Espresso

Coffee, the world's most popular beverage, can be traced back to Ethiopia, where the plant was originally consumed whole in its berry form. It was not until the 11th century that the Arabs made coffee into a beverage by creating a rather bland drink from the raw beans. Then, in the 14th century, beans were first roasted in Istanbul, transforming the drink from insipid to rich and full-bodied. Venetians imported coffee beans to Italy in the early 17th century and brought them to the Americas in 1723.

Espresso, a fairly new form of coffee, was created in 1905 in Italy. Over the years, the method of making espresso has changed from using stream to high-pressure brewing. With a high-pressure system, it takes only 30 seconds to brew a serving of espresso-while greatly improved its flavor and aroma. When the hot water goes through the ground coffee, it takes with it soluble solids and lipophilic elements. Espresso contains oil droplets, which are responsible for the opaqueness and the foam on top, as well as preserving the aromatic components. The name "espresso" comes from the fact it is brewed for an express request, because it has to be consumed immediately. If it is not, the foam dissipates, the acidity increases, and the smoothness gives way to saltiness.

Espresso is usually brewed using beans roasted medium dark to dark brown. There are two requirements for making good espresso: The grind must be fine yet gritty, and the dribble needs to be stopped at just the right moment before the oils are depleted.

There are more than 200 thousand espresso bars in Italy alone, and more than 50 million cups of espresso are consumed daily worldwide.

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