What do Chinese acupuncture, Irish hurling and the polyphonic singing of the Aka Pygmies of Central Africa have in common? They are all examples of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity that UNESCO has recognized since it began anointing such things in 2003, racking up more than 500 different practices and traditions so far. Italy now hopes...

The cinema chain has agreed that Lavazza will be the supplier of coffee in all new and refurbished Cineworld cinemas. In a Dec 3 trading statement, the company said: “An agreement has been entered into with Lavazza, the Italian coffee chain, to incorporate coffee bars in new and refurbished sites, the first of which will open this month in Union Sq...

The vibrant southern Italian city of Naples seems to run on espresso. Marcello Uzzi, who offers high-end tours of his city, says the city's excitement is due in part to its love of coffee. A regular stop on his tour is Caffè Gambrinus, which was established before Italy was, back when Naples was a kingdom. "It's like a temple," Uzzi said. And coffe...

Is there anything quite as quintessential as a cup of coffee, part of a culture in Italy as commonplace as the Colosseum in Rome, or Venice’s Grand Canal. Italians certainly didn’t invent the concept of coffee but as coffee houses in Venice started to serve this addictive black drink it soon became popular in other areas of Italy; namely Turin, Ver...

Calling all coffee professionals – can you barista like an Italian? Register now to compete in the Caffè Vergnano Best Barista Competition, held this year at Eataly NYC Flatiron on November 11! Caffè Vergnano is known for their focus on quality roasting, fine origins, and perfect coffee preparation. So hosting a barista competition? A natural next...

Is cappuccino a drink or an epicurian fantasy? Surely the frothy concoction evokes images of whipped cream, lazy Roman afternoons, lusty Fellini films and balmy bistro nights even among the least imaginative among us. But where did this wonderful drink come from? Read and learn as you sip away. The two years I spent in Italy in the 1970s marked in...

Italy’s Illycaffe could reach its goal of opening 200 cafes in the United States within five years as part of a broader drive to expand its business outside its home market, Andrea Illy, the chairman of the premium coffee maker said. The project - which would mark a significant expansion overseas for the Italian roaster - is conditional on finding...

No nationality takes coffee as seriously as Italians do. Let’s be honest, you can’t go to Italy and not try the coffee, and Venice is no exception. Whether you’re a certified coffee-addict, or just like the occasional cup of Joe – or perhaps you’re a fully fledged freelancer looking for decent wifi to accompany your flat white (we have god and bad...

When news hit in July that Tosca Cafe would close yet again, there was sadness mingled with a collective shrug — another San Francisco restaurant bites the dust. That abrupt shuttering by Chef April Bloomfield is a whole other, complicated skein of industry skulduggery and bad behavior. But what hit me in the plexus were treasured memories of why T...

Why do you want to go to Italia? For delicious food, for incredibly beautiful seas and mountains, for stunning history and culture, and extraordinary wines. Yes, these are all good reasons, but you are missing one very important component to Italian culture: coffee! IS NOT JUST A BLACK BEVERAGE For every single Italian, coffee is not only a hot dri...