Make Southern Italy's Unique Iced Coffee With This Special Ingredient

We all love to add a little bit of syrup or extra flavor to our morning iced coffee. Head to any Starbucks or larger café, and the customizations nowadays are endless. However, when it comes to iced coffee, southern Italy has been adding one specific ingredient for a long time, tying into its unique culinary history: almond syrup.

At the heel of the boot-shaped Italian peninsula — specifically the Salento part of the Apulia region — is the charming town of Lecce, known as the "Florence of the South" due to its gold-tinted Baroque architecture and many culinary specialties. One of these is caffè leccese, popular in the torrid summer months and a fixture in local cafés. Sweet, refreshing, and the perfect caffeine boost in the early morning or mid-afternoon, all you need is almond syrup, coffee, and ice.

The recipe for a caffè leccese is relatively simple, but — as with many food rules in Italian cuisine, like not adding parmesan to seafood pasta — has a specific protocol. As of 2026, its formula has been included in Italy's PAT (Prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale), an official label for foods whose production history spans at least 25 years. All you need is to fill a glass with some large ice cubes, add a few teaspoons of sweet almond syrup — also known as "latte di mandorla," a sweetened almond "milk" — and then prepare a hot espresso, generally just over half an ounce (20 to 22 milliliters, to be precise). Pour it over the mix, and it's ready to serve. In some cafés, it's served "soffiato," meaning "blown" — that is, with the liquid ingredients gently combined and aerated with the steam wand, creating a uniquely fluffy texture.

The specific recipe of caffè leccese itself is relatively recent, thought to date back to the 1940s and 50s when local families — especially the Quarta — started adding ice to coffee. It then gained rapid popularity in the subsequent decades amid Italy's postwar economic prosperity, especially as the region became a popular resort. Nevertheless, the almond syrup is not a mere casual addition; rather, it's part of a long-standing culinary history that tells a story of southern Italy's roots and how they connect to its present.

Firstly, the almond syrup used in caffe leccese, while being labeled latte di mandorla — which literally translates to almond milk — is quite distinct from the almond-based beverages you would typically find in a grocery store. Rather, the amber-hued mix is closer to a concentrated almond cordial, and Italy's PAT actually specifies how it is made: The traditional preparation involves a pound of sugar, 1 and ¾ cups of water, and 5 ounces of almonds, with the nuts being cooked and ground before being added to the mix, giving it a marzipan-like flavor. 

Moreover, adding almonds to coffee isn't a coincidence. The use of the nut in southern Italian food dates to the Middle Ages, when Arab conquests introduced it into the local cuisine. Caffè leccese blends modern Italian coffee culture with local flavors, with the marzipan-like sweetness of the almonds complementing the coffee's bitterness perfectly. Making the drink might be simple and rewarding, but it isn't the only Italian chilled treat you can take inspiration from if you want a sweet beverage to quench your thirst amid the blistering summer heat. You can try Rome's own milk and mint syrup combo for a 1970s-themed beverage, or try making your own coffee-flavored granita at home with a plastic bag and a rolling pin.