Caffè Mazzanti stands where once were the Mazzanti family's apothecary shops. Coffee is the fil rouge of the commercial and historical evolution of this place. Coffee arrived thanks to the Serenissima and at first was sold in the apothecary shops, as it was considered an excellent medicine.  

The evolution in the use of this plant is marked by the continuous cultural exchange between the East and the West: the latter learned from the Arab world how to use those unknown black beans with their surprising aroma. 

Casa Mazzanti has been, in different forms and for alternating periods, one of the 'cradles' of coffee in Verona. Since 2019, Casa Mazzanti has been offering its customers one of the finest coffees: the Caracolito.  

The Caracolito

Both flowers and berries can be found on each branch of the coffee plant. The coffee fruit is similar to a cherry, called 'drupe': it is yellow at birth and becomes red when it ripes. 

Each berry usually has a kernel split in two and covered by a thin film called 'parchment'. In some cases, the fruit at the end of the branch may contain a single, round-shaped kernel, which is why it is called a 'caracolito', namely 'snail'. 

These beans give rise to a particularly fine selection of coffee. The minimal quantities brought onto the market make this coffee highly sought after. Caracolito is also called Caffè perla (pearl coffee), precisely because of its special spherical shape. The Caracolito is a mono-origin derived from a floral abortion: a flaw of nature that becomes a rarity. 

The spherical shape of the bean allows a more homogenous roasting, gives it a fresher flavour, a marked sourness, and an intense, elegant aroma.