Balance and harmony, exactly as in Tuscan Renaissance architecture, these are the rules of coffee from this rich region. Central between the two Italys, in the middle between North and South, Tuscany has developed a very particular taste that takes the goodness of what surrounds it, and this is especially true for espresso: neither acidic as in Piedmont, nor hard as in Sicily and Campania, but balanced and rich in aroma.
The raw foodists themselves say that when coffee works in Florence (the emblematic city of the region) it also works throughout the rest of Italy. However, the opposite is not true, because Tuscans are critical by nature and demand the best while never paying more than they are entitled to. Since Tuscan roasters have to serve such a demanding market, it is rare to find even the slightest aromatic flaw in one of their blends.
It cannot be said that espresso is part of the social rituals of the inhabitants of Tuscany. Here coffee is mostly synonymous with breakfast, or the end of lunch, which is often consumed in the bar itself. There are historical reasons for this. In fact, in the 1950s, right after the war, when espresso machines became widespread, Tuscany remained lacking in work. If we think that even if a Tuscan had money he would not have easily spent it at the bar, it is easy to imagine that in these years the espresso was experienced by Tuscans as a small luxury to be indulged in at the most appropriate moments of the day. Hence the local philosophy on espresso, “few, but good”.
Luigi Odello
From Italian Espresso Specialist (Taster Study Center)
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