Italy falls in love with new variety of coffee

Over the past few years, a new variety of coffee, known as caffè al ginseng, has swept the nation, and can now be found in coffee shops up and down the country.

Caffè al ginseng (ginseng coffee in English) is an Arabica bean coffee flavoured with ginseng root extract, which has a very sweet and milky taste that resembles neither coffee nor ginseng.

The root of this drink’s popularity can be traced to Milan, where just over a decade ago it arrived in the city from South East Asia. Since then, it has taken over coffee shops across the nation, even winning the hearts of the typically more conservative far south region.

For those on their Italian holidays who would like to give this intriguing drink a try, just ask for ‘un ginseng’ at a café or coffee shop, which will come in the form of a frothy milk-topped drink, normally about twice the volume of espresso. If caffè al ginseng isn’t quite up your street, however, Italian coffee shops have plenty to offer and are well-renowned for the excellent quality of their coffee.

Image: Marcingietorigie, available under Creative Commons