The hazelnut coffee, the first Neapolitan gourmet coffee

Article written by Michele Sergio and published in IL ROMA

In the first half of the 90s of the last decade of the last century (we are only talking about 1990 and following …), Naples finally had to experience a cultural, social awakening of conscience, after years of indolent numbness, decadence and guilty immobility, at every level. The “G7” of 1994, the meeting between the seven world economic powers of the time in Naples, represented the catalysing moment of the head of Partenope, a real big-bang socio-cultural-economic, with disruptive and lasting effect we still benefit from today.

So, starting in 1994, Naples began to have notoriety, prestige and publicity, reappropriating – but the route is still long – of the place and the role in the front row that, for centuries of history, tradition and culture, unquestionably compete with it. . It is from 1994 that Naples is, and was now, at the center of universal media attention, culminating with the recognition of the historic center as a UNESCO heritage the following year. And then Piazza del Plebiscito and Via Caracciolo returned to the Neapolitans, the agora and the promenade removed from vehicular traffic and rendered the fulcrum and epicenter of daily life, of initiatives, no longer isolated, of entertainment and culture. And then the UNESCO Neapolitan pizza, today, the Neapolitan espresso coffee UNESCO, tomorrow (hopefully).

Starting from 1994, even in the historic and exclusive world of the Neapolitan coffee shop, the wind of intelligent initiative and innovation begins to blow, with a gaze turned towards the future but also always attentive to the enormous lesson of the past. Alternative and original solutions spread to the classic “tazzulella e’café” by the masters of Neapolitan coffee makers who, in a short time, are very successful. Special coffees are born, Neapolitan gourmet coffees: hazelnut coffee, nutellotto coffee, Kinder coffee, Rocher coffee.

The first of these, the pioneer of a new generation of flavors and ideas, was hazelnut coffee, today a classic famous and appreciated even by the traditionalists of infused black. Here is the simple and ingenious recipe: pour in a glass of glass the creamy hazelnut (a kind of mousse prepared with hazelnut paste, powdered sugar and whipped cream) and a cup of Neapolitan espresso, drink slowly savoring, get away quickly from the Bar before the desire to drink another nutty coffee takes hold of our senses. Happy new year and good coffee to all.