Coffee rituals in italy

In Italy, among coffee rituals there is a practice based on the Arabic procedure, named “Caffeomanzia”.

It is said that unmarried women used to boil in a pan three teaspoons of coffee, then threw away the liquid after a prayer. It was believed that through the remained blend in the bottom of the coffee cup, they could see the initial of the name or the face of the future spouse and, in particular cases, also the number of children they would have.

Another ritual that links the Italian culture to the Arabic one is “Valle d’Aosta coffee”.

This habit consists in sharing from a glass with various spouts called grolla or “friendship’s cup”, a drink made with large coffee, grappa and lemon.

The “Suspended coffee” is another nice practice in Naples, which symbolizes friendship and solidarity. This practice consists in drinking one coffee but paying for two, leaving a free coffee for the next customer or whoever request it.