The Cuban Coffee Thing

I have never been a big American coffee drinker.  Dunkin Donuts or Starbuck’s coffee just never quite hit the spot.  I’ve always yearned for more of a kick.  American coffee makers have always advertised their products as being rich in flavor.  But I have always found them boring.  Today one can buy coffee in a variety of different flavors, but to me nothing can compare to the taste of Cuban coffee.

A big part of the “Cuban Thing” mystique is the love that Cubans have for their coffee.  The Cuban Free Press has an article that best compares this Cuban love for coffee to that of the British love for tea.  Cuban coffee is often compared to espresso for it is made from a rich coffee blend similar to that of Turkish or Italian coffees.  What makes Cuban coffee different is the way that it is made.

Because of the embargo on trade placed on Cuba by the US, there are no present blends of Cuban coffee.  Instead latino coffee brands such as El Pico, Pilon and Bustello are used to make the brew.  These are rich espresso arabica coffee blends.  But you don’t need an expensive espresso machine to brew a “Cafe Cubano.”  All that is needed is a small Italian brewing pot called a “Macchinetta”.  No Cuban kitchen is complete without this handy piece of equipment.  Cubans call it a “cafetera.”  To learn how to make your own “Cafe Cubano” visit Arroz y Frijoles, a great site for original Cuban recipes.

After my father past away last year, I was clearing out his “stuff” from the kitchen cabinets when I came across his “cafetera.”  I used to drink Cuban coffee when I was younger and hung out with my Cuban friends.  But as I grew older and lost contact with the Cuban community I switched to American coffee.  Anyway excited by my discovery, I took out my father’s “cafetera” and brewed a pot.  A ”cafetera”  is an exceptional piece of equipment that gets better with age.  Never, ever should it be cleaned.  All you should do is just rinse it out after each use.   Little by little a coating will develop that will add to the taste of each new brew.  If you are adament about keeping it clean, then just boil water with a little vinegar in the “cafetera” after every other use.

After drinking two shots of  my “Cafe Cubano” I realized what I had been missing for all these years.  I still drink American style coffee with cream and sugar.  But when I’m home I’ll brew it with a “latino brand.”  When I’m out and about I’ll order a “turbo” blend from Dunkin Donuts or Starbuck’s.  A “turbo” is just a shot of espresso mixed in with regular coffee.  It doesn’t come close to the Cuban coffee thing but for me it gives a slight extra kick.