Motta Linate Milan - The Coffee Giraffe

Making coffee like we do in the West - with the espresso technique, doesn’t originate in the boot-shaped land of Versace and Boteccelli. It was actually the French monsieur Rabaut who invented the idea of extraction through high pressure and hot water. A second version by a guy called Loysel was brought to the world expo in Paris in 1855 where thousands of innovation thirsty avant-gardists grazed for modernism. Man, how badly I’d like to have been among those at the premiere.

Anyway, it were the French who launched the idea and the Italians who fine-tuned the espresso technique. Still, most of us associate coffee with Italy, how come? Is it the singing tone in their accent, the cultural associations with mighty Roman history? Is it the look of the café people behind the bar - usually a wrinkled, life-experienced grandfather standing next to his young adonis-grandson that he passed the family coffee knowledge onto?

Blessed with a job that allows me to travel around, I spent my days in Milano this week. Actually, me and my colleague just arrived in the typical, Italian foyer of the smaller Linate airport. In line with our mental concepts of Italian coffee, caffè bar Motta has been around since 1928 according to the signage. Behind a grotesque espresso machine suitable for four parallel shots, an older and a younger barista chat about a topic that seems to be hilarious. The music is slow, but not in a French-jazz way. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Just like the décor of the place that is close-to-but-not-really art nouveau nor deco. The combination of a great first foamy sip and a choir of kids singing happy birthday to their mum brings back sweet memories. A waitress passes by with a plate of croissants which brings me back to the beginning of my reasoning. Why is it that we associate coffee with these people?

My mind is a bit off, maybe due to the full-fat milk that reminds me of another questions: why did we collectively turn our back to this perfect, natural product in exchange for mediocre artificial coconut and rise milks that don’t properly foam or mix with the crema?

Mellow by music I decide to leave my questions in the open air. The one souvenir I take home is the Italian “Dolce far niente”: let’s do absolutely nothing and enjoy the day.

Joe for now,

Motta Linate - Milan

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