The coffee is now part of our culture, but not only. Other cultures have also developed multiple variations of coffee, and every time you enjoy it, it is always a way to gather in company or relax by taking a break from work or study.

We can say it with certainty: "Coffee will never go out of style!"

In Campania coffee is a daily habit, a kind of ritual without which the day could not begin in the right way; fixing a meeting by saying "we'll have coffee" or making a coffee break Is typical of the people of Campania. But what is the story that lies behind theorigin of coffee to Naples?

Coffee in the Neapolitan city is a tradition, also famous is the custom of "

suspended coffee, a gesture of altruism that makes it possible to pay for coffee for those who cannot afford it.

Taking a few steps back in time, coffee, already popular in Vienna, came to Naples with Maria Carolina of Habsburg-Lorraine who married in 1768 to Ferdinand of Bourbon, who introduced the custom to the court.

The origin of Italian and Neapolitan coffee

The word coffee actually comes from the word Turkish “kahve", which in turn is derived from theArabic “qawha". This term originally referred to the coffee plant “Coffea Arabica", which together with the "Coffea Robusta", is still used around the world today to produce the grains Of the drink.

The methodology and production of coffee machines began to spread in Italy from an initial prototype presented at theParis World's Fair 1855.

Where does the spread of coffee begin?

Many gastronomes in the 1800s believed that the best coffee came from the Yemeni city of Mocha, consequently the Yemen became the plant's place of origin. Later from the Middle East and Arabia it spread first to Egypt and then to the Ottoman Empire, and then arrived in Italy thanks to the merchants of the Republic of Venice.

Coffee as a meeting ritual for society

The first italian coffee shop opened in 1683 in Venice: from then on, within a century, more than 200 were born. Many of them acquired an intellectual connotation, calling themselves philosophical cafes or literary cafes.

The workshops became a meeting place for the intellectuals of the time, who expanded from Italy throughout Europe and America. Initially, however, coffee was not well regarded since it was d'Muslim importation. It was Pope Clement VIII in 1600 to declare the drink suitable for Christians by reassuring the faithful.

The invention of the coffee "cuccumella"

In 1819, the "cuccumella", the neapolitan coffee maker which alternated between the method of preparation for Turkish-style decoction to that of Venetian-style infusion, with a double filter.

The Turkish-style decoction method involves boiling water and coffee in the same environment: you pour the coffee powder into a pot (e.g., Turkish coffee pot), add the water by mixing it all together, and bring it to a boil. Then you pour the mixture into a cup and it is ready to drink. In the Venetian-style infusion system, on the other hand, you do not use the coffee grounds, but pour only the liquid part, unlike the Turkish-style decoction method.

With the cuccumella, Neapolitans began to brew coffee at home, then in the 900s came the famous Mocha. As for the coffee maker from bar, patented at Turin in 1884 by Angelo Moriondo, Neapolitans learned about it and used it to the fullest throughout the 900s.

The secret of Neapolitan coffee

The special feature of Neapolitan coffee is the mixture, as well as its characteristic roasting, which gives it a darker coloring than the others. This specific roasting, after a few days of rest, enhances the essential oils and contributes to a better extraction of aromas.

The Grand Cafes of Naples

The Gran Caffè Gambrinus is a historic venue located in Via Chiaia and is among the top 10 cafes in Italy. It has also hosted the famous Oscar Wilde.

Another historic place to drink great coffee is the Professor's coffee, located in close proximity to the very Gambrinus Cafe in Trieste and Trento square. Its special feature is precisely the so-called "professor's coffee," a double dose of coffee in a single cup, which gives a burst of energy to get around all of wonderful Naples.

Excellent coffee is also enjoyed at the Mexico cafeteria in Dante Square. From here you can take the opportunity to take a walk to the nearby Sunrise Port or to St. Sebastian Street, called the musicians road, full of stores with musical items.

If you want to taste the coffee liqueur, you have to try the Borghetti coffee! A characteristic was created for this particular drink. pocket pack which is usually sold outside stadiums.

The story of Elizabeth Cardiello and her coffee maker.

Speaking of coffee and Italian traditions, it is necessary to mention the story of Elizabeth Cardiello, an Italian-American woman. Her father Peter emigrated from Italy at the age of only 14 and succeeded in making it in the corporate world in America, also in the field of steel kitchen utensils.

Elizabeth had owned her father's businesses since she was young, until, through various vicissitudes, she found herself working for a bank, a job that took up a lot of her time, but more importantly had taken away her identity.

Soon after, with her father's death, she had to roll up her sleeves and think of something that would bring a smile back to her face. While cleaning out her father's garage, she opened a cabinet where she found some old coffee pots that once belonged to her father's business: 5000 coffee pots, the last ones left, were no longer being produced and were very rare pieces. The brilliant idea and central point of his entrepreneurial success was to invest again in the production of this type of coffee maker. This is where his success began, and also his new life.

Elizabeth, with her business, has now become an entrepreneur at her father's side as she always wanted, taking the last opportunity to do so. When she thinks back on her journey she quotes the phrase "what the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve": what the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve.

Coffee varieties

Of course, coffees are not all the same; there are different types and plants. The process for roasting it can also be different.

Roasting processes vary in time and temperature, all of which is decided by the type of coffee to be processed. For example, Robusta coffees need more energy and a longer roasting time, although very long roasting is never desirable because it tends to cook the coffee more than roast it.

The Arabica variety is one of the most popular, plus it is the first species of plant used to make coffee. It has a lower caffeine content than others on the market. Arabica is native to theEthiopia, of the Sudan, and of the Northern Kenya, but it is now also cultivated in Arabia, Brazil etc. Arabica plants grow mainly in high-altitude areas between 1,000 and 2,000 meters, as well as in soils very rich in minerals.

The cultivation of the variety of Robusta coffee began only in the 1800s. It is one of the cheapest, given its hardiness and ability to grow even at low altitudes. Robusta has a higher amount of caffeine than Arabica and has a aroma plus bitter and strong.

Coffee in music

Coffee has also been a source of inspiration in art: many songs, in fact, refer to this drink. The first is "A cup and coffee" of Roberto Murolo; also in the Neapolitan sphere we have "Na tazzulella e café" of Pino Daniele.

Coffee is also mentioned in the singer-songwriter's historic song Fabrizio De Andrè “Don Raffae". To top it off, other singers from north to south also introduced the drink among their verses: Alex Britti in "7000 coffee" or the very famous song "Peppina's cafe" of the Little Choir of the Antoniano.