venerdì 29 maggio 2015

Drinking coffee in Crazy Town

Drinking coffee in Trieste is a ritual that suits different situations, as in other parts of the world: from waking up in the morning to a feature of the town's social life. The presence of important coffee manufacturers and numerous historical cafes (Caffè San Marco, Caffè degli Specchi, Caffè Tommaseo, etc.) bears witness to a long-term tradition, dating from the second half of the eighteen century, with the birth of the first coffee shops, public places where people could buy and drink coffee.
You may say: "This is not so unusual". In fact, it isn't. What makes the difference are the terms used, (that are not the same as in the rest of Italy) and the possibility to drink coffee in a little glass, instead of the ordinary cup.
With this in mind, you have to be careful when you ask for a coffee in this crazy town. In fact, if you simply say "coffee", the waiter will bring you an unrequested espresso or will reply by another question: "Which kind of coffee?". If you ask for a "cappuccino", the waiter will probably ask you: "small or big?"
In order to enjoy drinking coffee in Trieste, I'm gonna give you some useful information and first of all the glossary you have to learn in order to create any possible combination on your own.
  • "bi" - short for bicchiere (glass); 
  • "capo" - small cappuccino; 
  • "caffelatte" - big cappuccino (the italian one);
  • "deca" - short for decaffeinato (decaffeinated); 
  • "orzo" - short for caffè d'orzo (barley coffee);
  • "goccia" - short for gocciato, an espresso with a drop of milk;
  • "nero" -  espresso;
  • "caffè" -  espresso (but take care, when you say "caffè", as I told you before!)
  • "ristretto" - strong espresso;
  • "corretto" - espresso with a shot of spirits
Once you have learned this glossary you'll be ready to order the coffee you want. Let's try some combinations.
"Capo deca": little decaffeinated cappuccino in a cup;
"Capo in bi": little cappuccino in a glass;
"Capo deca in bi": little decaffeinated cappuccino in a glass;
"Goccia corretto": espresso with a drop of milk and a shot of spirits, in a cup.

Of course, some combinations are not possible: "orzo deca" for example doesn't make sense (barley coffee doesn't contain caffeine).
Besides this,  I couldn't' imagine to order neither a "caffellatte corretto" (a big cappuccino with a shot of spirits), neither an "orzo ristretto in bi" (a strong barley coffee in a glass), but this is a matter of personal taste. You can do what you want, just use your imagination.

Isn't that funny? I think so.
By the way, if you go to Gorizia (50 km far from Trieste) you cannot use the above mentioned terms: they will simply not understand you. If you go to Udine (100 km far from Trieste) and you order a "nero" they will bring you a glass of red wine. So, pay attention and enjoy.

That's all.




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