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Bicerin, Turin’s Coffee and Hot Chocolate Drink

Published 27/04/2017, updated 03/04/2021 33 Comments

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Bicerin Coffee and Chocolate Drink Turin

Bicerin is one of the most heavenly drinks you will ever have the pleasure of sipping! It warms, it wakes and it lulls, all in equal measure. And Turin, in Italy, is home to Bicerin, one of Italy’s best kept secrets. Unless you’ve been to Turin, chances are, you’ve never had, or perhaps, never even heard of, Bicerin, a hot, luscious drink of espresso, chocolate and milk or cream.

While you’ll find it served everywhere in Turin, Bicerin has actually got a home! It is said to have been invented in the late 18th century at Caffe al Bicerin, a small and cosy establishment at the Piazza della Consolata. And this is how Bicerin is said to have come about – there were three variations of coffee served to customers in the early days: coffee with milk, coffee with chocolate and a little bit of everything. The last drink, a little coffee, chocolate and milk, ended up being the most popular, and

il resto, è storia! (The rest is history!)

Caffe al Bicerin has seen many famous faces walk through its historic doors; Alexandre Dumas and Puccini are just two of its more distinguished clientele. I’m sure, however, they didn’t pay the equivalent of €7 – €8 that you’ll have to cough up for a glass of Bicerin these days, a rather steep price, but I suppose you’re paying not just for the coffee, but also the experience.

Bicerin Pronunciation

The word “bicerin” means small glass, in Piedmontese.

Bicerin – pronounced Bi – Cheh – Reen

Piedmontese – the language spoken by many locals in Piedmont, a region in north west Italy. Turin is its capital.

The picture below shows you a shot glass of Bicerin, something I love serving up to my clients, as a surprise. Isn’t it cute?

Bicerin Coffee and Chocolate Drink Turin

How to Make Bicerin at Home

Until you get to Turin, you’ll just have to make it for yourself!

For a start, Bicerin is always served in a glass.

The chocolate that Bicerin is made with is very dark and very thick. The coffee is strong and dark, fresh espresso is always best, whether you make it using a coffee machine, in a moka pot or in a cafetière. And you also want fresh, frothy milk or cream, my preference is for double or heavy cream, lightly whipped. So want to make Bicerin at home? Start right as mentioned above!

I recently posted a recipe for Cioccolata Calda, Italian Hot Chocolate (image below), and that is what I always use to make Bicerin. I make both drinks so often that it’s practically second nature to me, the chocolate takes 5 minutes while the coffee is brewing, then it’s less than a minute of bringing it all together.

Cioccolata Calda, Italian Hot Chocolate
Cioccolata Calda

When I make Bicerin for guests or clients, I pour the hot chocolate over the back of a spoon to create a layer. You can do that or not, that’s completely up to you. In Turin, more often than not, the hot chocolate is just poured over the coffee and gets mixed up into one very dark, homogenous mix, before being topped with cream or frothy milk.

So there you have it, forget the mocha, the latte, the cappuccino, because now you know Bicerin! For more drink recipes, be sure to check out the Drinks Page!

Lin xx

♥ Do you like this recipe? Please give it a 5-star rating below! And when you make it, share it on any social medium and tag me @azlinbloor ♥

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Bicerin Coffee and Chocolate Drink Turin

Bicerin, Turin’s Coffee and Chocolate Hot Drink


★★★★★

5 from 56 reviews

  • Prep Time: 2 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 2 1x
Print Recipe
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Description

Bicerin recipe, one of Italy’s best kept secrets.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 shots of espresso
  • 1 portion cioccolata calda
  • 125ml (half a cup) fresh cream, lightly whipped, sweetened or not, up to you

Instructions

  1. Divide the espresso between 2 glasses.
  2. Top with the hot chocolate, divided equally.
  3. Finish off with the cream. Serve immediately.
  • Category: Drinks
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @azlinbloor on Instagram and hashtag it #linsfood

Comments

  1. Ollie says

    05/10/2019 at 9:27 pm

    This sounds absolutely delicious. I just watched a programme on the Piemontese cuisine and – of course – Bicerin was included. In a café in Turin they poured the very thick, rich chocolate into the glass first, then the coffee, and then on top, the frothy milk. In your recipe the espresso comes first, followed by the chocolate. My understanding of physics tells me that I would do it the other way round, like the man in the Turin café, as the chocolate is denser and thus heavier than the coffee. That way, the barista managed to produce a wonderfully layered tri-colour drink. What do you think?

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      06/10/2019 at 6:11 pm

      Hi Ollie, that makes perfect sense! I’ve been to Turin so many times, and have had Bicerin served in so many different ways, layered and all stirred in. I can only think that I’m doing it this way because MAYBE that’s how I saw it being done first, who knows!

      Reply
  2. katrina gehman says

    03/05/2017 at 3:58 am

    someone please come and make this for me. i could use a few glasses.

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      09/05/2017 at 4:33 pm

      Haha, I totally get that!

      Reply
  3. Ashleigh at Prairie Gal Cookin says

    02/05/2017 at 9:58 pm

    Looks amazing – Thanks so much for sharing!! Yum!

    Reply
  4. Wildish Jess says

    02/05/2017 at 8:59 pm

    I’m not a coffee drink but I love hot chocolate. I’ll have to give this a try!

    Reply
  5. Sandra crespo says

    01/05/2017 at 12:43 am

    I have never heard of this drink but it looks amazing! I am going to have to try it ASAP !!

    Reply
  6. katriza says

    30/04/2017 at 12:37 am

    Wow this looks like my kind of drink! I love this combination! Never would’ve thought of that, can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
  7. Ashlea says

    29/04/2017 at 7:19 am

    That looks absolutely delicious. I think I need to try this before a chocolate martini.

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      29/04/2017 at 10:47 am

      Thank you, perhaps one after another?

      Reply
  8. Amanda H says

    29/04/2017 at 1:44 am

    Ahhhh! I’ve never heard of this. It looks delicious. I’m a huge coffee lover, and I need to try this recipe. Thank you for sharing it.

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      29/04/2017 at 10:47 am

      Thank you Amanda!

      Reply
  9. Natalie says

    29/04/2017 at 1:44 am

    I am not a coffee drinker but I am all about hot chocolate. Sounds like a nice warming drink!

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      29/04/2017 at 10:47 am

      It certainly is!

      Reply
  10. JK says

    28/04/2017 at 10:22 pm

    Those pictures are really inviting. Hahaha. Coffee is not my thing but I would definitely give it a try since I’m doing night shift at work. I think this one will help. Thank you. 🙂

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      29/04/2017 at 10:48 am

      The chocolate and coffee should do the trick!

      Reply
  11. natalie z says

    28/04/2017 at 1:27 pm

    I have never heard of this before but it sounds delicious! We love coffee and trying new ways to enjoy it.

    Reply
  12. Sondra Barker says

    28/04/2017 at 5:41 am

    Chocolate coffee is always delicious! These pictures had me craving coffee so bad. This was a fantastic read.

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      28/04/2017 at 1:25 pm

      Thank you Sondra!

      Reply
  13. Sincerely Ophelia says

    28/04/2017 at 5:19 am

    The drink looks heavenly! Thanks for the recipe!

    SINCERELY OPHELIA

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      28/04/2017 at 1:26 pm

      A pleasure, thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  14. Erin Maycroft says

    28/04/2017 at 3:36 am

    Yummmm!! That sounds delicious. Chocolate is just about the only way I’ll drink coffee 🙂

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      28/04/2017 at 1:26 pm

      Lol, that’s a funny line!

      Reply
  15. stacey says

    28/04/2017 at 1:47 am

    Bicerin looks divine. I’ve been all over Italy, just passing through Turin. This summer, I’ll have to check it out for sure.

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      28/04/2017 at 1:26 pm

      Fab, have a great time!

      Reply
  16. Agentszerozerosetter says

    27/04/2017 at 9:21 pm

    I love coffe and that Bicerin seems so yummy and delicious! I’ll try to make it at home thanks to your recipe for sure!

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      28/04/2017 at 1:27 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  17. shubha says

    27/04/2017 at 8:44 pm

    Thats super delicious.. and i am in love with the first pic..looks like a pic from a food magazine..amazing!!

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      28/04/2017 at 1:27 pm

      Thank you Shubha! I must confess, I love that picture too!

      Reply
  18. Deanna says

    27/04/2017 at 8:05 pm

    This sounds so yummy. I love coffee with chocolate. I am going to have to try this.

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      28/04/2017 at 1:27 pm

      Thank you, let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  19. LucaMG says

    27/04/2017 at 2:45 pm

    Hey cara, it’s me again, the Italian living in London! I’ve been waiting for your Bicerin post, I love it! Showed it to my mum in Torino and she said to tell you “Brava”!

    Reply
    • Azlin Bloor says

      27/04/2017 at 3:56 pm

      Tell your mama, grazie mille! And to you too, I appreciate you taking the time.

      Reply

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Hey folks, I’m Azlin Bloor; former chef and culinary instructor.
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