It is likely that the inhabitants of Carlton and Fitzroy, two important  Italian neighbourhoods in Melbourne, will answer like this, despite the fact they’ve been living in Australia for more than 50 years.  The capital of the state of Victoria is a puzzle of cultures, influences, inspirations  and it is not surprising that there are some typical products of the Italian tradition. First of all: the coffee.

In 2014, web users drew up a ranking of cities based on the quality of their coffee. Rome is in third place, followed by Vienna. The undisputed winner seems to be Melbourne. 

If for us, in Italy, coffee is often synonymous with espresso, for the inhabitants of Melbourne the answer to the question “What coffee do you want?” may not be so predictable.

Short black, long black, double shot, cappuccino, flat white, chai latte, piccolo, skim and soy milk.

These are just some of the options you can choose from. 

If for us, in Italy, coffee is the best way to start the day or to finish a meal, for an Australian, a  mug  of flat white is the  ideal accompaniment  to good book on a sunny Wednesday afternoon or, why not?, to be enjoyed alongside a pasta dish.

“The answer is actually very simple. 

 Rediscovering the scents and flavours of home, from  more than 17,000 km away, must have been one of the top priorities of many Italians who left for those distant shores. And perhaps this is why, in Melbourne,  coffee culture  is so strong. After all, the further  we are from home, the more Italian we feel.” 

These are the words of Jos Turner, one of the most influential baristas in the city, who, without a doubt, is a true coffee connoisseur.

Every day more than 30 tonnes of beans pass through the port of Melbourne : enough to yield about 3 million cups of coffee: one  for each inhabitant  of the city. 

It is not surprising, therefore, that two of the biggest Lavazza events are held in Australia: the Lavazza Italian Film Festival and the Australian Open.

But is the secret to the success of Australian coffee? One wonders if it is so good precisely because it is a coffee enjoyed down under.