Caffè americano explained

Caffè americano
Alternate Name:Long black
Region:Italy or United States
Type:Beverage
Main Ingredient:Steaming hot water and espresso

Caffè americano (pronounced as /it/; Spanish; Castilian: café americano;), also known as americano or American, is a type of coffee drink prepared by diluting an espresso shot with hot water at a 1:3 to 1:4 ratio, resulting in a drink that retains the complex flavors of espresso, but in a lighter way.[1] Its strength varies with the number of shots of espresso and the amount of water added. The name is also spelled with varying capitalization and use of diacritics: e.g., "café americano".

In Italy, caffè americano may mean either espresso with hot water or long-filtered coffee, but the latter is more precisely called Italian: caffè all'americana .[2]

Origin

Italian: Americano means 'American' in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.[3] Some assert the term entered the English language from Italian in the 1970s.[4] [5] [6] [7] specifically is Italian for "American coffee".[8] There is a popular belief that the name has its origins in World War II when American G.I.s in Italy diluted espresso with hot water to approximate the coffee to which they were accustomed.[9] However, the Oxford English Dictionary cites the term as a borrowing from Central American Spanish, a derisive term for mild coffee dating to the middle of the 1950s. Its first use in English appears in the Jamaican newspaper, the Sunday Gleaner, in 1964. The term caffè americano entered Italian later than the English or Spanish uses, perhaps as a borrowing from one of the two languages.[10]

Preparation

The drink consists of a single shot of espresso mixed with added water. Typically about 120ml-180ml of hot water mixed with the espresso.[11]

Long black is an Australasian drink similar to the Americano (in contrast to short black for espresso), with an emphasis being placed on the order of preparation, adding water to the cup first before pouring one or two espresso on top.[12] [13]

In the western U.S., Italiano sometimes refers to a short Americano with equal amounts of espresso and water (lungo).[14] [15]

The hot water can be drawn directly from the machine used to brew the espresso, as water or steam, or from a separate water heater or kettle.

Uses

Most commonly, an Americano is drunk as prepared. Americanos—particularly short, long-black-style Americanos—are also used within artisanal espresso preparation for beans that produce strong espresso. This is particularly used for single-origin espresso, where many find that undiluted espresso shots can prove overpowering; and with lighter coffees and roasts not generally associated with espresso, such as beans of Ethiopian or Sumatran origins. For this preparation, generally a ratio of 1:1 espresso to water is used, to prevent excess dilution, with the espresso pulled directly into a cup with existing water to minimize disruption to the crema.

Variations

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tom . July 28, 2023 . How to Make an Americano the Barista Way . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231208071253/https://bigcupofcoffee.com/how-to-make-an-americano/ . December 8, 2023 . October 11, 2023 . bigcupofcoffee.com.
  2. Web site: Caucci . Raffaella . February 6, 2019 . Caffè americano e caffè all'americana. Qual è la differenza? . American coffee and American-style coffee. What is the difference? . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221018012724/https://www.dersutmagazine.it/caffe/caffe-del-mondo/caffe-americano-e-caffe-allamericana/ . October 18, 2022 . January 5, 2022 . Dersut Magazine . it.
  3. Web site: Americano . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231229201544/https://www.oed.com/dictionary/americano_n1?tl=true . December 29, 2023 . January 5, 2022 . . Chiefly representing the usage of Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese speakers: a native or inhabitant of the United States.
  4. Web site: Americano . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231229201710/https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/americano?q=Americano . December 29, 2023 . January 5, 2022 . . (from Italian).
  5. Web site: Americano . March 22, 2014 . . Word origin; C20: from Italian (caffè) Americano American (coffee).
  6. Web site: Americano . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231208002241/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/café%20Americano . December 8, 2023 . January 5, 2020 . . Etymology; borrowed from Spanish café americano or Italian caffè americano, literally, "American coffee".
  7. Web site: Americano . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709190557/https://www.lexico.com/definition/Americano . July 9, 2021 . January 5, 2020 . Lexico.
  8. Book: Allerton, David J. . 2010 . I Only Have a Kitchen Because It Came with the House . The Foodies Handbook . 26 . 9781446130018 . October 19, 2014 . An espresso coffee diluted with hot water and containing no milk. An Italian term literally meaning 'American coffee'.
  9. Book: Coyle, Cleo . 2009 . Holiday Grind - a coffeehouse mystery . . 228 . 9781101151143 . November 2, 2016 . caffe Americano, Americano—The Italian answer to American-style drip coffee. An espresso diluted with hot water. It has a similar strength to drip coffee but a different flavor. The drink's origin dates back to World War II when American GIs stationed in Italy added hot water to their espressos to create a drink closer to the type of coffee they were used to back home..
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  11. Web site: Bellis . James . April 13, 2023 . Flat White vs Cappuccino vs Latte vs Americano vs Macchiato . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231005182028/https://balancecoffee.co.uk/blogs/blog/flat-white-vs-cappuccino-vs-latte-vs-americano-vs-macchiato . October 5, 2023 . December 29, 2023 . Balance Coffee.
  12. Web site: February 26, 2014 . Why You Should Stop Drinking Long Blacks and Start Drinking Black Coffee . dead . https://archive.today/20150224151208/http://perthcoffeeproject.com/2014/02/26/why-you-should-stop-drinking-long-blacks-and-start-drinking-black-coffee/ . February 24, 2015 . February 24, 2015 . Perth Coffee Project.
  13. Web site: Coffee Recipes – Long Black . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230607144413/https://www.breville.com/us/en/coffee-journey/recipes/long-black.html . June 7, 2023 . December 29, 2023 . Breville.
  14. Web site: November 11, 2005 . Espresso: Questions and Answers – Italiano drink order . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110708174752/http://coffeegeek.com/forums/espresso/questions/187327 . July 8, 2011 . December 29, 2023 . coffeegeek.com.
  15. Web site: Regional: United States West – espresso profeta in Westwood? . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110708174819/http://coffeegeek.com/forums/worldregional/uswest/411924 . July 8, 2011 . December 29, 2023 . coffeegeek.com.
  16. Web site: June 24, 2021 . Red-Eye Coffee Recipe: How to Make a Red-Eye Coffee . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220103064449/https://www.masterclass.com/articles/red-eye-coffee-recipe#what-is-redeye-coffee . January 3, 2022 . December 29, 2023 . MasterClass.

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