Like Coffee And Chocolate

If God made anything better than Coffee and Chocolate, he kept it to himself.
~Sapphire

Full disclosure: I have not always been a fan of coffee. For that matter, I have not always been a fan of chocolate. To be completely honest, as much as I drink coffee, it’s far from my favorite beverage….except for breakfast…and especially if it is a cappuccino in Italy. I think the reason I like the cappuccini so much in Italy is that they are smoother and less bitter than American coffee (aka acqua sporca…dirty water…in Italy).

When I first started drinking coffee in the mid-1990s, it was the sugar-laden, sickly sweet Starbucks inventions because they cut the bitter taste of the coffee. Later, I started cutting the sweetness with more coffee, and today I rarely drink one of those specialty drinks (especially pumpkin spice….).

Fortunately, coffee in Italy is sacred and simple. Many of my friends will not even add milk or sugar to it, and I’ve never seen flavored coffee (except in American-styled coffee shops that scream TOURIST). The few regional exceptions to this rule still maintain the integrity of the coffee. A marrochino (Umbria and Lombardia) is a small cup layered with ground cocoa, milk foam, and espresso. Caffé nocciola (Napoli) is caffé topped with hazelnut cream. Caffé corretto which is caffé with a spot of liquor—usually grappa, brandy, or sambucca.

And then there is bicerin (pronounced bee-chair-EEN).

Bicerin

A traditional hot coffee and chocolate drink that has its birth in Torino (Turin), bicerin got its name from the small, round glass (bicerin) in which it was first served. Bicerin has three distinct layers—chocolate, espresso, and cream. Legend has it that Caffè al Bicerin started serving the drink around 1704 or 1705.

Mike and I first heard of bicerin on one of those hop-on/off tours we took during our first trip to Torino in 2013. The guide mentioned what sounded like “peachering” and said if we wanted to warm up after the cold and damp ride, we should order the drink. He pointed us in the direction of a crowded cafe as we got off, and in we went. We ordered our drinks still not quite knowing what we would end up with, me still thinking it might be a peach cider or something. The one thing that we both remember is that the drink was an overly sweet hot chocolate with a bit of coffee flavor and a dollop of whipped cream on top.

What we had that day was not quite the real bicerin. The exact recipe is secret, but according to Caffé al Bicerin’s website, there are two secrets to making the real bicerin: First, you must use the BEST ingredients available—caffè, cioccolata, e crema di latte…coffee, chocolate, thickly frothed milk. (Note that crema di latte in Italian does not mean cream; that word is panna.) The second secret is to avoid stirring the concoction so that the three tastes, textures, and temperatures blend together in your mouth.

Caffé al Bicerin

Since we are in Turin, and it is, again, chilly, I wanted to try to find Caffé al Bicerin this visit. Once the rain stopped today, we took off on the Metro and a bus and headed to Piazza della Consolata. Sitting across from the entrance of the Santuario della Consolata is the old Caffé al Bicerin. Dating back to 1763, the shop was renovated in 1856 with wood paneling, marble tables and counter, and candy jars. The front window and its furnishings were added in the late 1800s.

The cafe is still small with about eight small tables. Benches line the walls, and there are bentwood chairs opposite them. The warmth of the wood paneling and glow of the candles and wall sconces provide a cozy atmosphere. I appreciated that today since it was chilly, though I did wonder how I would feel if today had been hot and humid.

Our bicerin arrived within a few minutes. Just looking at what we received today compared with what we drank in 2013, we could see a difference immediately. Even by looking at the photos, I think you can tell that the 2013 version has a clump of cream floating on top while the foam of the real bicerin sits on top. While you cannot really see it in the photos, there is a slight difference in color between the chocolate and espresso layers. There was no extra sugar, nor was there a dusting of chocolate on the top.

This bicerin, we decided, was delicious. It was not overly sweet, but we could definitely taste the chocolate. It was smooth, and every mouthful was a pleasant combination of the three flavors. That said, we also agreed that we could probably only drink them occasionally.

Next: We go back to the scene of the crime crudo.