Caffè

One of the most remarkable happenings at the beginning of the Perestroika era in Russia was the sanctioning of the opening of Western-style cafés in Moscow, and Gorbachev personally endorsed the enjoyment of having an espresso from a Gaggia machine. That the café could become a symbol of Western culture and be politicized is indeed remarkable. The exciting drink which Italians consume in vast quantities is obtained by infusing a powder of a roasted bean produced by an evergreen plant. Coffee was brought into Italy by the Arabs in the 16th century, and the first coffee shop was opened in Venice in 1640, where Turkish-style coffee was available. Indeed the term caffè in Italian refers to both the drink and the place.