Most of us coffee lovers have our coffee every single day, sometimes even several times a day.
But have you ever thought about the history of this irresistible drink? Well, some coffees have been around for centuries!
Let’s discuss the oldest coffee drinks in the world.
By Lilian.
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Mocha is the Oldest Coffee Drink in the World!
The blending of chocolate and coffee flavors into Mocha is one that’s simply dazzling.
Did you know that this amazing drink has been around since the 18th century?
That’s 300 years ago!
Well, Italians at the time loved a drink made from chocolate, cream, and coffee. They called it bavaresia.
It was served in its deconstructed form and the drinkers would mix the ingredients themselves.
The coffee bar that sold bavaresia decided to upgrade the drink and serve it as a fully prepared drink. They renamed it bicerin.
This was the original Mocha coffee.
Bicerin later became popular in Europe and America.
Various coffee houses and cafes started to make this concoction, mixing steamed milk, chocolate, and espresso.
This perfect blend made the Mochaccino, or simply Mocha that’s served around the world to date.
Latte has been Around Since 1867!
The earliest mention of Latte is made by American author William Dean Howells in his 1867 essay “Italian Journeys”.
Apparently, Latte was invented in Italy, but not for the Italians!
It was meant for the American tourists visiting Italy who found the Italian cappuccino too strong for them.
However, at the time, the espresso machine was not around. It came later on in 1901.
Around 1950, Italian baristas based in California prepared lattes for customers that also found the Italian cappuccinos too strong.
They added a generous amount of steamed milk to the espresso and called the beverage Latte, the Italian name for milk.
Latte is currently the most popular milk-based coffee beverage in the US and UK.
How about Cappuccino that’s Traced Back to the Early 1900s?
I love me some Cappuccino! It’s actually the most popular choice of coffee for most coffee aficionados.
Well, this irresistible coffee was invented in the early 1900s, just after the espresso machine came around.
Did you know that the original cappuccinos were made from whipped cream sprinkled with either chocolate or cinnamon.
By the 1950s, coffee lovers could access higher-quality espressos. They began preparing cappuccinos with espresso, replacing the previous version made from standard coffee.
This is the modern cappuccino most coffee lovers enjoy.
It’s made from espresso, hot milk plus foam from steamed milk. Pour these ingredients into a steam-producing espresso machine and you have your favorite cappuccino!
Espresso Romano Came By in 1901
This is one of those coffees whose origin cannot be traced to a single country. Some say it came from France, others the US.
Those that claim it’s an American invention suggest that the Espresso
Romano was used to cover up for the light bitter note/taste of a poor-quality espresso with an inferior flavor. Strangely, lemon made the coffee taste better.
Others claim that it was an Italian invention that came up in the US.
Well, either way, this Espresso Romano has been around since 1901.
Baristas combined an espresso shot with a slice of lemon (or lemon juice) and sugar.
Today, Espresso Romano is served in cafes worldwide, although it’s not uncommon for baristas to replace the lemon with oranges or tangerines.
Photos by Pratiksha Mohanty and Quadronet_Webdesign
