Understanding Sicilian Coffee: Is it the same as Turkish Coffee?

[Stephen Tashi]

As a resident of the USA, my only experience with Sicilian coffee is watching how it is portrayed in the "Detective Montalbano" series. The cups are small, which makes me think that it might be a very strong "turkish coffee" beverage. Is it?

 

[collinsmark]

Do you mean espresso?

You've surely must have stumbled upon a Starbucks at some point or another in the USA.

 

[Stephen Tashi]

Do you mean espresso?

You've surely must have stumbled upon a Starbucks at some point or another in the USA.

Yes, but not often. And at Starbucks, I always order "regular" coffee. Is the "expresso" at Starbucks served in small cups?

 

[collinsmark]

Yes, but not often. And at Starbucks, I always order "regular" coffee. Is the "expresso" at Starbucks served in small cups?

I'm not sure about Starbucks in particular, but most coffee shops that offer espresso will serve it in a small, ceramic, espresso cup, so long as you don't order it "to go," in which case they''ll serve it in a paper cup.

There are small, traditionally ceramic, cups designed exclusively for the purpose of espresso.

--

In terms of how espresso tastes, it is very smooth and strong. The process involves getting the most flavor out of the coffee without it becoming bitter. Even if you are a habitual cream+sugar in your coffee person, you'll likely find that you'll require neither cream nor sugar with espresso.

I think you'll find that espresso tastes much like Turkish coffee, but somewhat less bitter. Don't get me wrong, I like Turkish coffee just fine. It has a nice bite to it. But if I want the strong flavor without the bite, then I'd go for an espresso.

If you were to make an espresso, then dilute it in water after the fact, to a similar consistency as American coffee (this is called an "Americano," by the way) it will still be quite flavorful, but probably contain a little less caffeine than a regular cup of American coffee. There are a couple of reasons for the reduced caffeine, (a) the process of making the espresso is great for extracting the flavor, but not so much in the way of caffeine, and (b) espresso is usually made with Arabica coffee while most American coffee (think Folgers, Maxwell House, etc.) is primarily made with Robusta. Robusta has more caffeine than Arabica.

Espresso is made by forcing water through the coffee grounds quickly, and at high pressure (several atmospheres). This produces a slight, foam-like layer on the top of the coffee solution and is called "crema." There's nothing like a good layer of crema.

 

[Pepper Mint]

ew, coffee snob!

 

[collinsmark]

ew, coffee snob!

I've been called worse.

Seriously though, I'll even drink instant coffee in a pinch. I'm not too picky. And getting back to the topic of espresso, espresso is actually a low maintenance drink. It's about the simplest and easiest thing for the barista to make.

If I'm a coffee snob, then it is solely from my aversion to those surpy abortions that some coffee shop chains market that contain more sugar than coffee.

 

[Stephen Tashi]

I'm not sure about Starbucks in particular, but most coffee shops that offer espresso will serve it in a small, ceramic, espresso cup, so long as you don't order it "to go," in which case they''ll serve it in a paper cup.

Ok, but my question is about how coffee is served in Sicily.

 

[collinsmark]

Ok, but my question is about how coffee is served in Sicily.

I'm led to believe espresso, in a small cup, unless you specify something different.

Here is a source:
http://www.bestofsicily.com/mag/art175.htm

 

[Sophia]

I'm led to believe espresso, in a small cup, unless you specify something different.

Here is a source:
http://www.bestofsicily.com/mag/art175.htm

I've never been to Sicily exactly but I've been to two other places in Italy and the espresso was served just like @collinsmark described.

 

[S.G. Janssens]

Do you mean espresso?

You've surely must have stumbled upon a Starbucks at some point or another in the USA.

What does Starbucks have to do with coffee?

(Incidentally, I liked the information contained in your post #4.)

 

[collinsmark]

Today's xkcd:

Coffee

[Source: http://www.xkcd.com/1743/](With mouseover: "Remind me to order another pack of coffee filters from Dyson. Man, these things are EXPENSIVE.")

 

[Evo]

Ok, but my question is about how coffee is served in Sicily.

In Sicily, if you go to a true coffee bar (not for tourists), it's a bar with no chairs, you go up to the bar and order and unless you specify otherwise you get a tablespoon of very thick delicious espresso served in a disposable plastic medicine cup, the type that you see on top of a Nyquil bottle. You drink it and you leave, (of course you can order another, I always did) there is no sitting and relaxing or chatting, that's for tourist places (my fiance was Sicilian and I spent time there).

 

[Mark44]

The cups are small, which makes me think that it might be a very strong "turkish coffee"

I've had Turkish coffee once, in Split, Yugoslavia (now Croatia). My understanding is that Turkish coffee is like espresso, but brewed with lots of sugar.

 

[jim mcnamara]

@Krylov - Starbucks is a ubiqitous (to say the least) coffee shop that started in Seattle. They are everywhere in medium size and larger cities in the US. Albuquerque with ~600k population has 15 of them.

Edit: oops just counted 17 on the Google map

 

[jim mcnamara]

@collinsmark - FWIW coffe has diverse genetic origins

Coffee "phylogenetic tree" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_coffee_varieties#/media/File:CoffeaArabica_02.jpg

 

[Mark44]

@Krylov - Starbucks is a ubiqitous (to say the least) coffee shop that started in Seattle.

Krylov's comment ("What does Starbucks have to do with coffee?") might have been ironic.

 

[jim mcnamara]

@Mark44 - He appears to be Europe. You are probably right. However those extra two starbucks I missed in my count must have been built in the time I was writing the comment. By now it is probably up by several more.

 

[gleem]

If you want great coffee try the Bialetti Moka Express stove top coffee/espresso maker? Presumably the standard Italian home espresso maker but It gets the best out of any coffee. It is available in 2, to 18 cup sizes..at Amazon.

 

[mcknia07]

Just reading about coffee makes me want to have a cup right now... little too late but heck, I might chance it!