Another morning in Italy. I roll out of bed, dress quickly, and head down the street to my favorite cafe. Here in Florence, it is Castorino, just down the street from my apartment. Walking in, the owners greet me by name (I am here at least four days a week thanks to wifi not working at my apartment) and within minutes I am sipping my first cappuccino of the day. It is hot, foamy, and perfect.

For anyone visiting Italy, coffee culture is an essential part of life here. Even if you don’t personally partake, you will inevitably find yourself at a cafe surrounded by those who do. And while most of the terminology is now known all over the world, thanks in large part to Starbucks and its ilk, Italian coffee culture is a bit different than you’ll find elsewhere. And frankly, it is better here.

Coffee came to Italy via Venetian traders in the sixteenth century, and it took off. Within a century, Venice alone had nearly 200 coffee shops. But it wasn’t until the beginning of the twentieth century that espresso was invented, and with it what we know as Italian coffee culture.

If you walk into a cafe anywhere in Italy and ask for coffee, you will be served a shot of espresso. Espresso is basically condensed coffee, where nearly boiling water is forced through tightly packed and finely ground coffee beans. If done well, it is almost creamy in texture. It is strong and it is bitter, and adding sugar is totally ok.

If you want something resembling American drip coffee, you’ll want to order an americana, which is espresso with hot water added. (If you want decaf, you are probably out of luck at any place that does not cater regularly to American tourists.

Italians love their coffee. Per capita consumption is a bit more than two per day, so a good cafe is always busy. Most Italians will have their first coffee at home before leaving the house, and use subsequent ones as breaks from work or social endeavors. You’ll often see a local in a cafe solo, sipping an espresso standing at a counter. Sitting for a long period, or working from a cafe, is significantly less common here. In those respects, I am definitely an outlier, having my only coffee of the day out, and sitting here working. (Many cafes don’t even have wifi, so if you desire to work, you might have to do some searching.)

For those who don’t want just a plain espresso, but prefer dairy in it, you have a few options that might differ a bit from what you are used to back at home. Here in Italy, a macchiato is just an espresso with a spoon of frothed milk on top. And if you order a latte, you’ll just get milk. A cafe latte is the typical latte from home, while a latte macchiato is the same ingredients but a different order. A cafe latte begins with espresso and then adds frothed milk. A latte macchiato begins with the milk, and after it sits for a few seconds, the espresso is poured in. Both will typically come in an actual glass here.

And then we arrive at the venerable cappuccino, my personal morning drink of choice. A cappuccino is smaller than a cafe latte, with milk foam added to espresso in a coffee cup. While you will still be served, it is considered uncultured to have a cappuccino after about 11am. If I have a later coffee, it will be one of the lattes. Espresso shots are not my thing.

So what can you expect walking into a cafe in Italy? First off, it is not going to have a huge menu of drinks. There won’t be artisan honey vanilla lattes or things of that sort. Secondly, you will notice that it probably doubles as a bar. As a result, when you search on Google for coffee near you, you might get places that look like bars. They are. And they also do coffee. Third, there will almost certainly be a counter. You will probably order there. Unless you are getting your coffee to go – which is rare for Italians – you will get your coffee and maybe a pastry, and pay later before you leave. (The exception to this is a busy cafe in a train station or something like that. Here, you’ll order and pay ahead of time, pick up your pastry, and then take your receipt to the bar. Set it on the bar and someone will come by, look at it, prepare your drink(s) and cross it out.) Few people at a cafe in Italy clear their dishes except for tourists. I always do. Help where we can, right?

If you go to a touristy place in the city center of one of the major tourist destinations in Italy, a cappuccino can run you €3.50 or even more. If you stick to places that cater to locals, an espresso will be €1-1.50, while a cappuccino or a latte drink will run €1.30-2. Yes they are smaller than American venti monstrosities, but still such a good deal!

One other thing to mention is how Italians (for the most part) make their coffee at home. Most will use a stovetop espresso maker called a Bialetti, after the company that makes it. It is in three parts. Water goes in the bottom and the packed ground coffee beans go in a little funnel shaped contraption over that. The top screws on, and after boiling on the stove for a few minutes, that is where your espresso will emerge. Pour and enjoy (and add milk and sugar if you are me)! (Every Airbnb I stayed in while I was in Italy had a Bialetti in its kitchen.)

Coffee is an essential part of life in Italy. As a result, it makes for an essential part of travel there. The culture around coffee is second to none. It is affordable, quick, and delicious. It is a great way to interact with locals, and to break up a day of seeing the sights. And you can even get an Aperol spritz in the afternoon!

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