We are always inspired by the various coffee styles across the globe to mix up our daily coffee routine. While we cannot travel now, trying international coffee styles is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in other cultures. As we all know coffee really taps into a destination's authentic cultural roots. Today we travel to Cuba to learn more about the art of Cuban Coffee or Cafecito and a bit about the history that runs deep.
Cafecito is a robust espresso shot mixed with a brown sugar style foam creating a beautifully textured dessert style beverage. This delicious, sweet treat is something that you can enjoy at any time of the day or in our case – multiple parts of the day!
Origins of Cuban Coffee
Coffee was introduced to Cuba in the mid to late 18th century by French Colonists. From their first introduction to coffee, their nation was able to develop their own original style of coffee. They became not only avid drinkers but also key players in the production and exportation of coffee. So much so that UNESCO has placed some of the first plantations on the World Heritage list.
There is an art to the way Cubans drink coffee and this is expressed through the two distinct coffee styles. The styles not only include the Cafecito but also Café con leche.
During the late 20th century coffee was rationed in Cuba due to the introduction of embargos by other nations. This rationing saw the adoption of new brewing methods, the Tacita cup and the Moka Pot amongst the Cuban population.
Moka Pot
The Moka Pot is often used to create the several styles of Cuban Coffee due to its brewing ability. It helps to develop the robust flavours from the coffee beans. This robustness is needed to carefully balance the sweet sugar foam that it is mixed with.
Don't have a Moka Pot? Don’t fear you can easily make Cuban Coffee at home. A French Press is a great alternative. Just make sure you have something to grind your beans in, like our Rhino hand grinder for example, or a Breville smart Grinder will help you out. Sounding a little complicated? An espresso shot using our deliciously rich SO espresso coffee beans (Soul Origin House Blend Coffee beans 1kg bag) will also work perfectly with this recipe.
Recipe
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup coffee (finely ground; or amount needed for pot)
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Method:
- Brew coffee according to the machine of your choice, we recommend 1-2 espresso shots per glass.
- In a glass measuring cup with at least 2 cup capacity, add the sugar. Once a little bit of coffee has brewed, add about 1 tablespoon to the sugar. Reserve a little extra coffee concentrate in a small dish to use if needed.
- Make the espuma by using a small whisk or spoon to vigorously beat the sugar and espresso until it is a pale brown, almost foamy paste for about 2 to 3 minutes. Ensuring you don’t beat it for too long as you only want a soft espuma.
- When the coffee has finished, pour it over the espuma while stirring to incorporate. Let the foamy crema rise to the top.
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Pour into individual espresso cup. Shake the measuring cup a little and use a spoon as you pour to get crema into each cup.
Time to Enjoy
For the ultimate Cuban Coffee experience, why not enjoy the traditional Cafecito in a tacita. This is a small espresso cup designed for this style of drink. It will really make you feel like you have travelled across the globe. Make sure you start with a specialty coffee bean to make the most of your brew – luckily we can help you out there. Grab a bag today and you'll be able to showcase your cafecito and transport yourself back to a bustling Cuban coffeehouse.