Italian traditions: the barista and his espresso

In search of the perfect espresso can give you many varied experiences across the Italian peninsula, as Time correspondent Jeff Israely discovered.
In his essay, Black Magic, he writes about the wonderful shared tradition, simple pass-time and community builder that is espresso coffee in Italy.
I have done a stint as a barista in Italy and although it was in a hotel bar and not a local street bar, I can say it’s one of the most fascinating jobs I’ve ever had.

You see such a range of people, most of whom are prepared to share their stories with you as it is generally expected that the barista will have some insightful comment to add to their day.
While I don’t think that Israely’s article really gets to the heart of his supposed argument on “my quest to better understand the Italian people and their beloved brown elixir, and to explore the tensions between national customs and global trends”.

But it’s worth a read just to know about Italian coffee making technique and practice.
The Americans seem particularly fascinated by Italy’s coffee, being such an anti-thesis to what’s available in the US.

I come from a good coffee making culture that means that the espresso myth for me is not so mythical.
Italians blithely accept their coffee tradition though would admit that it’s a precious essential element to the survival of every day.