5 Italian Coffee Facts you should know

We all love coffee, don’t we?? Coffee drinking is now both a habit and fad across the world. This has led to the growing consumption of caffeine globally and more so Italian coffee. But do you know there is more to Italian coffee than meets the eye?? Check out this fun list of trivia that includes 5 Italian coffee facts that you should know!

5 Italian Coffee Facts you should know

1. Coffee does NOT grow in Italy

Contrary to popular belief, coffee does not grow in Italy. Many people think Italy is a coffee producing nation but it isn’t!

There are no coffee plantations in Italy and so Italy is not a coffee producer but ONLY a roaster.

Italy is a master at coffee blending and roasting.

Globally known for offering high quality blends, Italian coffee is famous everywhere and many brands such as Starbucks even market coffee marketed as “Italian Dark Roast”. Although this is a dark brown coffee popular across the world, it does not grow in Italy.

Italians are masters at coffee roasting so they usually go for a medium to dark roast. That is why, people love the coffee from Italy. It is strong yet delicious.

2. The coffee brand Lavazza hails from Turin, Italy

Did you know Lavazza is an Italian company founded by Luigi Lavazza in Turin.

The company has been a trailblazer in coffee blending and roasting coffee since 1895! Lavazza has 3 manufacturing plants including a Lavazza museum in Turin. It has been one of the pioneers to be the first Italian company to offer vacuum packaging too. Lavazza has two manufacturing plants in Southern India.

Read next: Why you should visit Turin in Italy

3. Italy sources coffee from several nations

Italy sources coffee from different coffee growing nations across the world.

The top countries from where Italy buys coffee are Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica and Columbia. In the recent past, Italy also bought high quality coffee beans from Vietnam and robusta and arabica coffee from India.

Unfortunately due to the pandemic, there has been a fall in demand in India which has been expressed in this article here.

4. University of Coffee exists in Italy

Italy is a maestro when it comes to coffee blending and roasting. And to put a feather on it’s hat (Cup?) there exists a University of Coffee in Italy!

I was as surprised as you are right now. But it really is true!

This University of Coffee (Università del Caffe`) is located in the Northern eastern city of Trieste. Established in 1999 by the coffee company Illy, the University offers a platform to understand more on coffee culture across the world.

There is a possibility to do higher education from this University and even learn the art of making coffee to become a Barista! To know more, click here.

5. Gaggia Espresso Maker was invented in 1930:

Another fact about coffee in Italy that you should know is about Giovanni Achille Gaggia- the man behind the Gaggia brand and coffee machines that you see these days.

Achille Gaggia produced a machine that has been useful to Italian bars since 1930s. He was a visionary who understood market conditions then and captured the Italian home market to produce the Gaggia espresso machines.

Even today, Gaggia is the best espresso maker.

Although I’m very much biased to Bialetti’s humble and classic moka pot, if I ever were to buy a coffee maker for my home, it would be Gaggia! (I currently only have a Nespresso)

Did you enjoy these 5 Italian Coffee Facts! Which one took you by surprise?

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