Coffee: The Italian Connection
Coffee was first introduced to Italy in the 1500s as a result of the thriving trade between Venice and North Africa and the Middle East.
Credit: Valentyn Volkov Shutterstock.com
September 29 is International Coffee Day
1. Coffee plants originated in Africa, but were first cultivated systematically in Yemen, on the Arabian Peninsula, as early as the 12th century.
2. Coffee was first introduced to Italy in the 1500s as a result of the thriving trade that existed between the city-state of Venice and North Africa and the Middle East.
3. Italy is the source of two of coffee drinkers’ most frequently used terms — espresso and cappuccino.
4. Espresso is made by filtering steam through finely ground, darkly roasted coffee. Cappuccino is espresso served with frothy steamed milk.
5. “Cappuccino” refers to the dark brown habits worn by Capuchin friars, a Catholic order founded in Italy in the 16th century.
6. At just under 5.8 kilograms (12.8 lbs.) per person in 2014, according to data from the International Coffee Organization, Italy ranks 15th in the world (among countries with a population of at least one million) in terms of its per capita coffee consumption.
