What is an Espresso? Well some think it's a little slice of heaven!
Espresso comes from Italy and early in the 20th century it was coined to mean a coffee that was just especially for you. Hence espresso. Commonly misspelled or called expresso but those not in the know. Introduced to the United States after World War II by returning military personnel who enjoyed a cup – you can now find it in every coffee bar of any quality. A thick dark mixture of high octane coffee – its doled out an ounce or two at a time when you drink it straight. It’s also the basis for frozen coffees, café au lait, lattes, café con leche and
cappuccino.
Different areas of the country have used different roasts. In the East, they prefer a light roast while in the West they like a dark bean. The name espresso is Italian in origin. It was first coined around 1900 and, loosely translated, means a cup of coffee brewed expressly for you. Today, you will often find that people incorrectly pronounce or spell it "expresso". Espresso can be very confusing. Is it a bitter concentrated shot of caffeine? Where did it originate? Can you use sweeteners? What is the creamy froth on top? How should you drink it? Part of the confusion is due to improperly prepared espresso. Correctly brewed espresso is made using a pump-driven or lever operated espresso machine. It is an art and a science. So what makes a true espresso? Is it the bean? No. Inaccurate marketing and erroneous word of mouth have given many people the impression that the type of bean determines whether the brew is espresso or not. This is not true. Any type of bean can be used to make good espresso coffee. The Italians in their home country prefer a medium roast. So go figure! The only real constant is that the beans should be finely ground. Drink it with or without sugar. What is an espresso? Well why not find out. Brew up and savor the flavor of this very special coffee drink. |
