Affogato: Dessert or drink?
Possibly on your visit to any specialty coffee shop or restaurant, you will have come across a preparation called affogato, in their respective letters. If it happened to you and you weren't curious to try it, you made a big mistake! Due to its mix of hot and cold ingredients, it is able to exceed the expectations of most, even the most demanding palates.
If you are fans of something different, with exquisite flavors and at the same time creamyWell, let us inform you that this preparation would be excellent for you. Affogato is an interesting combination of two different ingredients, which make this experience unique.
Generally, affogato is considered a drink, however, there are those who consider it a dessert. Although its origins are Italian, this delicious blend now can be found anywhere in the world.
Surely you are wondering, what ingredients are those that make it so special? Or What is the real story of preparation? Both these and other questions, the team Incapto Coffee will respond shortly.
What is affogato?
As we indicated above, affogato, in addition to being originally from Italy, is an exquisite dessert whose ingredients are: vanilla ice cream and espresso. Regarding his name, translated it means “drowned” and to tell the truth, it is not very far from reality, since it is a ball of ice cream submerged in coffee.
Now, the barista and coffee buyer certified by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Keiko Sato, who is also head of training at Santo Grao (a chain of Brazilian coffee shops and roasteries), points out that it is quite complicated find the history of affogato.
The expert assures that in the records there is no exact date related to the birth of this preparation. However, it is considered that it possibly emerged after the creation of the first espresso coffee maker, but it was not until 1900 when it spread throughout the world.
Although affogato is generally considered a dessert, there are restaurants and cafes that offer it as a drink. Therefore, this always ends up being a topic of debate. Another who is very clear that this Italian mixture is a delicious dessert is the owner of Coffee Five, located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Emerson Nascimento.
Well, the two-time winner of the Coffee with Spirits Championship points out that this wonderful recipe is mostly solid after just one shot of espresso. In fact, to be able to taste it, you have to use a spoon.
It may be easy to understand at first glance that it is a dessert, but the truth is that there is a consensus that explains how it should be eaten. Normally, it is advisable to pour the espresso coffee over the ice cream ball, a few seconds before serving. Another recommendation is to eat it as soon as possible, before it melts and unfortunately we cannot enjoy its incredible flavor.
What is the correct way to prepare it?
At first glance it may be a simple and quick recipe, but the truth is that the preparation may vary in each location. For example, the owner of Café Cinco explains that in his establishment they usually use a beautiful dessert glass. Then, you add a generous spoonful of “fior di latte” ice cream and, finally, they add the coffee.
For those who do not know ice cream latte fior (flower of milk in Spanish), it is known in Italy as gelato fior di latte, although it looks vanilla, it really is not. It is an ice cream whose ingredients are only dairy, sugar and starch, leaving aside the egg yolks.
Like any preparation, this cafeteria's affogato also runs certain risks, such as the lack of ingredients. As its owner explains, sometimes it is difficult to find fior di latte ice cream, because Brazil has many variations. If they have had a bad day and can't get it, they choose to replace it with vanilla.
In some establishments, customers also have the opportunity to order a decorated affogato. Several of them include cantuccini or biscotti, which are delicious Italian cookies. In other places they add chocolate syrup. As if that were not enough, some preparations add the popular Chantilly cream.
On the other hand, Keiko Sato agrees with the opinion of her Brazilian colleague, that the Italian affogato is prepared with vanilla ice cream or fior di latte, accompanied by a regulated espresso. Regarding its texture, it should be quite firm, although currently there are certain variations that use ice cream with a creamy flavor.
Changes in preparation
Over time, the recipe has been modified in some locations. Because, at first it was served in glasses and now we can find affogato in cups, this to have better functionality.
Affogato at home
Talking about this delicious Italian preparation, our mouths are watering. That is why we want to share the recipe with you so that you can replicate it from the comfort of your home, without spending a lot of money and you do not need special equipment.
The key is to use good ice cream and excellent coffee. You can get the latter on the website of Incapto Coffee, where we offer our clientele natural and good quality products. This is because they are specialty coffees, coming from different parts of the world, each of them with more than points in the SCA scale. You just have to select the one of your preference and that's it!
Those inclined to make the classic version should prepare their coffee in the espresso machine. But if you don't have one at home, don't worry, you can use the moka pot to make your espresso in a few minutes. Another option that we offer you is to use the filtering method to obtain a more concentrated drink.
You can use any type of coffee and machines to prepare affogato at home. However, the team Incapto Coffee, recommends that you leave the coffee capsules aside, since in addition to not providing a natural flavor, we would be promoting environmental pollution.
Are there desserts similar to affogato?
It turns out that the affogato is very similar to its countryman the Freddo broth, which is another exquisite dessert, composed as follows:
-Cake soaked in liquor
-Gelato (Italian ice cream)
-Whipped cream covered in hot dark chocolate sauce, served in a clay cup.
In the classic recipe, a coffee-flavored gelato is apparently used, unlike the affogato that contains a shot of espresso. Possibly, at first glance, Freddo broth is a slightly more complex preparation, at the end of the day it follows the same steps of mixing hot and cold ingredients.
In fact, if you want to avoid complications when making your affogato, you can take the ingredients, place them in the blender and create your own frappe.
It is also advisable to compare affogato with other coffee-based desserts, for example Tiramisu or brigadeiro cake. The latter is a Brazilian dessert whose ingredients are condensed milk, butter and coffee.
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