The eating and drinking habits rooted in Italian culture are fascinating, from the specific timing of meals to how meals are prepared. We already know Italians love espresso, which is why many Italians drink a shot of espresso after dinner. Without understanding the origins of this habit, many Americans might wonder why you’d consume a typical “morning” beverage at night. Should you adopt this habit and drink espresso after dinner, too? Here’s what to know about drinking an after-dinner espresso.
Enjoying espresso after dinner
Daniele Foti, VP of Marketing of the globally recognized Italian coffee brand Lavazza, shared his insights on this interesting Italian coffee habit. He shared, “In Italy, the tradition of having an espresso after dinner became popular in the 1950s and 60s with the rise of espresso machines in restaurants during La Dolce Vita. While it’s not a strict custom, many Italians enjoy a premium espresso after a meal to share a moment of joy and connection. We drink espresso several times throughout the day and are used to it, so having one at night rarely affects our sleep!”
Foti has never hesitated to enjoy an espresso after dinner (sometimes even later). However, he shared that Italians never order a cappuccino after dinner. A cappuccino is “strictly a morning drink and typically only enjoyed before 11 AM.” He shares that this after-dinner tradition is now growing beyond Italy, with premium espresso options that are more available in restaurants and homes. Even in America, many Italian restaurants request espresso on its own after a meal.
After-dinner digestion
Many habits of Italian culture are based around spending time with family and friends. As Foti shares, drinking espresso after dinner serves as a way to connect with others. However, some Italians consume espresso after dinner to aid with post-meal digestion. Stefano De Martini, Co-Owner of Bomberino & Owner of Cafè De Martini in Brooklyn, NY, shares the science behind this habit.
“Scientifically, it is known that coffee stimulates the production of the digestive hormone gastrin and hydrochloric acid, present in gastric juice,” he says. As such, these digestive hormones can help break down food in the stomach (perfect for after dinner). Additionally, De Martini shares that espresso stimulates the secretion of a hormone known as cholecystokinin (CCK), which increases bile production and is also involved in digestion.
The caffeine in espresso can also help aid digestion by increasing the production of stomach acid and bile. Of course, if you haven’t quite built up the tolerance to caffeine that many Italians have, drinking espresso after dinner might not be for you.
De Martini, a native of Turin, Italy, also touched on the importance of drinking espresso as a social bonding tool, as Foti noted. “Coffee and an amaro [can] help with digestion, but it is also used to share time with the people at the table, and the last chat will be finished with coffee before going home and saying goodbye. Coffee in an Italian’s day is the center of everything: work, public relations, meetings, a moment of pause, even an intimate personal moment where, in those few minutes, you don’t think of anything else. We Italians are romantic, and as you can see, coffee for an Italian has a romantic vision of life.”
