What Is Orzo Coffee Substitute? A Decaf Drink In Italy.

If you have been wondering if Italians drink their delicious espresso all day long, many do but some enjoy the decaffeinated coffee substitute known as Orzo.

I have been enjoying Italian coffee for more than a decade and there have been times where I got into the habit of drinking a little too much every day. My sleep was negatively impacted and like any addiction, I needed more and more each day to get going in the morning. Nowadays I typically limit myself to my 3 cup moka in the morning and all is well.

There are times during the day that I would enjoy a nice espresso, but I don’t really need the additional caffeine. In other words, I am one of those people who enjoy the taste of coffee and not just the energy boost from the caffeine. I thought a nice decaf was the way to go, but one problem is once I open the bag of coffee, it begins to degrade. I hate wasting coffee, but I also don’t drink decaf enough to maintain its freshness. What can I do?

I learned about Orzo, a coffee substitute, from my wife and I was intrigued. Was this the answer to all my problems? A Decaf coffee substitute that you can drink at home, but also out at some bars around Rome.

What Is Orzo?

Orzo is a roasted barley beverage that is naturally caffeine free. It is an espresso-type drink and when prepared from the correct type of roasted barley, it can be made in typical espresso machines and coffeemakers. In Italy it is widely available in coffee vending machines and in bars alongside the machine for making ginseng tea.

How Is Orzo Coffee Made?

There are two different types of Orzo. One is like instant coffee where you add a tablespoon or two to some boiling water and mix well. The other is ground up like coffee and brewed in a Moka pot. 

Instant Orzo

Once dry barley is roasted, you have two options. First, soluble barley is one of the quickest solutions used in powdered barley coffee, which can be instantly dissolved into hot water or milk. Soluble barley coffee can easily be found in all supermarkets around Italy next to the real coffee.

Obviously this is a little lower quality, but the upside is that it is quick to prepare and generally doesn’t go bad, so you get a consistent cup of Orzo every time. On the packaging for the brand I purchased, Morettino, it says you don’t even need boiling water, but I’ll stick to what I know and make sure it’s hot. 

Brewed Orzo

The second option is brewing it in a coffee pot. This requires a larger grind of the roasted barley so as to not clog the moka. Be certain which version you are using, because the fine grind can clog the moka and the larger grind will not dissolve into a delightful drink.

This type of Orzo can be brewed in a stovetop espresso machine like a Moka, and Bialetti even sells a moka pot specifically for Orzo. There are a couple of reasons why you might want a separate pot for Orzo: there is an additional filter that will keep the finer particles out of your drink that aren’t present in coffee and you don’t want to mix the flavors. Even though Orzo is a coffee substitute, they do have different flavors that need to be kept separate.

What Is Orzo Coffee Good For?

Does Orzo Taste Like Coffee?

No, there are distinct taste differences between roasted barley and roasted coffee. However, the dark, chocolatey flavor steaming in a cup can be satisfying if you really need to avoid caffeine and want a warm cup of something.

Do Italians Drink Caffè D’Orzo More Than Real Coffee?

Definitely not! At home, it is an occasional treat instead of the daily (or multiple times a day) ritual of real coffee. The other indicator is where the Orzo machine is out at the local bar. I saw one coffee machine that was a combination of Orzo and Ginseng and seemed very neglected. In one bar, it was also next to an equally underused Bunn coffee maker for the tourists.

What Is My Reaction To Orzo?

I was not as enamored with Orzo as I was hoping I would be. I don’t like instant coffee and the soluble version of Orzo seemed to be lacking in depth of flavor just like those. The taste is definitely NOT coffee, but if you like roasted barley, perhaps this might be for you. For me, I will stick with decaf and try harder to keep it fresh between cups. This way I don’t need a separate Moka and I can get the real flavor of Italian coffee.

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