Neapolitan Hazelnut Coffee
Hazelnut coffee is a very popular drink in Naples. We may find this beverage in almost every bar, which is one of the most famous flavored coffee in the region. In fact, Hazelnut coffee is an espresso with hazelnut cream added: hence the creamy, dense texture. The cream is manufactured from hazelnut grown in Naples province, which is very tasty in itself.
The Neapolitan coffee is very famous. Allegedly, the secret lies in special, secret blends and the optimal roasting. The characteristic, pronounced flavor is reached by the mixture of arabica and robusta and a darker coffee roasting as the usual in the rest of Italy. There are other important factors too that make the Neapolitan coffee what it is: the coffee has to be served in a warm cup, because thus the coffee remains warmer, while the water is supposed to be drunk already before the coffee (preparing the ground for the coffee experience, because thus the flavors are more enjoyable).
Coffee culture in Naples
For Neapolitans, coffee drinking is a ritual. Definitely more than a simple drink. It is an important part of social life, recreation and it helps people to abstract from everyday problems. When somebody invites us to drink a coffee, that means that they would also like to share their company with you. It is not by mere chance, that the tradition of café sospeso (suspended coffee) was born here.
Neapolitans already had a coffee daily in the 18th century. They wrote many songs about coffee and there are many famous movie scenes that feature the black drink.
The best Neapolitan coffee houses
Caffé del Professore is the most recommended Neapolitan coffee house on the Internet, which is a stronghold of hazelnut coffees. In addition, Gran Caffè Gambrinus is also worth visiting, whose ancestor was founded in 1860, that is to say; this coffee house is as old as Italy. It is definitely one of the finest examples of historic, literary cafés!
A discovery
Naples may also be proud of a coffee historical discovery: the caffettiera napoletana (cuccumella), which was born at the beginning of the 19th century in the southern Italian city. This construction is fabricated for home coffee brewing, and it is divided into four separate units: the water tank, a semi-open, semi-porous retainer, and the filter (into which the coffee grounds is sprinkled), the vat (that will hold the readymade coffee) and an ansated cap. When the water boils, the coffee maker is flipped upside down, so the coffee retrieved from the hot water flowing through the grounds gets in the lower part. Cuccumella is still manufactured in traditional, retro and modern design, however, it has been meanwhile replaced by a faster version.