Espresso: the ideal beverage for a recession

The espresso is Italy's gift to the world and the ideal stimulant for the creative mind, writes Graham Farmelo in the Times Higher. I learned a number of new facts in this essay on the joys of espresso including the fact that the word "coffee" derives from the ancient Arabic "qahwat", meaning "wine of the bean".

I stand by my conviction that the espresso is, when well prepared, one modern culinary component that is impossible to better. Come to think of it, at around £1.30 a cup, it is probably the cheapest of all uplifting gastronomic treats, making it the ideal beverage for a recession.

Last year, Britons spent about £750 million on coffee, but only a small fraction of this on espressos. Think of the huge amount of money that would be saved if the majority of coffee-bar patrons switched to espressos from cappuccinos. The country's milk bill would fall and its carbon footprint would shrink too. Better yet, millions would appreciate the joy of savouring in a single shot Italy's greatest gift to the modern world.