Are you a coffee lover? Do you like the smell of freshly brewed coffee beans when you wake up in the morning? You must have heard the word — espresso. What does it mean, though, and how did it become famous?
Espresso is of Italian origin; it was first formed around 1900, and a direct translation refers to a cup of coffee brewed for you.
It is a highly concentrated type of coffee that’s seldom served in small, strong shots. Espresso is the base on which many coffee drinks are served. It’s produced from the same beans as your regular coffee, only that it’s stronger, thicker, and higher in caffeine, making the choice of coffee beans crucial for achieving the desired strength and flavor. But because it is typically served in smaller quantities than coffee, it has higher caffeine content. Take a look at some details about espresso.
Brief History
Espresso was masterminded by Luigi Bezzera, an intelligent Milanese inventor. He thought of combining his passion for steam and love of coffee and came up with the bright idea of making coffee with steam pressure. This transformed the traditional way of making coffee with boiling water.
It became Luigi’s patent in1905 and was bought by Desidero Pavoni, founder of La Pavoni company, who built and commercialized the first ever espresso machine, La Ideale.
Even though the machine was revolutionary in its time, it is nowhere compared to modern espresso machines. The average temperature reached by La Ideale was 140 degrees with a 1.5-bar pressure as opposed to today’s 9-bar pressure espresso maker. The new way of preparation was a much quicker method of making a single, strong cup of coffee. Much like espresso’s meaning, which means pressed coffee and carries the connotation of speed along with it.
Despite being a revolutionary method of making coffee, its popularity met with backlash due to the burnt taste and steam use. Nonetheless, a new coffee culture began rising in Italy just at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1920, espresso was officially added as an Italian lexicon in Alfredo Panzini’s Italian dictionary. It referred to it as Caffe espresso, one made using a pressurized machine or a filter.
Journey to Fame
There were various ways through which the espresso became popular. In Italy, its popularity was primarily associated with modernization. Espresso bars provided a convenient place where people could socialize.
In English-speaking countries, espresso became widely accepted due to the age-long tradition of drinking coffee with milk; and due to the exquisite appeal of the foam on it.
In the 1950s, it became more popular among the United Kingdom youths who were comfortable in coffee shops than in pubs. It first grew in popularity with the Italian community alongside tourism to monumental Italy, which exposed others to espresso.
Health Benefits
Too much caffeine consumption poses specific health challenges but taking just the right amount of espresso offers some health benefits.
1.Heart Health
According to studies, consuming the right amount of caffeine can improve your cell’s functionality. It acts as a preventive measure against illnesses such as heart disease. There’s a high possibility that regular coffee drinkers may be about 19% less likely to die from a cardiovascular problem.
2.Liver Health
Some studies have also shown that taking coffee regularly can drastically reduce the chances of having cirrhosis, a liver disease usually caused by high alcohol consumption.
3.Brain Health
Moderate consumption of coffee reduces the possibility of a decline in your cognitive thinking. Also, drinking espresso might help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
What Makes Espresso Remarkable?
1.Could it be the Bean?
No, there is no unique or type of bean that determines whether the brew is espresso. Unresearched marketers pushed this plan, and it isn’t true. Virtually any type of coffee bean can be used in making espresso.
2,How about the Blend?
Also, No. Even though unique blends are designed to brew espresso, it isn’t what makes it espresso.
3.Maybe it’s the Roast?
Not really. Based on popular thoughts, one might think that espresso’s roast must be extremely dark; nonetheless, the espresso roast varies depending on your region.
What makes Espresso coffee remarkable is its small 1 to 2 oz. shot of pressure-brewed coffee, making use of finely ground coffee between 6.5 and 7.5 grams. Brewing the coffee would take about 20 to 35 seconds. When brewed correctly, an espresso will have a crema layer (rich dark golden cream) on the surface. It is an indicator of quality espresso. Making espresso is much an art and also a science.
Espresso was born out of necessity. The inventor wanted an easy and quick way to make his coffee which brought about the revolutionary invention. The coffee is brewed under intense pressure until a concentrated coffee is produced. It is important to remember that espresso is not obtained from a particular type of bean; instead, it extracts the flavor from ground coffee beans.