The Viennese coffee house is so central to the city's life that UNESCO lists it as intangible cultural heritage, and the Melange is its everyday order. It is a gentler cousin of the cappuccino: a mild, slightly larger espresso with an equal measure of steamed milk and a soft crown of foam, brought to the marble table on a small metal tray with a glass of water. The water is not a hint; it is a courtesy, refilled for as long as you care to stay with the newspaper.

You do not need an espresso machine to make a good one at home. A stovetop moka pot and a little patience with the milk get you remarkably close. Pour one on the morning of the Austrian Grand Prix, settle in, and adopt the Viennese view that nothing important ever happens in a hurry.

The coffee

Ingredients

• about 3 tablespoons (16 g) medium roast coffee
• as needed cold water

The milk and foam

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 ml) cold whole milk
• to taste sugar

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