Italy is known for its rich espresso and coffee delights. I grew up with coffee being a social ritual. In my family it is enjoyed as much as water and wine. I thought I knew all about Italian coffee, until this last visit to the homeland. I was delighted to discover Caffe a la Nocciola, a tasty treat known in my mom’s hometown of Naples.
We had a wonderful morning visiting the old part of Naples, near the bay, with the large misty mountains of Vesuvio and Soma on the horizon.
After a visit to a local cafe to rest and enjoy cool breezes off the water-with a spritz and Italian ices, we walked back in the heat. If it is something Italians know, it’s walking a lot in the heat, and stopping for treats and refreshments all along the way. So we made another stop…
On the way back we stopped at the famous Cafe del Professore. Our local friends swore by this place being THE PLACE for coffee. My dad is a critical connoisseur of espresso-and it got a big thumbs up from him. The place is small, and it was packed. People were just churning in and out, and the aroma of roasting coffee beans was intoxicating.
Enzo, one of our close local friends, mentioned this nocciola version of espresso, and evidently this was the place to try it. Lord I was hooked. It has a creamy-nutty flavor with hints of cocoa. It brings just enough sweet to the coffee.
Enzo and LauraDonna promised to show me how to make it, and as a gift gave me a bottle of the cream to bring home to the states! It’s a little bit of Naples in my kitchen!
Here is a video of them showing us how to make it. You will get a taste of the hustle and bustle of a loud, full and well loved kitchen in Italy after enjoying “la cena” (the early evening dinner).
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