Round, substantial and velvety: Italy woos UNESCO with ’magical’ espresso coffee rite
Italians knock back some 30 million espressos a day, from Venice to Sicily, in porcelain cups or little glasses, with or without a splash of milk and see each one as a gesture of friendship
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In this image, a waiter can be seen carrying a tray past customers arriving to the historic Gran Caffe Gambrinus in Naples, Italy. “The espresso is an excuse to tell a friend you care,” said Massimiliano Rosati, owner of the Gambrinus cafe, which helped prepare the bid for a place on the UN’s list of the world’s intangible heritage. Image Courtesy: AFP
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The gleaming machine behind the marble counter clanks and hisses as the barista tamps the ground coffee into the portafilter, clicks it into place and flicks a switch to shoot near-boiling water through it. Image Courtesy: AFP
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To be the real deal, the espresso has to have a “round, substantial and velvety” taste and “hazel-brown to dark-brown foam, characterized by tawny reflexes. It must have a long-lasting aroma which has notes of flowers, fruits, toasted bread and chocolate,” says the Italian Espresso Institute. Image Courtesy: AFP
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According to AFP, the bid for heritage status has been sent by the agricultural ministry to Italy’s national UNESCO commission, which must submit it to the UN body’s headquarters in Paris by 31 March. Image Courtesy: AFP
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