Marocchino in Rome
Have you ever heard of an espressino? I bet you haven’t. You’d think that there would be nothing new left for me to write about drinking and ordering coffee in Italy. But during the last few weeks, while I was leading our guests around Italy, I realized that there is one way of ordering coffee that needs just a little more explanation so I’m here to give some much needed coffee advice.
I keep seeing our guests order not just a caffe doppio (double shot of espresso) but even a triple shot which barely even translates into Italian. I mean no Italian would EVER order a caffe triplo. It’s just way way too much caffeine.
But I realized that part of the reason that our guests are ordering such strong coffee is partly because they see the simple shot of espresso, or even a macchiato (with a tiny bit of milk) as too meager a drink to satisfy. As my barista around the corner said to me this morning, as we were talking about this, ‘Americans like a beverone.’ Americans like a big drink.
I totally get it. And there is there is something I order when I want something just a bit bigger than a macchiato, but not as milky as a cappuccino. How I ask for it depends on where I am.
- In Puglia I ask for an espressino – This is usually served in an espresso cup, but is filled to the top with foamed milk
- In Florence and northern Italy I ask for a macchiatone – usually served in a big cappuccino cup, but the milk is only half of that of a cappucino
- In Rome it’s a Marocchino – usually served in a glass, so you can see the layers, and almost always topped with chocolate.
These three coffee drinks will get you a shot of espresso topped by half the foamed milk usually used in a cappuccino. It’s not quite the beverone that many Americans are used to, but it’s not a teeny tiny shot of espresso either. And definitely won’t give you the jolt of three shots of espresso which is just insane.
I’m really curious to hear what you think? Is there any reason that someone would need three shots of espresso at once?
Macchiatone in Florence
Espressino in Puglia
Hello
I love my espresso with
a tiny shot of espresso
Espresso
I think can be enjoyed many ways
Its as personal as the person
Chow
So you like your espresso with a shot of espresso in it? In other words: a doppio?
Whoa, this is a game changer. I find cappucinos in Rome to often be too milky. I can’t wait to try a Marocchino!
I know, right?
Thank you for this great “tutorial.” I struggled ordering Caffe the past 5 1/2 weeks in Italy and now I recognize that part of that was the vocab shifting from region to region. Our trip, coincidentally, started in Puglia and ended in Rome. I finally nailed the espressino, but then when in the Veneto region with my Italian cousins who live there, they ordered macchiatoni. I was confused. Then in Rome, a barista suggested what I really wanted was a marocchino. And he was right! Once again your “insider”tips are greatly appreciated! So helpful Grazie mille
Glad to be of service! 😉
3 shots is crazy. But how about decaffeinato? Is that available or just crazy to order?
Totally available and a perfect solution! I drink half caf / half decaf every morning.
I land in Rome on Sunday morning and I know the first thing I’m getting.
Buongiorno Elizabeth. I can’t imagine what the physical affects of of triple espresso would be , possibly something like a seizure.
And Americans do seem to like impressively large coffee beverages. Starbucks drink sizes go all the way to a Venti (20 oz) and a monstrously large Trenta at 30 oz. A side note, I’m not a fan of Starbucks, but used them as an example of extreme sizes.
And I just wanted to say that I prefer my coffee with equals parts chocolate for la dolce vita.
I love all your posts and videos. Thanks for brightening my day.
A Venti is half liter. Who needs a half liter of anything????
Perhaps half liter of vino? 😀
Cardiac arrythmias….
Been ordering Espressino for quite sometime in Puglia. My cugino in Adelfia got me started several years ago. When I first ordered it at my bar in Ladispoli outside of Rome my friend did correct me and said we call it Marocchino…now it’s my go to every morning.
👍
Thank you Elizabeth for this explanation! I am an espresso drinker, but sometimes, for breakfast would want something larger than a macchiato, but definitely with way less milk than a cappuccino, and always had trouble communicating that when ordering coffee, so now I will know 🙂
I think the easiest way to get one’s mind around coffee in Italy is to acknowledge that coffee outside of Italy is more Italian-themed (versus Italian), with lots of local variations, most of them that focus on expressing consumer savvy through special ordering. Italy favours classics, as it does with most foods and recipes.
I always suggest to go traditional when visiting Italy: Italian coffee culture didn’t spread around the world by accident. First try it traditional, at least at first, before you try to ‘improve’ it.
Lastly, bad mouthing brands or tendencies back home is still talking them, focusing on what is done differently or wrong outside of Italy rather than enjoying the concentrated flavour of pure bliss while here.
We drink strong drip coffee in the morning and there are occasions in the afternoon that I feel tired and am dragging that I will order a triple shot beverage. I find when I travel to UK/EU the coffee is not strong enough for my tastes and if I am struggling with jet lag I wouldn’t think twice about a triple shot drink. We recently got a home espresso maker, which has been fun to play with and I developed an addiction for the Caffe Leccese drink you shared, I digress, but now that I can control what beans go into the espresso maker I find I’m very happy with the doubles. Look forward to your next coffee related article! 😉
Interesting that you find coffee shop coffee not as strong in the EU.
I have been in Italy many times faced with the dilemma of how to get a full cup of coffee. I appreciate its’s an American thing but one I can’t shake on a 10-day or so Italian sojourn, especially after a 1/2 century of black coffee drinking. I’ve eavesdropped on other Americans ordering a “caffè longò,” which seems to fill up the cup more. If all else fails, I order a cafe Americano and get a lot of water but a shot of espresso. I supposed one could order a doppio Americano? I’m a half-caff drinker now, and that comes with its own problems—even at Starbucks. Thanks for your blog. I love it!
Even I have been known to order a caffe americano with an extra shot on the side, that I put in myself. 😉
Elizabeth,
No doppio espresso for me! While in Italy, it is a cappuccino in the early morning, maybe a macchiato a bit later. I also discovered caffe corretto at a bar in Trastevere that had a generous shot of Sambuca Romana instead of grappa added. It is heaven! I am enjoying one right now while looking at the snow covered mountains of Idaho.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Caffe corretto is the best!!
Thanks Elizabeth! Is this what we call a piccolo cafe latte? It’s the best order in the world – virtually equal strength espresso and conditioned milk. In Italy, I sometimes describe it as a mezzo-mezzo, half-half.
And the best thing about it is you can have another one later, without killing yourself with caffeine. J
Not sure exactly what a picclo cafe latte would be. Still sounds a bit too milky to me.
I was struggling to order this type of beverage during my trips to Italy! In Spain, they drink Cortado or cortadito (equal parts espresso and milk) which thankfully has now been adopted by my local coffee shops in Boston. My Italian barista still does not know what I’m describing. He’s Roman, so now I know to order a MAROCCHINO!
why spoil an espresso by putting milk in it?
My husband starts every day with a double espresso followed after an hour or so with another double espresso and that’s it. No more coffee until the next day.
To each his own!
As we are currently in Florence I’m going to give the Macchiatone a try. And that coffee corretto to sounds Devine! Thanks for the caffe tips!
When in Italy I drink a cappuccino in the morning or a macchiato in the afternoon.
In the rest of the EU I drink a cortado. In the US I drink ice coffee. In the UK I drink beer.
Thanks for this fun and informative article. It’s worth mentioning that the atmosphere in many of the Italian local coffee bars is so friendly that anything tastes good (except maybe a triple espresso).
In fact, it’s the ambiance as much as the caffeine!
Ciao Elizabeth, great article! Loved the never one-so true!
How would you order it in Umbria?
Umbria is a challenge! 😉
In the States, doppio is best because it stays hot. Espresso is so mishandled here. In Italy, doppio because I’m exhausted from eating, drinking and walking! Espressino sounds perfetto!
Hello! Is it common, or at least okay, to order a decaffeinated cappuccino or marocchino in Rome? What is the proper way to order that? Vorrei un cappuccino decaffeinato? Grazie!
Yes, that is exactly how you say it! It’s very easy. In Rome you’ll hear locals shortening it to ‘deca’ but that’s just Roman!
I fell in love with an espressino on my first trip to Puglia in 2008 and it’s my go to drink ever since! I was in Italy for two months this year getting my dual citizenship and tried ordering one in Sicilia and they were baffled. Then I tried saying a marocchino and they were still baffled. They finally said another word but I can’t recall what it was – do you happen to know what they call this type of drink in Sicilia? Grazie!
Macchiatone? Coffee lingo is very hard to get right.