The quality of true espresso assumes indispensable etiquette and serving of the coffee, in a so-called “coffee ceremony”. The value, according to the Certificate of the Italian Espresso, is the ware in which the coffee is served.

Ideally, what should be used for espresso (”ristretto”, “normale”, and “lungo” is a white cup made from thick-walled porcelain, covered with enamel proof. It should be the elliptic form, truncated inside, with a space of about 75 ml. Such a cup, at the expense of the big thermal capacity and the unique shape, gives a chance for the drinker to value the magnificent foam, fine aroma, and the warmness and softness of the espresso.

Despite the fact that the cup contains 75 ml, the maximum serving under the Certificate is 50 ml for “Lungo”. For “normale” it’s 30 ml, and for “Ristretto” it’s 25 ml. The most appropriate dosage is “ristretto”, because in the first 25 seconds under pressure the coffee blend extracts all the best substances: glukonats, proteins, minerals, vitamins, aromatic oils, and all other unnecessary substances remain in the filter.

How does a barista preparing Italian espresso define whether a product corresponds to the accepted standards? First of all the taste - a well trained expert can give a good estimate of the contents of a small cup thanks to their excellent senses of perception. However, if he doesn’t want to try too many coffees in one day, there are also other ways to define the quality.

For example, true espresso is made with a quality machine at a speed of 1 ml a second. So, in order to prepare, for example, “lungo”, only 50 seconds is required. Therefore, the design of a good espresso machine guarantees that when using correct grinding, you will receive 25 ml of a drink with all the best components of coffee present.

If the preparation takes less than 15 second, it means that the hot water did not take with itself all the necessary parts for good coffee, leaving a part of them in the final mix that leads to an unbalanced, more bitter taste. If the preparation lasts longer than necessary, then some unpleasant and caustic elements are getting into the coffee.

In Italy, a country where secrets of coffee blends and long-lasting traditions of preparation are passed from one generation to the next and are kept close guarded, the Italian Espresso National Institute (Istituto Nazionale Espresso Italiano) was created.

This organization was created to develop standards for true espresso, and in order to have rigid control over production of Italian coffee manufacturers in order to avoid lowering the quality standard of espresso.

When we drink coffee, we, of course, don’t think about any standards. We’re just happy to be enjoying the taste. But let’s take this time to talk about the taste a bit more in-depth. It’s possible to tell the difference between true espresso and expensive but low quality espresso, if we pay attention to certain signs.

The first one is the aroma. By the way, if you’re brewing, for example, Turkish coffee, and the air is filled with a wonderful smell, take note that the aroma itself is not in the cup anymore.

The majority of the aromatic substances have evaporated in the first minute of preparation. And if the coffee has begun to boil, it’s not coffee at all.

The second sign would be the crema. It should be dense and homogeneous, with a light brown velvet color.

Finally, the most important sign would be the taste itself.  Imagine the taste of sugar.  So sweet! Now the taste of lemon. Very sour! And now imagine the taste of say, a peach. It’s sweet and sour at the same time and even a little bitter, but in any case it’s very fragrant. There’s no one aspect that dominates, but somehow it’s delicious in a special way.

(to be continued)