The bicerin is the greedy drink that gives more than 250 years unites the people of Turin in front of a glass. Yes that's right, this particular coffee is not served in a cup, but in a small transparent glass goblet, without a handle, which is then placed on the classic saucer. In fact, the name "bicerin" in Piedmontese dialect means small glass.

History has it that

Bicerin was invented in historic "Caffè Al Bicerin" (which acquired the same name only after the success of the drink). In 1763 Giuseppe Dentis opened his shop in front of the entrance to the Sanctuary of the Consolata, a strategic position that will bring great fortune to both the local and the bicerin, thus establishing an indissoluble bond with the "Consola". The new blend soon became the ideal support for the faithful, who, having come out of mass after fasting for communion, found a sweet and energetic comfort in the bicerin. The same was true in the period of Lent, since hot chocolate was not considered "food", it could be taken without delay even during the prescribed fast.

They left in 3 and returned in 1

In reality more than invention, the bicerin would be classified as evolution of the eighteenth-century Bavareisa, a drink in vogue at the time, consisting of coffee, chocolate, milk and syrup, served separately and it was then up to the customer to combine the ingredients, in a sweet ritual that ended in large glass glasses. Just look a century ahead and things change, already in the nineteenth century the three ingredients were served in a single glass and transformed into three variants: pur and fiur (similar to cappuccino), pur and beard (coffee and chocolate), 'N poc' d tut (or "a little bit of everything"), with all three ingredients and therefore today's bicerin. This last formula was the winning one that has come down to our days intact and intact. The drink then spread to other places in the city, even becoming one of the symbols of Turin and in 2001 it was recognized as a "traditional Piedmontese drink", entering the list of traditional Italian food products.

The bicerin recipe

We went back to the birth and development of this beloved drink, to be enjoyed hot, perhaps after a nice walk under the arcades. Now let's see how to best prepare it from the comfort of home.

Ingredients

4 cups of espresso, 30 ml of milk, 200 g of dark chocolate, 50 ml of fresh cream, 2 tablespoons of sugar

Instruments
Mocha, saucepan, bicerin glass

Method

Prepare the coffee with the mocha, in the meantime melt the dark chocolate in a saucepan with the milk and add the sugar. Mix until you get a smooth cream and pour it into the typical bicerin glass. Pour in the coffee and mix, stirring gently. Whip the fresh cream with a pinch of sugar and cover the coffee forming a delicious topping. The bicerin is ready to be enjoyed, I recommend hot, do not let it cool.

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