Neapolitan gourmet coffee

Article by Michele Sergio published on IL ROMA on 28 January 2018

Over the decades the coffee offer of the Neapolitan bars has been gradually enriched, with many variations to the traditional espresso and new recipes, original ways of preparing our beverage par excellence. These are the so-called gourmet coffees, or special coffees, which have also become classics, which have significantly contributed to elevating Naples to the world capital of coffee. Each has his name, his recipe, his story. But how many are they, what are they called and how are they made? Impossible to list them all. Below we mention the most famous.

Barbajata. During his Neapolitan stay the great musician Gioacchino Rossini (director of the Real Teatro San Carlo from 1815 to 1822) was hosted by the greatest theatrical impresario of the time, Domenico Barbaja, near the marvelous palace of the same name (Palazzo Barbaja, monumental building Toledo). The two loved to drink a special coffee in the cafés of via Toledo, which was prepared with the addition of chocolate. Tradition has been recovered by the Neapolitan coffee makers who gave life to the Caffè Barbajata (the name was coined in honor of the famous theatrical impresario): coffee, sugar, chocolate and cream.

Brazilian. Born in the 50s of the last century, the Brazilian Coffee is the first of the new generation of coffee. At the Brazilian Bar, located in the Umberto I Gallery, the numerous visitors of the time (fans of Napoli Calcio, actors and singers always looking for scriptures) who had made their meeting place, began to ask for a “different” coffee , more substantial than the traditional espresso, with the addition of milk and cocoa. Thus, a sort of mini-cappuccino was born, cheaper than the real cappuccino, which was given the name of the bar that baptized it.

Hazelnut. We have recently dealt with this section of the best known Neapolitan specialty coffee. Born in conjunction with the Neapolitan G7 in 1994 and the recognition, after a few months, of the historic center of Naples as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cafes of Piazza Trieste and Trento wanted to “invent” a new coffee to celebrate the two world events. It was immediately successful and today tourists from all over the world ask to try the Caffè Nocciola, a must made with Neapolitan espresso, hazelnut paste and sugar.

Scrambled. Our tradition requires you to drink coffee in the hot cup with the risk, however, to burn your lips. The inventiveness of the Neapolitan bartender has devised a system to avoid the inconvenience: added sugar and cocoa to coffee, the “scrambled” quickly with a teaspoon, with which, then, wet the edge of the cup so cooling. Caffè Strapazzato is increasingly requested in Neapolitan bars.

Gege. Neapolitan coffee is among the strongest in the world for the caffeine charge that distinguishes it. To “sweeten it” Gennaro Ponziani, historical director of Gambrinus, added sugar, cocoa and cream in a bain-marie. This variation on the theme has been so successful that it has become a real specialty with the name of Caffè Gegè (a name of Gennaro, the name of its creator) of which there is a great deal of echo even in tourist guides.

Baba. The last born is the Caffè Babà, the creation of the master Raffaele Rocchetti del Gambrinus, which offers a delicious coffee with the addition of sugar, whipped cream and a babà mignon. A way to enjoy, together with Neapolitan coffee, a cornerstone of our confectionery tradition.