Un Caffè

In Italy, coffee is less a drink than a punctuation mark. It arrives at the bar at eight, again at eleven, and once more after lunch, always quick, always standing, the cup set down on the counter with a small, satisfying click.

The espresso, simply called un caffè, is the foundation. Around it the day takes shape: a macchiato with a stain of milk, a cappuccino that is strictly a morning affair, a corretto with a measure of grappa for the digestion.

Regional character shows quickly. In Naples, the coffee is dark, dense and often sweetened before it reaches you, and the tradition of caffè sospeso leaves a paid cup waiting for a stranger. In Trieste, ask for a nero and you will get an espresso; a capo is a macchiato, served in a small glass. Turin pours the bicerin, coffee, chocolate and cream layered in a glass. In Lecce, the caffè leccese arrives over ice with almond milk, and in Sicily summer mornings call for granita al caffè with a warm brioche.

Whatever the city, the ritual is the same: a moment, a counter, a conversation, and then back to the day.