Company
July 2010 Attibassi export sales are up 30% vs. year to date last year
June 2010 The Attibassi network has now been expanded by the addition of a Japanese Importer Distributor
December 2009 The Attibassi family has just increased by two importers in Macedonia and Singapore
Attibassi Syle & Tradition
Attibassi is a classic brand from Bologna, much appreciated for the consistent quality of its products. Bologna possesses a rich past and is host to Eurpoe's oldest university. In Italy, Bologna is referred to both as the "Smart One" and the "Fat One". The city is well known for its gastronomy, and its industries. Many famous brands herald from Bologna or its surroundings, such as Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, and Ducati to name a few.
Attibassi was started in 1918 as an artisan "pasticceria", born from the passion and commitment of two confectioners: Mr. Agostino Atti and Mr. Marco Bassi. Within Bologna's culinary atmosphere, Attibassi products grew in popularity and attracted the attention of refined palates. Today, as then, with the added refinement of modern techniques, the company continues to express the "artisan" passion for its traditional products.
About Coffee
Coffee has a fascinating history bringing with it the magic of distant lands and cultures. Like man iteself, the beans of these precious plants originated in Africa. Coffea Arabica is native to highlands of Abyssinia (today's Ethiopia), wihle Coffea Canephora (Robusta) is native to the lowlands of teh Congo Bassin. Coffee is grown between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, with a higher concentration around the equatorial belt. Coffee reached Europe through explorers, traders and adventurers, and that a thousand years after their initial discovery Arab merchants. Coffee beans were brought to India, the East Indies, the Caribbean, and finally Latin America, all in the span of some 200 years starting in the 1700's. Today Brazil gives the world some 40% of total output, and that's typically the ratio of Brazilian coffee that makes up a traditional Italian espresso blend.
Arabicas total some 75% of the world's coffee production. They typically offer a rounded taste, light acidity, and chocolate undertones. Their aroma can be intense and the crema obtained is reddish brown and slightly bitter. They really bring flavor and aroma to a cup of espresso. Arabicas are sensitive to temperature extremes and humidity. They grow best at altitudes from 3,000 to 6,000 feet, and the higher the elevations usually enhance their organoleptic qualities. The beans are elongated, with an "S" shaped furrow in their middle. They are green with bluish shades, and their caffeine content goes from 1.2 to 1.7%.
Robustas are very resistant to diseases and the ravages of constant humidity. It is believed that their higher caffeine content (1.6 to 3.2%) is a result of a natural evolution to ward off parasites (caffeine is bitter). They have more astringent flavor, are less fragrant, and their crema is a darker brown with greyish tinges. They lack the complexity of Arabicas (half the chromosomes) but do provide body and density to a small cup of espresso coffee, giving it more of a syrupy feel and a "soul".
Attibassi Coffee
Attibassi brings forth the perfect balance of human experience and the use of modern industrial processes, for espresso is both an art and a science. Above all, a great tasting espresso coffee ought to have a consistant profile, no matter what the day, week or month you happen to enjoy it. Like a fine champagne, a good espresso is a carfully adjusted blend of handpicked origins and varietals, where the goal isn't to create a vintage, but rather a well rounded consistent flavor profile recognizable to its devotees wherever they may find themselves.
Espresso Italiano
Espresso today successfully represents Italy abroad, but unfortunately too often the name is used to describe products that do not respect the tradition and do not meet the standards expected by discriminating consumers. The drink known as espresso and those derived from it (cappuccino, caffe latte, etc) is often nothing more than a bitter strong black coffee with no crema served in the wrong cup and priced too high.
A good espresso blend is the result of a knowledgeable combination of Arabica and Robusta varieties. The roasting process then brings out the natural characteristics of each variety seperately prior to blending. Proper grinding and tamping of the espresso coffee in the portafilter also plays a crucial role in the preperation of a perfect cup of coffee. A skilled barista is needed to ensure that all the requirements are met to serve a true espresso italiano, a harmonious coffee, intense in flavor, full bodied, with a lingering aftertaste.
An espresso coffee isn't about quantity (1oz per shot) but quality; the same can be said when enjoying a fine single malt whiskey. An espresso is an affordable little treat, and like most treats adding a bit of sugar does help to accentuate the pleasure. When properly handled, our medium roast and hazelnut brown blend of coffee will result in a great espresso with a beautiful reddish brown crema accented by "tiger stripes" on the surface, a crema in which sugar will slowly sink to the bottom of a perfectly shaped Attibassi porcelain cup.