Avoid This Mistake When Ordering Coffee In Italy

Your long-awaited holiday to Italy is coming up soon. You have booked everything necessary, packed all your luggage, and even practiced choice phrases in Italian. All you have to do now is remember all the rules around eating and drinking. For instance, you won't see Italians order pasta as a side dish with a meat entree for dinner. But do you know how to drink coffee when visiting Italy? Hint: You are not supposed to drink coffee with your meals. That's right. Coffee is meant to be drunk after dinner, not during! And as with many initially mystifying things about food cultures of the world, this one makes good sense once you know why.

There are several reasons why drinking coffee with your meal is a no-no. In Italy, wine is the drink of choice during meals, so much so that the art of wine pairings is a whole subject unto itself. So instead of having coffee flavors interfere with your meal, save it for afterward, when it is said to aid in digestion. Drinking coffee after a meal also helps facilitate the social component of the meal — diners can sit and linger over their coffee and continue their undoubtedly scintillating conversations long after the plates have been cleared.

Before you balk at the prospect of not being able to have coffee with breakfast, that is luckily the exception to the coffee rule. Milky coffee and a pastry are the quintessential Italian breakfast, but they often do not order milky coffees past 11 a.m. — Italians only drink cappuccinos and caffè lattes in the morning. If you must have milk with your coffee, you can order caffè macchiato later in the day. It translates to "stained coffee," and in this case, stained with milk. In a sense, it could be said coffee is seen more as a pick-me-up during the course of the day, rather than it being a necessary drink to jolt you awake first thing in the morning.

If you want to make like an Italian, drop by a cafe and drink your coffee at the bar while socializing with fellow patrons. Not only will you save money on table service because coffee costs more in Italy if you sit down, but it is also the way Italians have a quick coffee during the day without lingering — no to-go cups here either. And when your coffee comes with a shot of water, it is absolutely meant for you. The water helps cleanse your palate, so you can properly enjoy the flavors of your drink. So the next time you're in Italy, consider the rules are there for you to thoroughly enjoy the experience.