Italians love coffee: fact. Most drink it as if it were water, and to be an Italian who does not partake is to be something of an outsider.

I am a coffee lover – what writer isn’t! We need it to feed and energise the muse. So when researching and writing my novel The Echoes of Love, which is set in Venice and Tuscany, I was only too happy get in the Italian spirit.

But when it comes to coffee, what exactly is ‘the Italian spirit’? Well, it’s a firmly embraced coffee culture that spans the entire nation and comes with its own set of rules and expectations. In fact, if you really want to embrace the Italian passion for coffee, you need to follow the Ten Commandments of Il Culto del Caffè as outlined in the Telegraph.

To be Italian, then, is to be serious about coffee. That means you drink ‘proper’, not frivolous, coffee. As the author of the Telegraph article points out, “Requesting a mint frappuccino in Italy is like asking for a single malt whisky and lemonade with a swizzle stick in a Glasgow pub.” But just how well do you know your coffees?

I’ve put together a quick quiz to test your knowledge. I’ll post the answers tomorrow. Good luck!

THE COFFEE CONNOISSEUR QUICK QUIZ

1. What is the origin of the word ‘mocha’?

a) The short form of ‘moch chocolate’.

b) The Africaans word for chocolate.

c) A seaport in Yemen from which coffee is shipped.

2. What is espresso?

a) A type of bean.

b) A type of blend.

c) A way of preparing coffee.

3. What are the ingredients of an Americano?

a) Water and espresso.

b) Milk and espresso.

c) Foam and espresso.

4. How does a latte macchiato differ from a caffe macchiato?

a) The milk comes first, then the espresso.

b) The espresso comes first, then the milk.

c) It contains a double shot of espresso.

5. What are the two main types of coffee bean?

a) Arabica and Robusta.

b) Arabica and Java.

c) Java and Robusta.

6. What is a caffe misto known as in France?

a) café au lait.

b) café crème.

c) café noir.

7. From what do we get coffee beans?

a) Berries.

b) Seed pods.

c) Roots.

8. Which of the following is not a popular addition to coffee in worldwide cultures?

a) Peppercorns.

b) Salt.

c) Sage.

9. On the list of most traded commodities internationally, where does coffee fall?

a) First.

b) Second.

c) Tenth.

10. What flavour is a caffè alla nocciola?

a) Caramel.

b) Vanilla.

c) Hazelnut.