Affogato Recipe - an Italian classic (2024)

FAQs

Is affogato actually Italian? ›

An affogato (/ˌɑːfəˈɡɑːtoʊ, ˌæf-/), more traditionally known as "affogato al caffè" (Italian for "drowned in coffee"), is an Italian coffee-based dessert.

Ideally, coffee is poured on top of the ice cream before serving. Many prefer to use the spoon, while some slowly sip the concoction instead. Whichever method you use, ensure that you eat it before it melts. In Italy, the Affogato is typically served after lunch or dinner.

An affogato is most commonly made with vanilla gelato, though a quality vanilla bean ice cream works, too. You can even switch it up to use flavored ice creams such as chocolate or mint chip, or try coffee ice cream or mocha for an extra hit of caffeine.

The affogato began in Italy, somewhere

However, some say that a medieval friar called Angelico from the Piedmont region of Italy spontaneously blended ice cream with espresso, creating affogatos.

Affogato literally means “drowned” in Italian. The word is used to describe when a liquid is poured over a food, usually cold food, but it can also describe cooking techniques using minimal liquid at a temperature of 175-185 °F, which should never reach the boiling point.

The popular Italian dessert consists of only two ingredients, espresso, and ice cream, yet the result is utterly extravagant and delicious. Along with coffee and chocolate, this freshening drink is one of the traditional chocolate pairings in Italian café culture.

Affogato, which means “drowned” in Italian, is a scoop of gelato drowning in a freshly made shot of hot espresso. It's drunk/eaten as the ice cream and coffee melt together into a glorious, bittersweet puddle, a fantastic way to finish a meal.

Coffee also aids digestion by stimulating more frequent muscular contractions within the gut, helping to move food waste along. Both of these effects can be attained by consuming any kind of coffee, whether caffeinated or not. The after-dinner espresso is a tradition born in Italy – the birthplace of modern espresso.

Caramel Mocha Drizzle Affogato

Starbucks Reserve^® Espresso and mocha over creamy vanilla gelato, topped with caramel drizzle and a mini stroopwafel.

Grab your spoon and dig in! If you prefer, sip it straight from the bowl. The sweetness of the gelato tempers the bitterness of the coffee, while the contrasting temperatures eventually balance each other out. Don't leave it too long, or you will find that you have with coffee-gelato soup!

How to order an affogato in Italy? ›

"Vorrei un affogato al caffè, per favore." The "affogato" could be considered a dessert by many, but it is the perfect choice for a hot summer day. Make sure to order it "al caffè" as there are many variatons of it.

An affogato means something a little different at Starbucks. Instead of espresso poured on top of gelato, an affogato is a shot of espresso poured on top of any drink, usually a Frappuccino. What is this? To order a drink with an espresso shot on top, (not blended in), ask for it to be made with an affogato-style shot.

Palazzo del Freddo is the oldest and finest ice cream factory in all of Italy.

The affogato is a hot and cold delicacy available on many specialty coffee shop menus, as well as in restaurants. It is a rich, creamy blend of two very different flavours. While generally considered a dessert, some people do believe the affogato is a drink.

1. drowned. è morta affogata she drowned. 2. ( Cookery) (uova) poached.

The affogato's origin story is suspect. According to Porte, we may owe credit to the 17th-century Franciscan friar Angelico (the same cleric who brought us the hazelnut-based Frangelico liqueur), but more likely, the affogato appeared in Italy sometime in the 1950s when the ice cream industry modernized.

The affogato is a dessert made with two main ingredients: vanilla ice cream and espresso. Originally invented in Italy, the word “affogato” literally translates as “drowned” in English. This is fitting, as the affogato is no more than a scoop of ice cream “drowned” in espresso.

Espresso was initially popular, particularly within the Italian diaspora, growing in popularity with tourism to Italy exposing others to espresso, as developed by Eiscafès established by Italians in Germany.