What is Americano? What is the relationship between espresso and Americano?

American coffee was born after World War II. When the Americans ended the war in Europe, many troops came to southern Europe. They couldn't drink strong espresso, so they diluted it with warm water. The diluted concentration was acceptable to them. Because it was mainly American soldiers who used this method, people named it American coffee. Because Americans are generally casual and simple in their coffee making equipment, this method quickly became popular as American coffee chains became popular around the world.

American coffee is very popular in North America, especially for breakfast. During work, you can see office workers holding American coffee everywhere. In other countries where coffee is common, American coffee is also quite popular. In China, most coffee shops also offer American coffee. According to statistics from the production volume, American coffee accounts for about 15% of the total coffee sales.

Many people are surprised when they first come into contact with American coffee. Can espresso be called American coffee just by adding water? In fact, the invention and development of espresso began in Italy in the early 20th century. However, until the mid-1940s, it was a drink made by steam pressure alone. It was not until the invention of commercial coffee machines that espresso was transformed into the drink we know today. The production process of double espresso is roughly that the coffee machine uses high-temperature and high-pressure water to extract about 60 ml of coffee liquid in 30 seconds.

It is this cup of strong liquid that tests not only the coffee beans, but also the extraction skills of the barista. If the extraction time is tens of seconds, if the extraction is stopped too early, the espresso will become very sour and astringent and inedible. If it is stopped a few seconds later, the espresso will feel watery, and even have a bad taste of burnt bitterness and smoke. Only the right time can make a cup of espresso rich but not too complicated. Different varieties and roasted coffee beans will bring different tastes. But even if a cup of delicious espresso that the barista talks about is made, there will still be many people who cannot accept the strong stimulation of espresso, but at the same time people cannot resist the temptation of coffee, so they choose Americano, espresso. After dilution with water, the sourness, sweetness and bitterness of espresso are diluted, making it more acceptable to people.

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