Whether you’ve had coffee or not, there are definitely names like these: coffee fix, coffee macchiato, Latte macchiato, ristretto, move anyone cappuccino They sound Italian to you. Even the moka pot. There are also equivalents in other parts of the world with local names and origins. cappuccino It’s controversial, but it’s clear that Italy managed to make its mark on the coffee world. That’s when they started growing coffee plants.

But American coffee is an American invention. TRUE? No, although we might think that Americans would be the ones to give a drink such a patriotic name, they weren’t. And according to some stories, the history of American coffee dates back to World War II and of course the Italian front.

Tea Party. The truth is that the US is trying as hard as Italy to make the country synonymous with coffee. Americans have a unique coffee culture that in some places resembles water. Drip coffee has been around in TV shows and movies since the late 20th century, and most of us have the image of a detective arriving at a police station and pouring a cup of reheated coffee before greeting anyone.

The funny thing is, during colonial times, tea was king in North America. When the Revolution and the Boston Tea Party came (because the British wanted to tax the drink), things changed and coffee didn’t just enter homes, it conquered them. In the mid-19th century, some companies began roasting coffee and packaging it to sell to farmers, and coffee was a gold mine for roasters like Folgers or Arbucks, as well as a beverage ideal for hard work. The latter bills itself as the coffee company that conquered the west.

World Wars. The era of the cowboys was over and the era of the great wars had begun. Two million American soldiers who participated in World War I drank coffee three times a day, a habit they continued when they returned home. Caffeine had a lot to do with the soldiers’ consumption, but it was also a ritual for relaxing with their colleagues.

During World War II, the US military consumed 30 pounds of coffee per person per year. This was an enormous amount, so the Army Quartermaster Corps set to work roasting, grinding, and vacuum-packing the coffee for shipment to Europe. There are photos of soldiers relaxing with coffee after battle, and it’s something that’s been shown in both movies and war dramas. The fantasy classic Blood Brothers is an example.

Coffee and war. But one thing that happens in times of war is the shortage of supplies, and coffee suffered the consequences. There were doses of instant coffee on the ration cards, but it was not so easy to get good coffee because in Europe coffee came from Asia and South America. And it was not possible to continue the trade as it had before the war.

Hamburg had one of the largest coffee reserves, but France and Great Britain suffered from shortages and could only buy from neutral countries. The same was true in Germany, where civilians could not access as much coffee as they wanted because the reserves were to supply the army.

Coffee report card poster. “Make it with less so it’s enough”

Coffee heaven ItalyBut American soldiers stationed in Italy thought they would be spared the famine because they were located in the continent’s largest coffee-growing country. Here we enter the world of the myth surrounding the creation of American coffee, which is not so much a preparation as a “coffee for Americans.”

This was because soldiers were used to filter coffee, which was much softer than the old coffee. espresso That’s what Americans found in Italian cafes. So baristas started serving. espresso along with a glass of hot water for the soldiers to dilute it in. As this option became more popular, baristas began offering it as well. espresso They put it directly into a large container to which they added hot water.

There are several versions, some contradictory and some claiming that it was not the baristas but the soldiers themselves who diluted the coffee, but it is speculated that this was the birth of American coffee as we know it today.

The Perfect American. Now that we know its origins, let’s prepare an Americano. It’s not a drink I particularly like, but sometimes it’s okay to have a little bit of a lighter coffee, and basically you just have to heat the water (however you like it, although I usually do it in an electric kettle), pour it into a glass and you’re done. espresso right into that glass. The next step would be to drink it, right? Well… no, you have to wait a bit.

That’s because, as barista James Hoffmann said a few years ago, coffee creamer espresso It looks great and adds nuances when we take a photo. espressobut it is slightly bitter and is not welcome in lighter preparations. Therefore, you have to wait a few seconds for all the cream to remain on top and then remove it with a spoon or two. This is because the cream contains tiny coffee particles which are responsible for the bitterness.

Once this is done we can enjoy a smooth coffee without the bitter touch that foam provides.

Images | Ramon F Velasquez, National Park Service

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