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A trip to the roots of Italian Coffee Culture with Bartista Napolitana

26/11/2018
by coffees.gr

Italian coffee culture is truly inexhaustible, since our neighbors, being fanciful coffee enthusiasts, have occasionally developed various ways of roasting, blending and extracting coffee. But before the invention of espresso, which is synonymous with Italian coffee, what did the Italians enjoy?

The evolution of coffee in Italy is identical, and not unfair, to the history of espresso machines. Even the simplest pot that the Italians use to make home-made coffee, Moka Pot, is based on the same operating principles as espresso machines, ie the extraction of ground coffee under pressure. But before the espresso machine or portable version was invented, the Moka Pot, yet another equally elegant machine, had conquered the hearts of ever-demanding Italians: Bartista Napoletana!

What a Barista Napoletana is?

Bartista Napoletana is an elegant coffee maker that requires a heat source, like Moka Pot, but in contrast to it, it does not use pressure to extract coffee but bases its function on the principles of gravity. Despite its name, it was not invented in Italy but was designed by a Frenchman in 1819. However, Bartista Napoletana was widely spread when it was first introduced in Italy in the middle of the 19th century. The Italian South particularly loved this new device, which due to this love ended up being called "Napolitana". In the Napolitan idiom, "Barista Napolitana" is called Cuccumella, a word that can be translated as "clay jug", since Napoletana was originally made of terracotta.

A defining point for Bartista Napolitana's popularity was the 1967 comedy "L'Oro Di Napoli" with Edwardo De Philipo and Sophia Lawren. The scenes that De Philipo enjoys his coffee on the balcony with his favorite coffee maker made it possible for Bartista Napolitana to be considered a typical, local habit of Naples, although the city has now become one of the most important cities of espesso culture. In 1970, Italian architect Ricardo Dalisi will undertake to redesign Barista Napolitana, winning the Golden Compass, the most important industrial design award in Italy. Today, it may not be as widespread as espresso, not in every Italian household such as Moka Pot, but Bartista Napoletana remains a particularly elegant coffee maker, identified with the first steps of Italian coffee culture, but also with the exquisite coffee of the Italian South.  

 

How does Bartista Napoletana work?

Bartista Napoletana consists of three parts: the water chamber, the chamber where the coffee is placed, and which closes with a special filter, and another jug, which is placed upside down above the coffee filter.

To extract the coffee, fill the chamber with water and ground the coffee chamber with ground coffee by placing the special filter on top. Put Napolitana in the fireplace (on the throttle or more commonly in an eye) and when the water starts to boil, turn the appliance over. Then wait for 10-12 minutes to complete the filtration and serve by removing the pieces of the device above our jug.

How does Barista Napolitana coffee taste like?

The coffee produced by Bartista Napolitana looks alike filter coffee, since extraction follows similar principles, and less like Arabic (or greek) coffee. The enthusiasts of the appliance claim that coffee is stronger and more aromatic, something that is generally heard about coffee in Naples and in the South of Italy. There are few who love Barista Napolitana for her retro aesthetics, but also for the fact that it is a journey into the roots of coffee, with the special ritual that is required to prepare a cup of coffee with Bartista Napolitana.

 

Bartista Napolitana will of course not replace your favorite espresso machine, nor does it offer the convenience of a filter coffee maker. But it does not cease to be an object of exceptional design, identified with the Italian history of coffee, which, moreover, produces an extremely delicious and aromatic coffee. It's a great gift for every coffee friend of yours, but also an asset that will impress your guests with the special coffee preparation ceremony and the Italian secrets it hides!