as in a ceramic cup.

For our colazione of caffé and pasta (pastry), there is another slight difference. In other areas we would order our pasta and caffé and have them served together. In the Cilento area at least, you are expected to eat you pasta first then have your caffé served. One barista apologized when she started to serve our drinks while we were still eating our paste. Also with my colazione of a pasta and caffé macchiato a glass of water is automatically served, Valerie with her cappuccio and pasta is not served water. Perhaps the cappuccio is sufficient liquid and no water is needed.

On the subject of water, bars will automatically serve water with a single caffé, without asking and generally mineral water, any time of the day.

At 70 cents euro, a caffé in the Cilento area is a great deal!