It’s not the first time Italy has been honoured by UNESCO, the body in charge of preserving humanity’s world heritage in all its forms. The idea of making Italian espresso part of its intangible cultural heritage is far from as hare-brained as it might at first sound. Every year, the UNESCO body receives dozens of applications for this title, such as Spanish flamenco, Algerian Raï, French gastronomy, Finnish sauna culture, the art of Persian miniature, or the musical art of horn-blowers, camel racing, Swiss watchmaking expertise, etc.
Espresso coffee is indeed a piece of Italian cultural heritage, and one that is shared almost everywhere on this planet, as well as a very important factor in social bonding, especially in Italy. One to watch over a lovely cup of … tea!