Espresso: The Art and Soul of Italy

by Wendy Pojmann

It is not an exaggeration that espresso is at the core of Italian culture and history. Millions of espresso drinkers around the world attempt to capture a special "made in Italy" feeling in their coffee cups each day. But few are aware of how Italy became the world's leading espresso country or why the Italian espresso bar is so difficult to replicate elsewhere. In Espresso, Wendy Pojmann explores the history of coffee and espresso in Italy, studying the transformation of Enlightenment-era coffee houses into twentieth century espresso bars. Through analysis of the history of several famous and lesser-known coffee bars in Rome, Turin, and Naples, Pojmann invites readers to close their eyes and imagine the sights, sounds and, above all, the aroma of an Italian espresso bar.

132 pages, Paperback

Published May 11, 2021

Reviews

[Etta Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are one who loves strong, Italian coffee, then you’ll enjoy reading Wendy Pojmann’s Espresso: The Art and Soul of Italy. Pojmann’s account traces the buying, roasting, selling of beans and preparations of their extracts from the earliest day. ⠀
Pojmann, an historian who teaches at Sienna College (in Albany, NY) writes with an engaging voice for a general audience. And she organized the book—a social and cultural history—by region. So it’s a bit of travel and foodie book. She enlivens the history with interviews--conversations with owners of famous coffee houses, from Turin in the Piedmont to Naples in the Mezzogiorno. Pojmann’s descriptions and analyses, then, go beyond describing how the making of coffee has changed through the decades, as technology has offered almost endless options for espresso-making at home. ⠀You can read more of about it in my latest newsletter on All Things Italy: https://ettamadden.com/newsletter/all...