Bicherin is a coffee cocktail consisting of 3 layers: hot chocolate at the bottom, coffee in the middle, whipped cream on top. It differs from all other coffee-cream drinks by the obligatory presence of chocolate (sometimes gianduyu chocolate-nut paste, and in the “diet” version – cocoa). In appearance and method of serving it resembles Irish coffee, but alcohol is never added to bicherin.
For a long time, bicherin was not even widespread throughout Italy, but only in Piedmont. Therefore, the drink options only slightly differ from each other in proportions.
History of Bicherin
In the second half of the 18th century, in the main city of Piedmont, Turin, which at that time was the capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia, there lived a lemonade merchant, Giuseppe Dentis. Having saved money, in 1763 he opened his own cafe.
Signor Dentis chose the place for the establishment opposite the Church of Santa Consolata, in such a way that wealthy Turin townspeople, tired of the mass, would come to the cafe to relax and drink a cup of coffee.
In those days, in wealthy Piedmontese families, it was customary to drink bavareisa in the morning - a mixture of coffee, cream and hot chocolate, sweetened with molasses. Signor Dentis experimented for a long time and came to the conclusion that bavareise would look much more impressive if it was not stirred, but poured into a transparent glass in layers.
At Giuseppe Dentis's cafe they prepared three versions of bavareise:
- pur e fiur – coffee with milk, reminiscent of a modern cappuccino;
- pur e barba – coffee with chocolate;
- un pòch ed tut (“a little bit of everything”) – coffee with hot chocolate and cream.
The third option was the most popular among the local public. The drink was served hot, in glass glasses with coasters. This glassware is called bicherino (“glass”) in the Piedmontese dialect. This is how the name “bicherin” was born.
Soon the people of Turin fell in love with Bicerin so much that the cafe received the name Al Bicerin. In the 18th century, bicerin became a signature Turin drink, served in all coffee shops. True, the dosage of ingredients was different; the correct proportions are still known only to the owners of the Al Bicerin cafe.
Al Bicerin coffee is still valid today
The establishment successfully survived the era of the Napoleonic Wars, and in the mid-19th century it became the most popular cafe in Turin. It is known that Count di Cavour himself, the first prime minister of a united Italy, loved to be here. Alexandre Dumas, Giacomo Puccini, and Friedrich Nietzsche also admitted their addiction to bicherin. “Bella Rosin”, Rosa Vercellana, the beloved and morganatic wife of King Victor Emmanuel II, also had a weakness for bicherin.
In the 19th century, it was considered unacceptable for a decent lady to go into a cafe alone, without a man accompanying her. But Al Bicerin was very conveniently located next to the church, and gradually wealthy parishioners began to visit the cafe to gossip with their friends over a cup of hot Bicerin coffee and a bowl of macaroons. Such a pastime did not go beyond the bounds of decency, since since the 19th century, the owners of Al Bicerin were women.
In the 20th century, the cafe was owned by ladies from the Cavalli family: Signora Ida and her daughter Olga. In 1983, the establishment was inherited by Marite Costa, through whose efforts it gained worldwide fame. Signora Costa restored the interior of the premises and introduced into the menu traditional sweets that were served with bicerin coffee 100 years ago, including 14 types of Piedmontese shortbread.
Marite Costa made Al Bicerin cafe world famous
According to Gambero Rosso, in 2001 Al Bicerin was recognized as the best cafe in Italy. At the same time, bicherin was included in the list of “traditional products of Piedmont.” In 2010, Umberto Eco sang the unique atmosphere of the Al Bicerin cafe in his novel “Prague Cemetery”. After this, the popularity of bicherin in the world increased sharply. Now the Piedmontese drink can be tasted outside of Italy.
Italian coffee culture
The attitude of Italians towards coffee is fully reflected by Nino Manfredi’s phrase from the iconic Lavazza coffee advertisement of the 80s: “Coffee is a pleasure.
If it doesn’t taste good, what kind of pleasure is it?” I will immediately express my opinion: if you come to Italy and want to try real Italian coffee, do not go to chain coffee shops like Starbucks (currently open only in Milan) or Arnold's Coffee, popular among young people and tourists. Well, maybe just once, if you really want to. But be sure to try real Italian coffee. In Italian culture, there is initially no such thing as coffee to go (to go; da portare via). Therefore, save Frappuccinos and Frappes in large cardboard glasses for another occasion and another country. One more thing: in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, street coffee culture has recently become very popular, and words such as “flat white” and “pour over” have entered our vocabulary. This one is also not about Italy, with very rare exceptions. Venice is rightfully considered the birthplace of coffee in Italy, where in 1650 coffee beans, which were previously considered a seasoning, were first consumed in the form of the drink we know today. Thus, the triumphant march of coffee began from the Veneto region and its spread throughout the entire territory of the Italian boot.
Ingredients for bicherin
In the café, bicherin is prepared using espresso. But at home, you can add any strong black coffee to the drink. The degree of grinding of the beans depends on the cooking method. If coffee is brewed in a Turkish coffee pot or prepared in a French press, the coffee base should be strained through a fine strainer before preparing the bicherin.
It is best to brew 100% Arabica or blends with no more than 10–15% Robusta added. There is no need for expensive single-origin Arabica beans, since the cream and chocolate will prevent you from properly experiencing the subtle notes of coffee taste and aroma. But mixtures with a high content of robusta are not suitable either: its bitterness does not harmonize well with cream.
Medium roast beans are preferred. With light roasting, the taste of coffee is not felt at all, and the combination of cream with dark roasted coffee is not for everyone.
To brew coffee, you need soft bottled water with a mineralization of 70–150 mg/l.
Choice of cream and milk
You often see a picture of a glass of bicherin topped with a tall dollop of whipped cream (usually artificial). It looks impressive, but this way of serving the drink is not entirely correct. Classic bicherin is supposed to be drunk, tasting cream, coffee and chocolate in turn. Cream whipped to stiff peaks will have to be eaten with a spoon.
Typically, cream of 30–40% fat content is used for the top layer. They are whipped to form a liquid foam that is convenient to drink (like Irish coffee). Sometimes milk is used instead of cream for the top layer, which slightly reduces the calorie content of the drink. In such cases, the milk should have 2.5–3% fat content, otherwise it will not froth well.
Milk is added to bicherin when melting chocolate in a water bath. It all depends on personal preferences: milk can be replaced with water, or diluted with cream of 10–20% fat content. The fat content of milk does not matter.
Choosing chocolate
In the classic bicherin coffee recipe, melted dark chocolate is poured into the bottom layer. But at home, you are allowed to experiment with flavors. White chocolate gives the drink a buttery flavor.
An interesting effect can be achieved if you use dark chocolate with praline, fruit or creamy fillings. Instead of chocolate, in Turin they sometimes add gianduja paste; at home it is replaced with Nutella.
The cream should be cooled before whipping, otherwise it will separate. The cream is whipped either before preparing the espresso, or while brewing the coffee if a slower method is used. To prevent the layers from mixing, pour the coffee and then the whipped cream over the blade of a knife. If you want to make the drink sweeter, it is better to add sugar to the coffee immediately after brewing.
The most common coffee drinks:
Espresso (Italian: espresso) is a coffee drink prepared by passing hot (about 90 °C) water under pressure of 9 bar through a filter with ground coffee. The drink is very popular all over the world and, above all, in the south of Europe - in Italy and Portugal.
Doppio (double). Pour water into the coffee maker and bring to a boil. Then pass boiling water through coffee under pressure equal to 15 atmospheres. Steam temperature 95°C. The espresso preparation time should be between 25 and 30 seconds. After this, immediately repeat the process of making coffee, then mix both portions in one cup.
Triplo - triple espresso.
Ristretto (limited), also known as espresso corto (Italian: short), is an espresso with less water (10-20 ml) but with a richer flavor.
Flat white – espresso (one third) and frothed milk (two thirds), with or without a little foam.
Cappuccino is traditionally a mixture of coffee, frothed milk and milk froth (one third each). Cappuccino is often made similar to a latte, but with more foam. If desired, the foam is covered with chocolate chips.
Macchiato (Italian: Caffè macchiato) is a coffee drink made from a shot of espresso and a small amount of milk. Also known as espresso macchiato. Like latte, macchiato is the basis for latte art.
Latte (milk) is short for the word “caffellatte”, meaning “coffee with milk”. It is an espresso to which frothed milk is added, with or without a thin layer of foam, depending on preference.
Viennese coffee – coffee with milk, which is prepared using coffee varieties with a milder taste; sometimes caramel is added.
Latte macchiato (colored milk) is essentially an inverted latte, as the espresso is poured into a cup that already contains milk. “Latte macchiato” should be distinguished from “caffe macchiato”.
Fredo. First, you need to prepare a cup of espresso coffee (but take a little more water). Then pour the freshly brewed coffee into a shaker and add syrup (you can improvise with different syrups, but fruit ones will be prohibited) and milk. Add some ice and shake well. Pour into a cocktail glass and enjoy the taste.
Irish. Place 2 tsp in a heated glass goblet. cane sugar, pour in 20 ml of Irish whiskey, stir. Pour in coffee freshly prepared in a geyser coffee maker, top with whipped cream (preferably vanilla).
Romano. Take a cup of strong espresso and add a slice of lemon to the drink. In some cases, the wedge can be replaced with lemon zest cut into strips, or with lemon sprinkles or lemon juice.
Honey Raf coffee is a mixture of espresso, 11% cream and honey. Unlike other cocktails that contain milk, the ingredients for raff coffee are mixed at the very first stage of preparation. After this, the drink is whipped with a cappuccino maker from a coffee machine until a dense and thick foam is obtained.
Glyase. Iced coffee is ordinary coffee with ice cream. Coffee can be used just like freshly brewed coffee (the best option), but you can also use regular instant coffee if you don’t have a coffee maker at hand.
Mocha. or mocha is a variety of Arabica coffee, named after the port city on the Red Sea - Moha. But we are talking about coffee with chocolate.
Characteristics of bicherin
| Bean varieties | 100% Arabica or blend with 10–15% Robusta |
| Roasting degree | Medium (Viennese or slightly lighter) |
| Grinding | Depends on how the coffee base is prepared |
| Coffee base temperature | +70 ± 5 °C |
| Hot chocolate temperature | +60 ± 5 °C |
| Cream temperature | +10 ± 5 °C |
| Cooking time | 7–10 minutes |
| Portion output volume, ml | 200 |
| Caffeine content (strength) | 50–150 mg (per serving) |
| Recommended intake (servings per day) | 1 |
| Maximum permissible norm (servings per day) | 2 (the drink is very high in calories) |
| Calorie content, kcal: low-calorie option (cocoa with sugar in the bottom layer and cream in the top); | 290–313 |
| low-calorie option (cocoa with sugar in the bottom layer and milk in the top); | 174 |
| with milk and dark chocolate in the bottom layer, cream in the top; | 450–473 |
| with milk and milk chocolate in the bottom layer, cream in the top; | 447–470 |
| with a mixture of milk, cream and dark chocolate in the bottom layer and cream in the top; | 465–509 |
| with a mixture of milk, cream and milk chocolate in the bottom layer and cream in the top; | 462–507 |
| with a mixture of milk, cream and dark chocolate in the bottom layer, sweetened coffee in the middle and cream in the top; | 484–529 |
| with a mixture of milk, cream and milk chocolate in the bottom layer, sweetened coffee in the middle and cream in the top; | 481–526 |
| with a mixture of milk, cream and dark chocolate in the bottom layer, sweetened coffee in the middle and sweetened cream in the top. | 503–548 |
What a cup of coffee looks like around the world
Imagine the unique aroma of freshly brewed coffee - words will not be enough to describe this wonderful drink. The morning of millions of people around the world begins with a cup of invigorating coffee. And each country has its own secrets of preparing it.
For Bright Side, some of them became a real discovery.
The recipe is based on egg yolk, condensed milk, sugar and hot coffee.
First, Lapland cheese is placed in the cup, then coffee is poured.
Espresso with a slice of lemon, and before drinking, the lemon must be “flatten” with a spoon on the walls or bottom of the cup.
Only a couple of drops of strong coffee are added to the milk foam. Simply put, it's more like milk and coffee.
Bonbon (Spain)
This is espresso with condensed milk. And if you mix half regular milk with half condensed milk, you get leche y leche.
Coffee with spices (Morocco)
A mixture of spices like sesame seeds, black pepper and nutmeg is ground with coffee beans to create... a really strong drink.
www.adme.ru
Classic bicherin recipe
Ingredients:
- 50 ml espresso or black coffee brewed in another way;
- 50 ml milk (or 25 ml milk and 25 ml cream 10–20% fat);
- 50 g chocolate;
- 50 ml 30–40% cream.
- chocolate chips, sugar - to taste.
Cooking technology
- In a water bath, melt the chocolate in milk (or milk with 20% cream).
- Beat 30–40% cream until liquid foam.
- Brew coffee.
- Pour hot chocolate into a heated glass.
- Pour coffee over the blade of the knife.
- Pour in whipped cream.
- Decorate with chocolate shavings.
How to make mocha at home
All you need is a clear glass, a small cup of espresso, some chocolate or chocolate sauce, whipped cream and whole milk. Traditional mocha recipe: milk is poured into a transparent glass and chocolate is added, after which the mixture is heated by steam until its components are mixed
After this, coffee is carefully poured into the milk and chocolate, and the resulting drink is decorated with whipped cream. You can also sprinkle it with chocolate chips
Lungo (long) - it uses one and a half times more water than is required for regular espresso, resulting in a weaker taste.
Americano - espresso is mixed with hot water, usually in a one-to-one ratio. Long black uses the same principle, only in reverse.
Con Panna is a single or double espresso topped with whipped cream. It is also called Viennese coffee, although the name of the drink may differ in different countries. It is most often served in demitas or in a transparent glass.
Breve (short) – espresso (50%) mixed with milk (25%) and cream (25%).
Coretto. Caffe coretto is an Italian drink (flavored). It consists of a shot of espresso flavored with liqueur, mainly grappa, and sometimes sambuca or brandy. The drink is also widely known outside of Italy. When ordering coretto, you should specify which alcoholic beverage you want to flavor your coffee with. In northern Italy, people like to drink coffee with grappa (grape vodka) for breakfast. Rough coffee is a mixture of espresso, 11% cream and vanilla sugar syrup. Unlike other cocktails that contain milk, the ingredients for raff coffee are mixed at the very first stage of preparation. After this, the drink is whipped with a cappuccino maker from a coffee machine until a dense and thick foam is obtained.
Marocino. Ingredients: Chocolate syrup – 10 ml. Espresso coffee – 30 ml. Milk – 15 ml. The total volume of the drink is 60 ml.
The drink is served in a heated glass glass with a capacity of 80 ml. Pour the mixture of espresso and chocolate syrup into a glass glass, top with frothed milk, and garnish with grated chocolate. It is necessary to achieve separation of the drink into two parts, frothed milk and mixture (espresso coffee and syrup).
Bicerin (drink a small glass) is a coffee-based drink that originated in Turin (Italy).
Ingredients: 250 ml milk, 90 grams semi-sweet chocolate, 50 ml espresso or strong coffee, whipped cream or ice cream
First, let's grate a handful of chocolate. Then pour into a saucepan and fill with milk. Bring to a boil. Beat the mixture for 1 minute. Then remove the pan with the mixture from the heat.
Now prepare strong coffee or espresso in a separate glass. Pour the chocolate mixture into a coffee glass. Then add coffee in a thin stream. For garnish, add whipped cream or ice cream on top. A few more coffee recipes:
How to make ICE COFFEE
Prepare very strong coffee and cool it. Add cold milk/cream/, ice cream to taste, and a few pieces of ice. Blend all ingredients in a blender at high speed for about 20 seconds until the ice breaks into small pieces.
Serve in chilled glasses with a straw, top with a scoop of ice cream and top with chocolate syrup.
How to make iced MOCHCO with mint
Prepare 3 cups of coffee and let it cool. Combine chilled coffee, mint extract, 1 cup milk, 8 tbsp in a blender. spoons of chocolate syrup and crushed ice, beat until foam appears. Serve in tall glasses with a straw, garnished with mint leaves.
How to prepare "COFFEE GLASS"
Prepare 1 cup of coffee and cool it.
Place 100 g of ice cream (vanilla, chocolate or coffee) into the glasses. Drizzle with chocolate syrup (
2 tbsp. spoons)
Carefully add cooled coffee. Place a large spoonful of whipped cream on top of each glass and sprinkle with colorful candy crumbs
How to make coffee "ENJOY"
Boil 4 g of cardamom seeds for 5 minutes in 300 ml of water. Cool this aromatic mixture, strain and make coffee using this water. Place a large piece of ice in tall glasses and fill with freshly prepared coffee.
“Low-calorie” bicherin
Ingredients:
- 50 ml espresso or black coffee brewed in another way;
- 100 ml milk;
- 2–3 tsp. cocoa powder;
- 50 ml 30–40% cream;
- sugar - to taste.
Recipe
- Whip the cream.
- Boil milk, brew cocoa (possibly with sugar).
- Brew coffee.
- Pour cocoa into a heated glass.
- Pour coffee along the blade of the knife.
- Pour in the cream.
- To further reduce the calorie content of the drink, you can replace the cream with whipped milk.
Preparation:
1. First you need to make hot chocolate. To do this, bring the milk to a boil and add the chocolate. Wait for it to dissolve. Stir.
2. Pour hot chocolate into the bottom of a glass or transparent cup.
3. Prepare a strong espresso. Carefully, using a spoon, touching the tip to the side of the cup, pour the espresso over the hot chocolate in a thin stream.
4. Whip the cream into foam using a cappuccino maker or a hand whisk.
5
Also, carefully pour them over the espresso.
6. Sprinkle grated chocolate on top and serve with a straw in the Bicherin.
Good morning! And the most delicious coffee to you!
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